《An Understated Dominance》 Chapter 1 ¡°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 ine, ced a piece of A4 paper on the table. A man sat opposite her, dressed in in clothing. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°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 jerked 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 regr 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 ¡°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 heughed 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 dy this any longer.¡± Lyra pushed the divorce agreement toward him again. ¡°Just sign here and you¡¯ll get a car and a house aspensation. On top of that, you¡¯ll also get eight million dors. This is more than what you¡¯ll be able to earn in your lifetime!¡± ¡°Eight million dors is a lot, but¡­I don¡¯t need it. I will sign the divorce papers if shees personally. Otherwise, I won¡¯t sign anything,¡± Duston said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, Dustin!¡± Lyra mmed 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 rtionship 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 rtionship, 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¡ª¡± Just as Lyra was about to lose her cool, a curvy woman in a long ck 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 feltplicated 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 beingte, 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 exin 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 dors as alimony. How does that sound?¡± At that, she ced a card on the table. ¡°Do you really think our rtionship 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 cidly. ¡°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 ipatible in status and power; they were also ipatible 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?¡± Dustinughed 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 heldplicated 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 Nn 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 ne 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 ne. ¡°From today onward, we will have nothing to do with each other!¡± Dustin put on the ne 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. Chapter 2 In the elevator, Dustin stared at the crystal ne dejectedly. Even though he had expected it, he was still sad that his marriage had ended just like that. He had once thought that happiness was simple: meals on the table, cheerful days, and simple pleasures. Now, he found out that normalcy was a sin. It was time to awaken from this prolonged daydream. Suddenly, his phone rang, breaking him out of his trance. When he picked up the phone, a familiar voice came from the other end. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m Hunter Anderson from the Swinton Group. I heard that today your wedding anniversary with Ms. Nicholson, so I¡¯ve prepared a gift for you. I¡¯m just wondering if you have any time today?¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be needing the gift,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Why?¡± Hunter was taken aback. He could sense something wrong. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to talk about, Mr. Anderson?¡± ¡°Actually, yes, there is.¡± Hunter cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve got a friend who contracted a strange illness. He¡¯s seen a lot of doctors, but none of them could do anything about it. I was hoping that you could help.¡± ¡°Mr. Anderson, you know my rules.¡± ¡°Of course I do! I¡¯m sincere in my request. My friend owns some canscora, which I remember you were looking for. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be willing to part with it if you help him,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Is this true?¡± Dustin asked seriously. ¡°Yes, it is!¡± ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s so, then I¡¯ll be willing to take a look.¡± Dustin immediately agreed to the request. He wasn¡¯t interested in money or jewels, but rather some rare herbs and nts, as he needed them to save lives. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys! I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up immediately!¡± Hunter smiled in relief. As the president of the Swinton Group and one of the Mighty Three of Swinton, Hunter acted exceptionally timid in front of Dustin. ¡°Great, one more down, five to go. I should have enough time,¡± Dustin muttered to himself. His mood was lifted a little by this news. With a ding, the elevator doors opened. As soon as he stepped out of the building, he saw two familiar figures walking toward him. It was Dahlia¡¯s mother, Florence Franklin, and her brother, James Nicholson. ¡°Mom, James, why are you here?¡± Dustin greeted. ¡°Did you and Dahlia get divorced?¡± Florence did not waste any breath. ¡°Yes, we did.¡± Dustin gave her a forced smile. ¡°It¡¯s not Dahlia¡¯s fault, it¡¯s mine. Don¡¯t me her.¡± He intended to end his marriage on a pleasant note. However, hearing this, Florence snorted coldly. ¡°Of course it¡¯s your problem. I know my daughter well. If you hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, why would she divorce you?¡± Dustin was stunned. What was this? Victim ming? ¡°Mom, you know how I¡¯ve treated her over the past three years. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m never done anything to betray Dahlia¡¯s trust in me,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Who knows what you¡¯ve done behind our backs?¡± Florence snorted again. ¡°My daughter was right to divorce you! Look at yourself. She¡¯s clearly out of your league!¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far?¡± Dustin frowned. If he hadn¡¯t helped the Nicholson family three years ago, they wouldn¡¯t be where they were today. ¡°Too far? So what if I am? Am I not speaking the truth?¡± Florence crossed her arms. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mom, stop wasting time with him.¡± Suddenly, James stepped forward. ¡°Listen here, Rhys. I don¡¯t care whether you divorce my sister or not, but you¡¯re giving me all the money you got from her.¡± ¡°Money? What money?¡± Dustin was bbergasted. ¡°Stop feigning ignorance! I know that my sister gave you eight million dors as alimony!¡± James said coldly. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s my daughter¡¯s money. You have no right to take it! Give it back!¡± Florence stretched out her hand in demand. ¡°I didn¡¯t take any money from her,¡± Dustin denied. ¡°Bullshit! Who would pass on eight million dors? Do you take us as idiots?¡± James did not believe him. ¡°Rhys, you¡¯d better be tactful and give us the money. Don¡¯t make me angry!¡± Florence warned. ¡°You can call Dahlia and ask her if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Dustin did not wish to exin himself any further. ¡°What now? Are you threatening us? Listen here. No matter how much you beg, I¡¯m not letting you leave with a single cent of ours!¡± Florence snarled. ¡°Mom, he¡¯s too dense for this. Let¡¯s just search his pockets!¡± James said impatiently. He dove straight into Dustin¡¯s pockets. Florence followed suit. ¡°Mom, do you have to do this?¡± Dustin frowned. He hadn¡¯t expected to be osted by the Nicholson family so soon after the divorce. They were really merciless. Florence spat on the ground in disgust. ¡°Who are you calling Mom? Watch your mouth. Who do you think you are?¡± As she spoke, she continued searching through Dustin¡¯s pockets. After some time, they didn¡¯t find what they wanted from his pockets. ¡°Fucking hell, did he really not take any of the money?¡± James said, displeased. Suddenly, he spied the crystal ne around Dustin¡¯s ne and pulled it off roughly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this my sister¡¯s ne? Why is it with you? Did you steal it?¡± James demanded. ¡°This is the Rhys family heirloom. Give it back!¡± Dustin said, his expression darkening. He wouldn¡¯t take any money, but he would not leave his mother¡¯s keepsake. ¡°A family heirloom? Does this mean that this is valuable?¡± James¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°In that case, Rhys, this can be your repayment for these three years that you¡¯ve been living with us. Let¡¯s go!¡± Florence gave her son a look and prepared to leave. ¡°Stop there!¡± Dustin grabbed James¡¯ wrist. ¡°Give me back the ne!¡± ¡°Ouch! That hurts! Let me go!¡± James felt great pain in his wrist. ¡°Give it back,¡± Dustin repeated dangerously. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯d rather throw it away than give it back to you!¡± Seeing that he had no chance of freeing himself from Dustin, James threw the ne onto the ground. With a crisp clink, the crystal ne broke into several pieces. Dustin nched. This was the only thing he had to remember his mother by. ¡°How dare youy your hands on me! I¡¯d rather break it than give it back to you!¡± James said as he rubbed his sore wrist. Dustin clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles popped. His eyes were red with anger. ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Unable to hold in his anger anymore, Dustin pped James in the face. James was pped so hard that the spun back uncontrobly before falling to the ground. He was so dizzy that he couldn¡¯t stand up. ¡°Since your mother can¡¯t be bothered to teach you manners, then let me do the honors!¡± Dustin grabbed him by the hair and lifted him. Then, he pped him several times. James¡¯ face soon turned bloody from the ps. ¡°How dare you hit my son!¡± Florence screamed as she tried to help her son. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Dustin turned and red at her. The re was so intense that Florence froze in her tracks. Chapter 3 ¡°Fuck off!¡± Those two words were enough to scare Florence motionless. She had never thought that Dustin could be so scary when he was angry. He had always been so mild-tempered around them. He now looked like he could eat her alive. When she finally got her wits back, Florence began screaming, ¡°Help! Help! He¡¯s murdering my son!¡± Soon, the Quine Group¡¯s security guards gathered around them. ¡°What happened, Mrs. Nicholson?¡± The head of the security guards recognized Florence and stood at her side immediately. ¡°Tom! Lock this guy up at once! I want him punished for beating up my son!¡± Florence yelled. ¡°Holy cow! How dare you cause trouble in front of the Quine Group? Have you lost your mind?¡± Tom waved his hand. All the security guards surrounded Dustin. This was their chance to kiss up to the president¡¯s mother. If they did well now, then they might get a promotion and a raise. ¡°What are you waiting for? Beat him up!¡± Just as they were about to act, a voice sounded. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± A curvaceous woman in a silver dress barged into the crowd with her bodyguards. With her lips painted a fiery red, she was stunningly beautiful. Every move she made was alluring. ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous!¡± The security guards stared at her lustily. She was one of the most attractive women they had ever seen. ¡°Mr. Rhys, are you okay?¡± The woman ignored the looks she was getting and headed straight toward Dustin. ¡°Who are you?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes at her, his anger dissipating. ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Natasha Harmon. Mr. Anderson sent me here,¡± the woman said with a smile. At this, the security guards began whispering amongst themselves. ¡°Natasha Harmon? Is she the heiress of the Harmon family?¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Why is she here?¡± They were all shocked. Natasha Harmon was a household name around the city. She was pretty, influential, and smart. At 22 years old, she had already gained control of the Harmon Group and built her own business empire within five years. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you.¡± Dustin nodded. He had heard of Natasha before, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be involved with Hunter. ¡°Mr. Rhys, please wait in the car. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± Natasha snapped her fingers. Behind her, her four bodyguards whipped out their batons and advanced toward the crowd. Even though there were just four of them, their threatening auras was enough to make the security guards back off. After all, they knew that the Harmon family only hired trained bodyguards. ¡°After you, Mr. Rhys.¡± Seeing that no one else dared to move, Natasha smiled and held out a hand to lead Dustin to the car. Without a word, Dustin picked up the pieces of his ne and left with Natasha. No one dared to stop him. ¡°What the heck? What do we pay you for? Why did you just let them go?¡± Florence yelled when she realized what was happening. ¡°Mrs. Nicholson, she¡¯s Natasha Harmon. We don¡¯t dare to offend her!¡± The head of securitymented. None of them dared toy a finger on Natasha. ¡°Useless trash! You don¡¯t dare to offend her, but you¡¯re fine offending my daughter?¡± Florence demanded. The security guards looked at each other, not daring to speak. ¡°What happened?¡± Dahlia and Lyra came out to see what themotion was. ¡°Dahlia! You¡¯re here! Look at how badly your brother¡¯s been beaten up!¡± As soon as Florence saw her, she began to cry, as if she was the one who had been beaten up. ¡°What happened? Who did this?¡± Seeing her brother¡¯s wounds, Dahlia¡¯s expression became chilly. ¡°Who else? It¡¯s that bastard Dustin!¡± Florence cried. ¡°We met him just now. James picked up a crystal ne that he dropped and tried to give it back to him, but he tried to turn it around and said that your brother stole it from him. After some argument, he beat up James! My poor James, he just did what he thought was right. What has he done to deserve this?¡± She began crying harder. ¡°Dustin?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°He¡¯s always been mild-tempered. Why would he beat up James for no reason? What did you do?¡± ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Florence looked angered. ¡°Do you not believe your mother?¡± ¡°I just want to know the truth,¡± Dahlia said. After three years of marriage, she knew Dustin¡¯s personality well. He was normally calm and collected and rarely lost his temper. He wouldn¡¯t just beat someone up for no reason. ¡°Look at your brother! Is the truth not clear enough? If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the security guards. They saw everything!¡± Saying this, Florence gave the security guards a look. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, your mother is right. That guy there was the one who assaulted your brother. If it weren¡¯t for us, she would¡¯ve fallen victim to him too.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. The head of security understood his assignment perfectly. ¡°You hear that? I¡¯m not wronging that bastard!¡± Florence continued. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, that Rhys guy is not a good person. He¡¯s a hypocrite. Look at what he¡¯s done right after you divorced him. He even has a new whore now!¡± Hearing this, Dahlia frowned. She was unsure of what to think. Could Dustin really do such a thing? Maybe he was furious about the divorce and wanted to exact revenge on her through her brother. If so, then she had to admit that she had misjudged him! Chapter 4 ¡°Mom, take James to the hospital. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Dahlia finally made her decision. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dahlia, you must defend your brother! Don¡¯t let that bastard off so easily!¡± Florence said hatefully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I should do.¡± Dahlia nodded, gesturing for two guards to send Florence and James to the hospital. ¡°What do you think, Lyra?¡± Dahlia rubbed her temples. She felt a headacheing on. ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? It was Dustin who assaulted them first. The security guards were witnesses, so that can¡¯t be a lie,¡± Lyra said. ¡°But my mother¡¯s not exactly an honest person¡­¡± Dahlia began. She knew her mother and brother well. They were a hot-tempered and ruthless duo. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s still wrong for him to throw the first punch!¡± Lyra said righteously. ¡°Even if there was a misunderstanding, why couldn¡¯t he talk it out? Moreover, it was James that he beat up. Your brother! He didn¡¯t think of how you would feel when he attacked your family. This alone is proof that he¡¯s not a good person!¡± Dahlia¡¯s frown deepened along with her doubts. Lyra was right. Even if her mother and brother were rude and unreasonable, there was no reason for Dustin to assault them physically, nor was there any reason for him to hurt James so badly. It would seem like her decision to divorce him was right. ¡°You can¡¯t just let this go, Ms. Nicholson. You have to teach him a lesson!¡± Lyra said. Hearing this, Dahlia became angry. She took out her phone and called Dustin. At the same time, Dustin was sitting in a silver Bentley and frowned when he saw the calling in. Despite his reluctance, he still picked up the call. ¡°Dustin, I need an exnation!¡± Dahlia demanded. ¡°What exnation?¡± ¡°Did you hit my brother just now?¡± ¡°I did. But¡­¡± Before he could finish, Dahlia interrupted him. ¡°So it was you! I hadn¡¯t expected you to be such a person! Are you taking revenge on my family just because I divorced you?¡± Hearing this, Dustin was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected Dahlia to be so aggressive. She hadn¡¯t even stopped to listen to what he had to say. After three years of marriage, she was treating him as if he was a mere stranger, or worse. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson, is that what you think of me? You knew that I hit your brother, but have you stopped to think why I hit him?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°No matter what he did, you still shouldn¡¯t have hit him!¡± Dahlia insisted. Hearing this, Dustinughed bitterly. He was disappointed in her. At this point, it didn¡¯t matter who was in the wrong. She clearly favored her brother over him. ¡°Dustin, I¡¯ll give you another chance. Go to the hospital right now and apologize to James, and I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise what?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°Are you going to call the police on me, or hire hitmen to take me out?¡± ¡°Dustin! Are you really going to throw away my goodwill like this?¡± Dahlia snapped. ¡°Goodwill? Are you sure it¡¯s goodwill that you¡¯re extending me? Anyway, I did beat up your brother, so do with that what you will.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Dahlia¡¯s retort was cut off as Dustin hung up. She almost threw out her phone in anger. Dahlia had always been good at hiding her true emotions. It was one of the reasons why she had managed to get to where she was today. But right now, she was having a little trouble in that regard. ¡°How rude of him. Ms. Nicholson, do you need me to arrange for someone to teach him a lesson?¡± Lyra asked. ¡°No need. We¡¯re done now.¡± Dahlia took a deep breath to quell her anger. ¡°But¡­¡± Lyra was about to say more when Dahlia stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough of this. I need to work on more important matters, like the charity ball with the Harmon family.¡± ¡°The charity ball? Has that got anything to do with our partners?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I just received news that the Harmon family has shortlisted the Quine Group. If we do well at this ball, we could be the Harmon family¡¯s next partners!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll go make the arrangements right now!¡± ¡­ After hanging up the call, Dustin arrived at Swinton Primary Hospital. Natasha brought him into a VIP ward, where an old man wasying on the bed. He looked pale, and his lips were dry and cracked. His breathing was weak as if he was close to death. Several doctors surrounded him, but none of them looked optimistic. ¡°Natasha! You¡¯re finally here. These doctors are useless!¡± Suddenly, a young woman with a ponytail ran up to them. She was the second daughter of the Harmon family, Ruth Harmon, and the old man on the bed was Andrew Harmon, her grandfather. ¡°Ms. Harmon, we¡¯ve already done everything we could. There¡¯s nothing else we can do for him,¡± a doctor said helplessly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing you can do, then let someone else take over the reins,¡± Natasha said coldly. ¡°Mr. Rhys will take over.¡± ¡°Mr. Rhys?¡± The surrounding doctors had strange expressions on their faces. Dustin looked too young to be a good doctor. ¡°Are you kidding me, Natasha? This is Mr. Rhys?¡± Ruth looked shocked. ¡°He looks about the same age as I am. Is he really a doctor?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Mr. Anderson was the one who introduced him to me. I trust him,¡± Natasha said. To be frank, she wasn¡¯t quite sure about Dustin either, but if Hunter rmended him, then he had to have his merits. ¡°Could Mr. Anderson have been conned too?¡± Ruth still looked doubtful. ¡°Hey, you, are you really a doctor?¡± ¡°I know a little about medicine,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°Just a little?¡± Ruth pouted. ¡°You should know that we only let in the best doctors into this room. Everyone here is a known expert in their field, and none of them could do anything about this illness. How are you so confident that you can?¡± ¡°Ruth! Watch your manners!¡± Natasha scolded. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look reliable, Natasha! I¡¯m just worried that he might make Grandfather worse!¡± Ruth said. ¡°Watch your words.¡± Natasha frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I won¡¯t believe in him unless he can prove himself to me,¡± Ruth said with her head held high. ¡°How should I prove myself?¡± Dustin asked nonchntly. ¡°Tell me what ails me. If you¡¯re correct, then I¡¯ll believe in you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re scared? If you can¡¯t do it, then please leave. Stop wasting our time!¡± Ruth snorted. ¡°Show me your tongue,¡± Dustin said. Ruth did as he said. After a quick look, Dustin said without any hesitation, ¡°Your hormones are imbnced, so you should be experiencing irregr periods and migraines. You¡¯re also showing some signs of food poisoning, which has affected your digestive system. You¡¯ve been having diarrhea, haven¡¯t you? Oh, another thing, you have hemorrhoids¡­¡± The more he spoke, the tenser Ruth became. Chapter 5 How did you know that?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ruth¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of her head. She was more shocked than embarrassed that Dustin could tell so much about her health just by looking at her tongue. Everything from the migraines to diarrhea was spot on. Was he really that good, or did he just make a lucky guess? ¡°There¡¯s a lot you can tell about a person just by looking at them,¡± Dustin said nonchntly. ¡°Do you believe him now, Ruth?¡± Natasha smiled. At the same time, she also heaved a silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness Dustin knew what he was doing. ¡°He just got lucky!¡± Ruth refused to admit defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Rhys, she¡¯s just too stubborn for her own good. Please ignore her,¡± Natasha told Dustin apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Shall we begin?¡± Dustin didn¡¯t take Ruth¡¯s attitude to heart. He walked over to Andrew and gave him a thorough check- up. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find out what was going on. It was obvious to him that the old man had been poisoned. The poison was pretty potent too. Thankfully, it was discovered early on, so he could still be saved. Another day or two, and he would have been lying in the morgue! ¡°Ms. Harmon, can you get me some silver acupuncture needles?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°No problem.¡± Natasha waved a hand. Immediately, one of her bodyguards went out. Five minutester, he returned with a set of acupuncture needles. ¡°Thank you.¡± Dustin nodded his thanks, then began to take off the old man¡¯s shirt. First, he tapped his knuckles against the old man¡¯s stomach to make sure he was hitting the correct positions, then began to ce the needles in the correct pressure points. His actions were light but firm as his hands flew deftly. With his skill, his patient would not feel any pain from the needles. Seeing this, Natasha was surprised. ¡°He¡¯s good!¡± She didn¡¯t know much about acupuncture as a medical practice, but she knew some experts in the field. From what she could see, those old experts had nothing on Dustin. His actions were one of an experienced and talented healer who had spent years in practice. She was curious about this man. Once all 16 needles were in ce, Dustin breathed a sigh of relief. It had been some time since hest performed acupuncture, but thankfully he was still familiar. ¡°Is that all? Nothing changed!¡± Ruth looked confused. ¡°Your grandfather has been poisoned. It¡¯ll take about two hours to drain the toxin from his body; you shouldn¡¯t remove the needles before the two hours are up, or there might be serious side effects!¡± Ruth pouted. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°Ruth!¡± Natasha red at her sister. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom. Please watch over him while I¡¯m gone,¡± Dustin told the upants of the room before leaving. Not long after he left, a group of doctors barged in. These were some of the most skilled doctors in the hospital. A balding man led the troupe. ¡°Hey! Who are you guys?¡± Ruth crossed her arms. ¡°My name is Jansen. I¡¯m the executive director of the hospital, and also the dean of the medical school. I¡¯m here on orders to treat Old Mr. Harmon,¡± the balding man introduced. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re that famous Dr. Jansen! The best doctor in Swinton!¡± Ruth was ecstatic. ¡°More like one of the best,¡± Dr. Jansen said proudly, ¡°but yes, I am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great to meet you, Dr. Jansen. Please help my grandfather.¡± Ruth immediately moved out of his way. Clearly, she trusted Dr. Jansen more than she trusted a youngster like Dustin. ¡°I will.¡± Dr. Jansen nodded. When he got nearer to the bed, he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s with the needles? What nonsense is this?¡± As he spoke, he made to remove the needles. ¡°Wait!¡± Seeing this, Natasha stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dr. Jansen asked, annoyed. ¡°Dr. Jansen, I¡¯ve already hired another healer. He said that my grandfather has been poisoned. We cannot remove these needles as there might be serious side effects.¡± ¡°What a bunch of bullshit!¡± Dr. Jansen snorted derisively. ¡°If these needles can cure ailments, then what are doctors for?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ruth agreed. ¡°Natasha, that Dustin barely looks a day over 20. How could he be a skilled healer? Please don¡¯t tell me you believe the shit he spewed.¡± ¡°Then how would you exin the way he could tell that you¡¯re having diarrhea just by looking at you?¡± Natasha asked. ¡°He¡­ he made a lucky guess!¡± Ruth said. ¡°Ms. Harmon, all of the best doctors in Swinton are here. I don¡¯t know who you hired just now, but I believe he¡¯s just conning you. Do you really think our professionally trained doctors are not as good as a random guy on the street?¡± Dr. Jansen asked. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Old Mr. Harmon, but please, don¡¯t believe in these superstitions. It would just make things worse!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Dr. Jansen has saved a lot of people. Don¡¯t worry, Old Mr. Harmon will be safe in his hands!¡± the other doctors behind him chimed in. Their confidence weakened Natasha¡¯s resolve. However, she insisted, ¡°We should wait for Mr. Rhys to come back.¡± ¡°Why should we?¡± Ruth said. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s already gone, Natasha!¡± ¡°Ms. Harmon, I¡¯m a busy man. I¡¯m not going to waste any more time here. If I pull out these needles and anything happens to Old Mr. Harmon, it¡¯ll be on me.¡± With that, Dr. Jansen pulled out all of the needles. As soon as the needles were removed, something strange happened. Andrew¡¯s body began convulsing. His face began to turn ck, and blood gushed out from his nose and mouth. The machines on either side of the bed began beeping. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Dr. Jansen was surprised by the turn of events. ¡°What¡¯s this, Dr. Jansen?¡± Natasha frowned. ¡°That¡¯s strange, he was fine earlier¡­¡± Dr. Jansen felt uneasy. ¡°Sir, the patient is coding!¡± ¡°Quick, get the machines!¡± Without dy, Dr. Jansen began emergency resuscitation. Even after a lot of effort, Andrew did not seem to get better at all. In fact, his stats were declining uncontrobly. Dr. Jansen was panicking. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I think¡­ I think Old Mr. Harmon is¡­ dying¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Both Natasha and Ruth were shocked. Chapter 6 ¡°You useless thing!¡± Natasha was livid. She grabbed Dr. Jansen by the cor and yelled, ¡°I told you not to remove the needles! Now that the worst has happened, this is all you have to say?¡± ¡°No, this has got nothing to do with me!¡± Dr. Jansen shook his head fervently. ¡°It must be that other healer. His needles must have caused this to happen!¡± Natasha pped him. ¡°Stop pushing the me on others, you bastard! I¡¯m warning you now if anything happens to my grandfather, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± At those words, Dr. Jansen paled. The Harmon family was powerful enough to get rid of him without anyone knowing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At that moment, Dustin entered. When he saw Andrew¡¯s state, he frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to remove the needles?¡± he asked with displeasure. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?¡± ¡°Mr. Rhys, just now¡­¡± Before Natasha could exin, Dr. Jansen shot forward and grabbed Dustin by the cor. ¡°So it¡¯s you who ced the needles?¡± he shouted. ¡°It¡¯s your stupid needling that caused Old Mr. Harmon to go into critical condition! You¡¯re responsible for this!¡± Dustin was a convenient scapegoat that he could use to avoid the me. ¡°Am I right to presume that you were the one who removed the needles, then?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°So what if it¡¯s me?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just a little curious. How did you be a doctor when you¡¯re so unskilled and irresponsible?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Natasha pushed Dr. Jansen away, then pulled Dustin over to the bed. ¡°Mr. Rhys, we have no time to lose. Please save my grandfather!¡± ¡°Ms. Harmon, he¡¯s just a conman! He won¡¯t be able to do anything for your grandfather. Don¡¯t be scammed!¡± Dr. Jansen said angrily. ¡°If you think he can¡¯t do anything, then why don¡¯t you do something?¡± Natasha red at him. ¡°I¡­¡± Dr. Jansen was rendered speechless. If he could save Andrew, he would¡¯ve done so earlier instead of standing around. Just as Dustin was about to begin his treatment, Dr. Jansen said suddenly, ¡°A word of warning, young man. Old Mr. Harmon is a man of influence. If you fail, you¡¯ll have a lot to answer for.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, then I¡¯m not treating him. You guys can deal with it yourself.¡± Dustin had no wish to continue arguing with them. He turned and made to leave. ¡°You fucking bastard! Shut your craphole!¡± Natasha was livid. She pped Dr. Jansen again. The p was so forceful that Dr. Jansen stumbled and almost fell to the ground. Seeing his swollen face, Dustin felt vindicated, even though he remained expressionless. Natasha¡¯s expression changed into pleading when she spoke to him. ¡°Please, Mr. Rhys. The Harmon family will owe you a big favor if you can save my grandfather.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. The toxin has been aggravated, so it¡¯s more aggressive now. Acupuncture alone won¡¯t be enough to cure him. I need something else,¡± Dustin said. ¡°I will give you whatever you need,¡± Natasha said. ¡°I¡¯ll need a quarter pound of caterpirs, a quarter pound of spiders, and a quarter pound of cockroaches. Fry them and seal them in an airtight container.¡± ¡°Ew. Why do you need those things? How gross.¡± Ruth said in disgust. ¡°Stop your yakking. Go find those items!¡± Natasha red at her. Reluctantly, Ruth went out with her bodyguards to look for the insects. Soon, they came back with a container filled with fried insects. ¡°Ms. Harmon, after I finish the acupuncture treatment on your grandfather, please open this container and ce it in front of his nose and mouth,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Will do!¡± Natasha nodded. ¡°I shall begin.¡± Dustin took out his silver needles and took a deep breath. Then, he gathered his concentration and inserted the first needle into Andrew¡¯s lower abdomen. With a flick of his finger, Dustin made the needle rotate quickly. A sliver of energy entered Andrew¡¯s body through the needle. His second needle went slightly above the first. Dustin inserted it without any hesitation. The next three needles were ced quickly and determinedly in a straight line from the first two. Interestingly, Dustin did not just stick the needle into Andrew. Instead, he was slowly forcing the needles upward from the abdomen. With every needle he ced, Andrew¡¯s skin bulged slightly, as if something was crawling underneath his skin. ¡°What bullshit.¡± Dr. Jansen pursed his lips disdainfully. ¡°Acupuncture is a bunch of crap. It¡¯s not even based in science!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! He¡¯s just embarrassing himself!¡± The other doctors in the room were also whispering amongst themselves. They clearly had no confidence in alternative medicine. When Dustin finally ced thest needle, he was drenched in sweat. What he did was not regr acupuncture. It was the long-lost art of Miracle Needling. Miracle Needling could raise the dead, but only if the performer had the internal power to do so. It was a draining task, so he only used it for emergencies. ¡°Ms. Harmon, the container,¡± Dustin reminded. Natasha opened the container hurriedly, and a pungent smell filled the room. Andrew got the brunt of it. ¡°More absurdities!¡± Dr. Jansen snorted again. ¡°Do you really think some needles and fried insects can save a man from dying?¡± ¡°Just because you can¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t mean others cannot,¡± Dustin replied lightly. ¡°If you seed, I¡¯ll eat this container of insects!¡± Dr. Jansen said. Just as he finished speaking, Andrew opened his mouth for the first time after days of being unresponsive. A ck centipede crawled out of his mouth. Attracted by the smell of the fried insect, it climbed into the container and began eating them. ¡°A centipede? Is that a centipede?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Oh my god, there was a centipede in old Mr. Harmon¡¯s body!¡± ¡°Ew!¡± When the people in the room realized what was happening, they were shocked. Ruth even started vomiting. It was terrifying to see a centipede climb out of a human¡¯s mouth. This was the stuff of nightmares. Suddenly, there was a sound of loud coughing from the bed. Andrew opened his eyes. Chapter 7 ¡°Is he awake?¡± Everyone was stunned when they saw Andrew return to consciousness. The doctors were dumbstruck when they noticed the monitors showing Andrew¡¯s vital signs were all normal. Who would have expected a young man like Dustin to cure an unknown disease that had stumped the entire specialist team? This was unheard of! ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Grandfather is awake!¡± Ruth burst into tears of happiness when she saw her grandfather¡¯s recovery. Natasha also breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I don¡¯t know how to thank you for this. From now on, you are the Harmon family¡¯s honored guest!¡± She bowed deeply to Dustin. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Ms. Harmon. It was no trouble at all.¡± Dustin gave her a small smile. However, Dustin¡¯s humble words irked Dr. Jansen. He and his team had done all they could to cure Andrew, but this punk called it ¡°no trouble at all?¡± Clearly, Dustin was insulting them indirectly! ¡°Hey, you! What¡¯s up with the centipede? Why would there be a centipede in my grandfather¡¯s body?¡± Ruth spoke up. ¡°This is not a normal centipede. It¡¯s actually a venomous curse.¡± Dustin turned to Andrew. ¡°Mr. Harmon, where were you recently? Have you eaten anything out of the ordinary?¡± ¡°You¡¯re spot on. A few days ago, I was at Millsburg for a party and drank some wine.¡± Andrew nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must have been cursed,¡± Dustin concluded. ¡°Cursed?¡± Andrew was taken aback. The rest of them stared at each other in surprise. After all, it wasn¡¯t every day that someone got cursed. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense! It¡¯s illogical that this could be a curse! If you ask me, Mr. Harmon must have ingested centipede eggs by mistake!¡± Dr. Jansen interrupted. ¡°Dr. Jansen, any normal centipede eggs would have been digested by the stomach¡¯s acid! It¡¯s fine if you are not familiar with this, but do not spread false information!¡± Dustin retorted calmly. ¡°You¡­¡± Dr. Jansen shut up when he caught sight of Natasha¡¯s deadly re. ¡°Mr. Rhys, thank you for your diagnosis. I will investigate this further,¡± Natasha said seriously. She had heard of venomous curses before, however, she had no personal experience. Who would have thought that her grandfather was suffering from this? Natasha was determined to make the perpetrators pay for this! ¡°Now that the curse is lifted, you should feed him this prescription for five days to remove the toxins from his body.¡± Dustin scribbled on some paper. ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Rhys.¡± Natasha took the prescription gratefully. ¡°Alright, I will excuse myself since there¡¯s nothing more to be done.¡± Dustin got up to leave. ¡°Let me see you off.¡± Natasha got up as well. ¡°Sis, what should I do with these insects?¡± Ruth interjected. ¡°Dr. Jansen mentioned that he was going to eat those insects. Since he was the one who requested it, we shall fulfill his wish! All of you, make sure he finishes those insects before leaving!¡± Natasha said coldly. ¡°What?¡± Dr. Jansen went pale. At this moment, in another hospital room, a simr scene of chaos was unfolding. ¡°Mom! How could Rhys hit me? Please, you have to teach him a lesson!¡± James was whining on the hospital bed with his head bound up tightly. Only his nose and mouth could be seen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will get even with him for you!¡± Florenceforted James gently. ¡°Mrs. Nicholson, it is unthinkable that Dustin had the nerve to physically assault both of you!¡± A handsome young man dressed in a suit spoke up. He was the second son of the Nn family, Chris Nn. He was also deeply infatuated with Dahlia. ¡°Chris, you wouldn¡¯t believe it. That punk went mad and hit my son like a maniac. No one could stop him!¡± Florence gritted her teeth. ¡°Really? Was he such a crazy person?¡± Chris frowned. ¡°I know some thugs who can teach him a lesson. Shall I help you out, Mrs. Nicholson?¡± ¡°Oh, that would be great!¡± Florence broke into a smile. ¡°Chris, make sure they knock some sense into him. Fracture a bone or two!¡± James snarled in anger. ¡°Sure thing. I assure you, he is as good as dead!¡± Chrisughed maliciously. To be honest, Dustin¡¯s marriage to Dahlia had bothered him long ago. How was it possible that a useless bum like him could have such an attractive and sessfuldy as his wife? Chris couldn¡¯t pass up this opportunity to beat Dustin up! ¡°James, how are your injuries?¡± Dahlia asked as she entered the hospital room suddenly. She was dressed in a slinky ck dress that showed off her voluptuous curves. Chris¡¯s eyes brightened considerably. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯re finally here! Look at me, I¡¯m terribly hurt!¡± James sat up immediately and pointed at his bandaged head. ¡°Alright, Dustin told me what happened and apologized over the phone. Let¡¯s forget about it and move on,¡± Dahliaforted her brother. ¡°Forget about it?¡± James raised his voice. ¡°Dahlia, are you kidding me? I was beaten ck and blue! An apology isn¡¯t going to cut it! What do you take me for?¡± ¡°Well, what do you want?¡± ¡°I want him to kneel before me and beg for forgiveness!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°He is still your brother-inw. Don¡¯t make a mountain out of a molehill.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I know that both of you have divorced!¡± ¡°Regardless of what happened, we were once family. Besides, you are partly to me.¡± ¡°Dahlia, why are you taking his side? What did I even do wrong? I only broke his stupid ne! What¡¯s the big deal?¡± James snapped angrily. ¡°What? What did you say about a ne?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°The ne you wore previously. He imed that it was an heirloom, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just rubbish!¡± James mumbled under his breath. ¡°Did you destroy that ne?¡± Dahlia probed further. ¡°Yeah, he was being extremely rude! That insolent punk refused to give me the crystal ne, that¡¯s why I smashed it on the ground!¡± James said stubbornly. ¡°You¡¯re really asking for a beating!¡± When Dahlia learned of this, she was furious. After everything that had happened, she finally understood why Dustin would beat James up. James was the one who demanded and shattered the precious crystal ne. Other people might not have understood its significance, but Dahlia knew otherwise. The ne wasn¡¯t just a family heirloom, it was also the only thing that reminded Dustin of his mother. It was a symbol of his mother¡¯s love for him. When they got divorced, Dustin didn¡¯t want anything but the ne. From this, it was evident that the crystal ne meant the world to him. ¡°Dahlia, it¡¯s just a ne! Why are you lecturing me over this?¡± James whined. ¡°That¡¯s right! Is that trinket more important than your brother¡¯s life?¡± Florence demanded. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the both of youter!¡± Dahlia didn¡¯t bother to argue and left immediately. She didn¡¯t have the energy to quarrel with her spoiled brother and unreasonable mother. Moreover, in her haste, she hurt Dustin with her words. Now that Dahlia thought about it, she regretted saying them. With his temperament, Dustin would never have lost his temper so easily. She had made a mistake¡­ Chapter 8 Natasha and Dustin sat in the backseat of a silver Benz. ¡°Mr. Rhys, this is the Harmon family¡¯s tinum card. Please ept it as a token of our gratitude.¡± Natasha handed Dustin a ck card edged with gold as she exined. ¡°With this, you will be treated as an honored guest in all establishments under the Harmon family.¡± ¡°Ms. Harmon, I don¡¯t need this.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Rhys. This is just a personal gesture. Regarding Mr. Anderson¡¯s request for the canscora, I will send the herb to your ce tomorrow,¡± Natasha said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, Ms. Harmon. Thank you very much.¡± Dustin chuckled and epted the card. Since it was a gift from her, it woulde in handy. As they were talking, the car suddenly pulled over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Harmon! I was forced to do this!¡± The car driver confessed before getting out and running for his life. At that moment, two ck SUVs swept by. They blocked the silver Benz in the front and rear. More than ten men got out of the SUVs. They approached the car, armed with weapons, and with covered faces. A bald, burly man who seemed to be the leader set his foot on the Benz¡¯s bo. Brandishing his knife, he threatened, ¡°Ms. Harmon, my boss wants to meet you. We will escort you.¡± ¡°How bold of you to hijack my car!¡± Natasha replied, unfazed. She emitted a stately aura befitting a queen. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have dared with all your bodyguards around. However, they are now at the hospital guarding your grandfather. You are alone with your little boy toy! How could we pass this precious opportunity up?¡± the bald guy smirked. ¡°Well, you do have some brains in that numbskull of yours to bribe my driver. However, please satisfy my curiosity. Who¡¯s your boss?¡± Natasha asked calmly. ¡°You will know once we get there! Now, will you get off?¡± the bald guy urged. ¡°You have no right to order me around!¡± Natasha didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Since you are going to be difficult, I have no choice but to resort to force!¡± The bald man gestured to the others for arge hammer. As he was going to smash the windscreen, Dustin opened the door and got out. ¡°Ms. Harmon, your boy toy has no guts. I¡¯ve not even started and he is already peeing his pants in fear. What did you see in him?¡± the bald guy said mockingly. Natasha frowned and reached into her bag silently. ¡°You have five seconds to cram,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°Punk, do you know what you¡¯re saying? Are you trying to be a hero? Go to hell!¡± Before the bald man could finish his sentence, a pnded on his face. The overwhelming pressure almost dislocated his jaw. He staggered back, stars spinning around his head. ¡°Fuck! How dare this punk fight back? Kill him!¡± The other men immediately rushed toward Dustin with their weapons in hand. Dustin faced them fearlessly. He weaved through the crowd, his movements as light as a feather. Each time someone came within arm¡¯s length, he dealt out a firm p. After a few loud cracks and cries of pain, the men fell over one by one. None remained standing after receiving a p from Dustin. Beating up more than ten muscr men seemed as easy as pie for him. The bald man was scared shitless. Never in his dreams would he have thought that the young man before him was such a terrifying monster. Even though all of them came at Dustin at once, not a hair on his head was harmed. ¡°Interesting.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Natasha¡¯s eyes shone with interest, a slight smile ying on her lips. She reced the handgun she had lying in her bag. Initially, she thought that Dustin was going to have some trouble taking down a group of bloodthirsty men by himself. Who knew that he was such a capable fighter? He was much more skilled than her bodyguards. Not only was he skilled in medicine andbat, but he was also handsome as well! A man like him was one in a million! ¡°Stop! Stand back!¡± The bald man pleaded for his life as Dustin approached him. ¡°Don¡¯te near me! I will make you pay¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Dustinnded a punch on his abdomen. The man threw up and kneeled on the ground in pain. ¡°He¡¯s all yours, Ms. Harmon.¡± Dustin stepped aside. ¡°Thank you.¡± Natasha nodded and stared down at the bald guy. ¡°Tell me, who¡¯s your boss?¡± Sweat running down his forehead, the man hesitated. ¡°Are you not going to tell me?¡± Natasha smirked and picked up a knife from the ground. She held the de against his neck and threatened, ¡°I shall have to torture you slowly until you confess then.¡± With that, she raised her arm and swung. At thest moment, the bald man screamed, ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll tell you everything! It¡¯s Trevor Spanner of the Drey Group!¡± His life was more important than his loyalty right now. ¡°As expected.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Return and inform Trevor that I¡¯ll remember this! When I have some free time, I¡¯ll visit him. Get lost right now!¡± The bald man and his men ran away with their tails between their legs. ¡°Ms. Harmon, things are not as simple as it seems. First, your grandfather was cursed. Next, your car was hijacked. Trevor will not be easy to deal with,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°Trevor Spanner is just a crazy bastard. However, he has strong allies backing him up. I¡¯m not going to do anything about this yet. It¡¯s better toy in wait for an opportunity to round all of them up at one go!¡± Natasha narrowed her eyes. It would be rash to attack right now. She would take all of them down in one blow! ¡°As long as you have a n, that¡¯s alright.¡± Dustin nodded. He had no interest in the conflicts between rival families. ¡°Mr. Rhys, it seems that you are really my family¡¯s benefactor. You saved my grandfather, and now you have saved me from getting kidnapped. I have no way to pay you back.¡± Natasha fluttered her eyshes. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Dustin replied carelessly. ¡°No, we owe you too much! I must return the favor!¡± With that, Natasha shot him a sultry smile. ¡°To show my sincerity, shall I repay you with my body?¡± Chapter 9 ¡°What?¡± Dustin¡¯s face froze. He never thought Natasha would say something like that. Taking a closer look, he found that her beauty was different from Dahlia¡¯s. She was sensual like Aphrodite, and her smile could take anyone¡¯s breath away. In short, she was a natural femme fatale, ensnaring men with her bewitching charms. ¡°Why are you so shocked? I¡¯m just ying around.¡± Natasha¡¯s breasts heaved as sheughed heartily at Dustin¡¯s face. It was all Dustin could do to tear his eyes away from her voluptuous curves. The more he looked at her, the harder it was not to gawk at her figure. ¡°Mr. Rhys, back to the issue at hand. I need to ask a favor from you again.¡± Natasha¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°What is it?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°You know that all my bodyguards are stationed at the hospital, so I don¡¯t have anybody to protect me. Now that this incident has happened, no one knows when the next attack could u. I hope that you can be my bodyguard and protect me 24/7,¡± Natasha said in earnest. ¡°Personal bodyguard?¡± Dustin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ms. Harmon, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to stay at a safe ce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible, Mr. Rhys. For your information, the Harmon family will be organizing a charity dinner tonight. As the main organizer, I have to be present. What if someone appeared tonight and made a scene? A damsel like me would be defenseless. Besides, who would bring you the canscora if something unfortunate befell me?¡± Natasha blinked innocently. ¡°Well¡­¡± Dustin hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Although it was a hassle, he had to do it for the canscora. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong until he managed to get his hands on the herb. ¡°Many thanks, Mr. Rhys.¡± Natasha gave him a sly smile. Truth be told, she was much more interested in the bodyguard than being protected. ¡­ It was the evening at the Mirage. The Mirage was the most prominent club in Swinton. The building was asrge as a hotel and inspired by the Victorian period. It had gabled roofs,rge bay windows, and decorative sculptures. The interior was simrly designed, exuding grandeur and magnificence. Outside, the club was surrounded by vast gardens, vineyards, and even a man-madeke. A ck Benz stopped at the entrance of the Mirage. A gorgeous woman dressed in a ck evening gown got out of the car. She had wless skin and legs that went on for miles. Her intricate features complemented her graceful motions. The second she arrived, everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to her as she outshone all the other women in her presence. ¡°What a beautiful woman! Is she a famous actress?¡± ¡°Her face and figure are of out of this world!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she the president of Quine Group? She is one of Swinton¡¯s Four Beauties!¡± People milling at the entrance whispered among themselves, marveling at Dahlia¡¯s beauty. However, none of them went forward to introduce themselves as they were too intimidated. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that the Mirage could be so grand! What beautiful designs and sculptures!¡± Lyra eximed as she got out of the car. ¡°The Mirage is one of the main establishments of the Harmon family, that¡¯s why the design and quality are impable. It is extremely difficult for most people to get an invitation to the Mirage.¡± Dahlia surveyed the surroundings. Even with her high standards, she had to admit that the Mirage was in a ss of its own. ¡°Dahlia, there you are!¡± A bespectacled young man in a suit came up to both of them. It was Chris, the second son of the Nn family. ¡°Mr. Nn, are you interested in tonight¡¯s charity dinner as well?¡± Dahlia greeted him. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in just any charity dinner. Having said that, this dinner is organized by the Harmon family. Who wouldn¡¯t be interested?¡± Chris answered with a smile. The Harmon family was one of the Mighty Three, the top three most reputable families in Swinton! Their financial power and influence were unrivaled in Swinton. Many people would die for the chance to just enter the Mirage, let alone to be invited to the Harmon family¡¯s charity dinner. ¡°Mr. Nn, are you sure that¡¯s all you are interested in?¡± Lyra smirked knowingly. ¡°Of course I have an ulterior motive. I¡¯m here to be of help to both of you.¡± Chris chuckled. ¡°Help us?¡± Lyra was confused. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I heard rumors that the Quine Group is shortlisted to be one of the Harmon family¡¯s partners. It¡¯s not easy to be partners of such a powerful group, especially for Quine Group. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to put in a good word on your behalf. This will boost the possibility of signing a contract with the Harmon family!¡± Chris boasted, his voice filled with confidence. ¡°That would be great! Thank you, Mr. Nn!¡± Lyra was overjoyed. If the Quine Group became partners with the Harmon family, not only would this elevate thepany¡¯s reputation, her status as secretary to the president would rise significantly as well. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Granting my rtionship with Dahlia, this is no trouble to me at all.¡± Chris shot her a deliberate smile. ¡°Of course, we are already one family.¡± Lyra returned the gesture. Dahlia had not heard a word of their conversation. Her gaze was fixed on a luxurious car in the distance. A man¡¯s silhouette was standing by the car. ¡°Could that be Dustin?¡± Dahlia finally recognized the man. After she found out the truth about that fight, she had been feeling guilty about it. Dahlia decided to address the misunderstanding since Dustin was coincidentally here. With that thought, she walked up to him. ¡°Dustin!¡± Dahlia was about to continue when she stopped in her tracks. She noticed a striking figure next to Dustin. The woman was dressed in a skin-tight, fiery red dress that showcased her tiny waist and alluring curves. In addition, her porcin skin and captivating features radiated an aura of nobility, like a queen who hade to grace her presence on her subjects. Chapter 10 ¡°Ms. Nicholson, nice to meet you. How can I help you?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Dahlia walking toward him, but his gaze turned cold in a moment. ¡°What a coincidence seeing you here.¡± Dahlia choked back the speech she had prepared to exin herself and greeted Dustin stiffly. She did not believe it when her mother told her of Dustin¡¯s new love interest. Who would have thought that it was true? Although they were divorced, Dahlia felt a little ufortable seeing her ex-husband being with another woman. There was an awkward and uneasy feeling in her heart. ¡°Mr. Rhys, is she a friend of yours?¡± Natasha sized Dahlia up. ording to her female intuition, she could detect a hint of hostility from this woman standing before them. ¡°She¡¯s my ex-wife,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°Really?¡± Natasha raised her eyebrows and gave Dahlia a charming smile. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Natasha Harmon. Nice to meet you.¡± She stretched out her hand to shake Dahlia¡¯s. Although her actions seemed friendly enough, the atmosphere around her was slightly intimidating. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Harmon,¡± Dahlia answered politely. Although she was usually very self-assured, she had to admit that the woman before her was stunning. Natasha was on par with her in looks, height, and conduct. Furthermore, Natasha¡¯s figure was much more voluptuous than hers. Any man would be enamored by her! ¡°Dustin, when did you befriend Ms. Harmon? You¡¯ve never introduced me!¡± Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Were you ever interested in my friends?¡± Dustin replied sarcastically. His sharp words rendered Dahlia speechless. She had never expected Dustin to be so direct. The atmosphere around the three of them grew tense. ¡°Dustin, can I have a word with you?¡± Dahlia tried after a few seconds of silence. ¡°About what?¡± Dustin retorted with a poker face. ¡°It¡¯s about something private, let¡¯s go elsewhere.¡± Dahlia turned to find a quiet corner but she realized Dustin didn¡¯t move an inch. Her brows furrowed with frustration. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it here and now. I don¡¯t want another misunderstanding,¡± Dustin insisted. ¡°Must you be so difficult?¡± Dahlia frowned. She was trying to make peace with him, but Dustin seemed to not be having any of it. He was being mean and talking down to her in a disagreeable manner. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, we are already divorced. Since your status is of such a high rank, it is better for us to not be seen together. I would only embarrass you.¡± Dustin scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are you being such a jerk?¡± Dahlia was getting annoyed. ¡°Are you seriously asking me?¡± Dustin stared back at her. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this your choice?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡­¡± Dahlia couldn¡¯t say a word in retaliation. Yes, she did initiate the divorce. However, there was no need to keep bringing up the past. Despite her struggle to calm herself down, Dahlia could feel resentment rising within her. Seeing Dustin with another woman triggered her frustration and anger. These feelings became more and more intense as their fight escted. ¡°Dustin, I know you despise me. Nevertheless, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve made a mistake. Besides, I¡¯ve given you many chances to redeem yourself!¡± Dahlia¡¯s tone turned icy. It was not easy for her to reconcile with others, given her prideful nature. Moreover, Dustin threw it in her face. ¡°So you mean that I¡¯m still in the wrong?¡± Dustin could onlyugh. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to argue with you as we are irrelevant now. Having said that, you shouldn¡¯t be unting your new partner in front of me if you have any respect for me as your ex-wife!¡± Dahlia said gravely. ¡°Respect?¡± Dustinughed harder. ¡°How about Chris, then? Even before we got divorced, you were already having an affair with him. How could you even demand respect?¡± ¡°Regardless of whether you believe me, I¡¯m innocent and my conscience is clear,¡± Dahlia retorted, her head held high. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dustin smirked and pointed at Chris, who was walking toward them. ¡°I would like to have a look at that clear conscience of yours!¡± Both of them had been fooling around in bed. Now, they were even at the charity dinner together. What a joke for her to im that she was innocent! Dahlia frowned slightly, but she did not exin herself. First, there was nothing to exin. Second, Dustin wouldn¡¯t believe her anyway. ¡°Dahlia, we were having a conversation just now. Why did you slip away?¡± Chris said to her with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Natasha. Chris was astounded when he saw her alluring beauty. Desire burned in his eyes as his breathing quickened. What a gorgeous woman! He had never seen such an extraordinarydy in his life. If Dahlia was like water, Natasha was like a burning me. She could arouse the desires of men with her sultry gaze, without even moving a muscle. Natasha was a natural seductress! Sneaking a few nces at Natasha, he quickly diverted his gaze. He knew that it was unbing of a man to make his intentions known so early, especially in the presence of such dazzling women. Making a first good impression was extremely important. ¡°Dustin, what a surprise to see you!¡± Chris turned to Dustin with a frown. Chris was green with envy when he saw Natasha being so friendly to Dustin. How could this punk be surrounded by hotties all the time? After getting a divorce from Dahlia, here he was with another attractive woman on his arm. Was he blessed withdy luck? ¡°Why would it be a surprise to see me?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Dahlia that you were just an errand boy at the Quine Group. With your status, you have no right to enter the Mirage. Were you nning to sneak in?¡± Chris narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about it, it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°I must have guessed correctly.¡± Chris smirked and turned to Natasha. ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by him, gorgeous. Dustin is not some rich scion but a lowly pauper. He has no right to be breathing the same air as you, gorgeous.¡± In Chris¡¯s mind, Dustin must have lied to the beautifuldy. Why would she be together with a useless guy like him otherwise? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s fine as long as I like him!¡± Natasha chuckled. ¡°Gorgeous, with your beauty and looks, you can definitely marry into a wealthy family. Why would you choose to live a difficult life with him?¡± Chris replied, puzzled. ¡°Wealth means very little to me. In my eyes, Dustin is an outstanding man.¡± Natasha slipped her arm into Dustin¡¯s naturally. ¡°Outstanding?¡± Chrisughed mockingly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have wealth, fame, or power. How could he be regarded as outstanding?¡± ¡°At the very least, he is more handsome than you.¡± Natasha snapped. ¡°What¡¯s the use of a handsome face? In the end, he is just a boy toy!¡± Chris¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I have warned you, Dustin is a conman. You are going to regret it once he takes advantage of your wealth and body!¡± ¡°Take advantage of me?¡± Natashaughed merrily. ¡°I do hope that he will take advantage of me, but it seems that he isn¡¯t interested.¡± Her bold words made Dahlia and Chris frown in disapproval. Even Dustin couldn¡¯t take it any longer. This woman was really a shameless flirt. Chapter 11 ¡°Hey, did you not hear me? That guy is a liar! It won¡¯t do you any good if you stay with him!¡± Chris¡¯s face was etched with concern when Natasha was unfazed by his provocation. He couldn¡¯t bear to watch a beautiful woman like her be ruined at Dustin¡¯s hands. ¡°Damn, you sure are annoying. It¡¯s none of your business who I hang out with!¡± Natasha snapped, having lost her patience. ¡°You¡­¡± Chris was on the verge of a breakdown. Never had he imagined her to be so stubborn. How could she still go back to Dustin knowing that he deceived her? Was that guy so charming? ¡°Mr. Nn, this kind of person deserves to be deceived. Not only does she not appreciate your kind reminder but also speaks rudely to you. How ungrateful!¡± Lyra uttered unkindly from the side. ¡°Hmph! So showing kindness is a crime now?¡± Chris felt unjust, but obviously, he was more jealous. ¡°You two must have known each other for a long time, right?¡± Dahlia asked abruptly. Judging from Natasha¡¯s behavior, she couldn¡¯t help but suspect that they had long had a secret affair. Otherwise, there wasn¡¯t a reasonable exnation for Chris¡¯ determination. ¡°That¡¯s not important. What matters is that our feelings are mutual.¡± Natasha smiled. While speaking, she pressed her chest against Dustin¡¯s arm as though swearing sovereignty. At this sight, Dahlia¡¯s gaze became fiercer. Despite knowing that Natasha was deliberately pushing her buttons, she couldn¡¯t suppress her irritation. It felt like someone had snatched away something of hers. ¡°Dustin, I¡¯ve seriously misjudged you. We aren¡¯t officially divorced, yet you¡¯ve already found yourself another woman.¡± Dahlia tried to calm her emotions. In fact, she had been brooding about their divorce because she felt like she owed Dustin. However, thetter had begun fooling around with women while she was busy thinking of a way to make up to him. At the end of the day, she was the clown. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think of me, I have nothing to say.¡± Dustin shrugged as he waszy to exin anything. ¡°Fine. I was thinking that I owed you something, but it looks like we¡¯re even now!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression turned indifferent. She felt as if she was looking at aplete stranger. ¡°Great.¡± Although Dustin¡¯s poker face remained, his heart momentarily twitched for some reason. ¡°Ms. Nicholson¡­¡± Just then, Nastsha spoke up with a smile. ¡°The choice you made was rather unwise, but I still have to thank you.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Dahlia slowly looked up at her. ¡°Thank you for letting me have Dustin. If not, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered such a treasure by myself.¡± Natasha was shing a satirical grin, her words meant to humiliate Dahlia. ¡°Hey! You bitch¡­¡± Lyra was about to explode when Dahlia raised her hand and cut her off. She looked Natasha in the eyes and replied, ¡°Your so-called treasure is just average in my opinion.¡± ¡°Average?¡± Natasha raised her eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re calling a highly educated martial artist average? Ms. Nicholson, you do have high standards. However, the guy you¡¯re with doesn¡¯t seem to be any better.¡± ¡°At least he¡¯s better than Dustin.¡± Dahlia didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Oh, really? Why don¡¯t we make a bet then?¡± Natasha dared yfully. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet which of them will have greater achievements within a month. What do you say?¡± Hearing this, the three of them were taken aback. They didn¡¯t expect she would suggest something like that. Chris sneered as he looked at Natasha incredulously. ¡°Say, did you hit your head or something? Are you making mepete with this piece of trash? Is he even worthy?¡± ¡°Exactly! Mr. Nn is the sessor of Nn Pharmaceuticals with assets worth over a billion dors under his name. What does Dustin have?¡± Lyra pursed his lips in disdain. ¡°Are you sure you want to bet on this?¡± Dahlia felt a little lost. To her, Dustin had nothing other than his good looks. Conversely, Chris was excellent in all aspects, be it his family background or personal capabilities. The two of them were far from being on par with each other. Dustin could never beat Chris even if he were given five years, much less a month. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s only about whether you dare to ept the bet.¡± Natasha raised her chin obnoxiously. ¡°What are we betting on?¡± ¡°Whoever loses the bet will have to apologize to the other and admit that she had no standards.¡± ¡°Sure. The bet is on.¡± Dahlia nodded. ¡°Good. I hope you don¡¯t regret it!¡± Natasha chuckled. Both of them possessed equal beauty but contrasting temperaments. At that moment, a rivalry had silently formed between the two. ¡°We shall find out when the timees.¡± After casting onest nce at Natasha, Dahlia turned around and entered Mirage without another word. ¡°Pfft, you¡¯re digging your own grave.¡± Chris and Lyra sneered again before following Dahlia into the building. Not once did they take Dustin seriously. ¡°Mr. Rhys, what do you think? Did I do well?¡± Natasha asked coquettishly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Even though her action looked simple, there were many meanings behind it. ¡°You went slightly over the top,¡± Dustin said helplessly. ¡°If we lose, you¡¯ll lose your reputation.¡± ¡°Lose? Are you kidding me? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even beat that loser?¡± Natasha started to agitate Dustin. ¡°I¡¯m an ordinary man. How am I supposed topete with a sessor of a wealthy family?¡± Dustin shrugged. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Ordinary? You¡¯re too modest, Mr. Rhys. Your looks alone are out of this world!¡± As Natasha blinked at him flirtatiously, she appeared like a street thug harassing ady. Feeling speechless, Dustin pretended not to see it. Nevertheless, he had to admit that her performance was impable. It saved his pride. After all, very few women could steal Dahlia¡¯s limelight, and Natasha was undoubtedly one of them. Chapter 12 After entering Mirage, Lyra vented her anger. ¡°Ugh, that woman is hot, but she¡¯s blind to fall for an ipetent fool like Dustin.¡± ¡°I know, right? What a waste,¡± Chris chimed in with a long sigh. He was rich and handsome, so why was he unable to meet a beautiful woman too? ¡°That¡¯s enough talk. We¡¯re here for business,¡± Dahlia interrupted them and said, ¡°Lyra, go and find out which Harmon is in charge tonight. It¡¯d be best if we could promote ourselves.¡± ¡°I know a close friend who works at this ce. I¡¯ll give her a call.¡± As Lyra spoke, she fished out her phone and dialed a number. Before long, she informed Dahlia of good news. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, tonight¡¯s charity event is organized by the Steel Lady herself. As for the partner, it¡¯ll depend on her preferences.¡± ¡°The Steel Lady? Could she be the famous business prodigy?¡± At the thought of this, Dahlia¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. The Steel Lady had a well-known reputation for being the only woman who singlehandedly conquered the business world of Swinton, surpassing nearly all of the other businessmen. Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but admire such an exceptional businesswoman. However, she¡¯d never met the Steel Lady. ¡°Lyra, ask your friend whether she could help us arrange a private meeting with the Steel Lady. We can¡¯t miss this opportunity,¡± said Dahlia. ¡°I can try and ask her, but there¡¯s no guarantee.¡± ¡°Okay. I will thank her afterward.¡± Deep down, Dahlia was bubbling with anticipation. Being the Harmon family¡¯s partner meant a lot to her. If she could meet the Steel Lady in advance, she was confident that she would be able to convince the other and prove herself.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡­ As time passed, the number of guests gradually increased in Mirage. Although the charity event had yet tomence, Natasha was already busy. ¡°Mr. Rhys, feel free to look around. I have to excuse myself. You can ask anyone here if you need anything.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡± ¡°Julie, help me look after Mr. Rhys.¡± Then, Natasha headed toward her office. ¡°Ms. Harmon¡­¡± Upon entering the room, a middle-aged manager approached her with some documents. ¡°Here is the information you asked for. After several screenings, we have narrowed down only fourpanies that qualify to be our partner. Please have a look and see if there¡¯s anything else you need.¡± Natasha hummed in acknowledgment and nodded silently. She epted the documents and began reviewing them. After a while, she raised her eyebrow as her interest was piqued. ¡°Huh, what a coincidence.¡± A mischievous smirk formed on Natasha¡¯s lips. It turned out that Jackson Group was among the candidates, and in the documents was Dahlia¡¯s resume. Out of curiosity, she read everything about Dahlia and soon, discovered something unusual. Three years ago, Dahlia was a nobody while Jackson Group was unheard of. Nheless, ever since she¡¯d gotten married, her career experienced inexplicably rapid growth. In merely three years, the small company with assets worth less than millions of dors had developed into one of the most valuable corporations. During that period, Dahlia not only received a tremendous amount of investments but also orders for various projects. In Natasha¡¯s opinion, these achievements were questionable and there must have been strings pulled behind the scenes. The problem was, however, Dahlia did note from an influential family nor did she have connections to pull this off. ¡°Could it be¡­ him?¡± An image of Dustin appeared in Natasha¡¯s mind. Besides Dustin, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would help Dahlia so unconditionally. Subsequently, she became even more intrigued. Who on earth was Dustin? No one could easily build Jackson Group into arge corporation in only three years. ¡°Dustin, oh, Dustin. What exactly are you hiding?¡± Narrowing her eyes slightly, Natasha was enthralled by the mystery surrounding Dustin. ¡°And that woman, Dahlia¡­ What were you thinking? Why did you let go of a wealthy husband and choose to get entangled with that bastard named Chris instead? Are you really that stupid?¡± Natasha pondered and silently heaved a sigh. A man had sacrificed so much for a woman, but in the end, she was ignorant and even self-righteously decided to divorce him. Natasha couldn¡¯t wrap her head around that. Nevertheless, she realized that the situation had given her a chance to have Dustin all for herself. ¡°Ms. Harmon, are you considering Dahlia Nicholson from Jackson Group?¡± asked the manager tentatively upon the rare sight of Natasha reading the documents so intently. ¡°Dahlia? Hmph,¡± Natasha answered with a dissatisfied tone. ¡°She is qualified to be our partner, but I don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°Understood. I will remove her from the list right away!¡± ¡°No need. Reorganize the documents and show them to Mr. Rhys. Let him decide,¡± Natasha instructed with an ambiguous smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Although the manager was dumbfounded, he didn¡¯t dare to question her orders. ¡°Is there something else?¡± Natasha asked when he did not leave. ¡°Ms. Harmon, Edward Spanner from Drey Group had arrived earlier and he wishes to meet you,¡± the manager exined with his head bowed. ¡°Edward? Trevor Spanner¡¯s son? What is he doing here?¡± Natasha was stunned. ¡°He says he wants to discuss business matters with you, but I doubt that it is his true intention. Should I order the guards to kick him out?¡± ¡°Trevor sent his son in his ce? Ha¡­ Never mind. I want to see what tricks he has up his sleeves.¡± Chapter 13 The hall where the event was held had be lively. On the stage, a group of dancers dressed in vintage clothing danced to ssical music. Every facial expression and move was full of charm and grace, leaving a lingering impression in the audience¡¯s mind. Below the stage sat a crowd of well-dressed celebrities. While some clinked their sses and chatted, others quietly enjoyed the performance. Dustin had found an empty seat and sat down, sipping on a ss of juice as he watched the show. ¡°Yo, Rhys! Didn¡¯t think you would actually sneak in here!¡± Suddenly, a discordant voice disrupted Dustin¡¯s moment of peace. ncing over at the source, Dusin spotted Chris and Dahlia together with the secretary. ¡°Hmph, what an unlucky day. Why are you everywhere?¡± Lyra huffed in annoyance. Dahlia didn¡¯t say a word. She threw a cold nce at Dustin and went to take a seat in the front row. ¡°Hey, the charity auction is starting soon. Can you even afford to participate? Why are you sitting here?¡± Chris jeered. ¡°Who says I can¡¯t sit here because I can¡¯t afford it?¡± retorted Dustin. ¡°That¡¯s the rule! How can a sucker like you sit with us?¡± Chris said with a contemptuous look. ¡°Are you deaf? Get up now!¡± Lyra kicked the chair Dustin was sitting in. ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t?¡± Dustin looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll call the guards to kick you out!¡± threatened Lyra. ¡°Go ahead and try,¡± Dustin responded with an unbothered expression. ¡°Fine, you asked for it! Don¡¯t me me when you get humiliated!¡± Just as Lyra wanted to raise her hand and call for the guards, Dahlia stopped her. ¡°Cut it out. Let him be.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lyra frowned. ¡°Mind your own business,¡± Dahlia simply replied. ¡°Hmph, consider yourself lucky.¡± Lyra red at Dustin and left it at that. At this moment, her phone rang. After answering the call, her expression froze and the arrogance on her face was quickly reced with horror. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dahlia asked upon sensing something amiss. ¡°Ms. Nicholson¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s bad!¡± Lyra blurted nervously. ¡°I just received a tip-off that the Harmon family wants to remove the Jackson Group from the candidate list!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dahlia¡¯s face fell at the news. ¡°Are you sure the tip is reliable?¡± ¡°It should be. My friend overheard it at work!¡± ¡°How could this happen?¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression was awful. After all, she¡¯d expended great effort in getting the Jackson Group on the candidate list. Not only wererge sums of money involved but she even owed countless favors over this. She thought that since they passed the preliminary screening and got on the list, she could effortlessly secure the position of the Harmon family¡¯s partner as long as she met with the Steel Lady beforehand. Who knew that they would get removed at the veryst minute? It was so sudden that Dahlia couldn¡¯t comprehend what had happened. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, what do we do now? If we make it on the candidate list, all of our hard work will be in vain!¡± Lyramented unhappily. ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows furrowed as she fell deep in thought. Working as the Harmon family¡¯s partner, they would be able to elevate their social status while making extra profits. Although the Jackson Group had grown quickly over the years, itcked a solid foundation. Hence, if they could join the Harmon family¡¯s business venture, they would have sure backing. Dahlia was so close to tasting sess, yet everything hade to naught. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Rhys.¡± Just then, a manager from the Harmon family walked up to Dustin¡¯s side and handed him a folder. ¡°The Iron Lady wants you to review these documents and make the final decision.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Dustin took the folder and his expression became a little strange. He was looking at documents consisting of Dahlia and the Jackson Group¡¯s information. Natasha was indirectly making him choose to whether kick them out of the candidate list. ¡°What the hell is she nning?¡± Dustin held his chain while thinking, feeling some uncertainty. Needless to say, Natasha was doing this on purpose. She wanted the power in deciding the fate of Dahlia¡¯spany to fall on him. After thinking it over, Dustin chose not to remove them. Although they were divorced, their rtionship wasn¡¯t as bad as to require revenge. Besides, they had been married for three years. One way or another, he genuinely hoped that Dahlia would do well in her life. ¡°Mr. Rhys, are you sure about your decision?¡± The manager couldn¡¯t help asking because he knew that Natasha wasn¡¯t fond of Dahlia. ¡°Yes.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll do as you say.¡± After giving him a polite smile, the manager promptly left with the documents. Deep down, however, his impression of Dustin dropped slightly. To him, this was Dustin¡¯s best window of opportunity to gain Ms. Harmon¡¯s favor. Meanwhile, in the front-row seat, the clueless Dahlia and Lyra were still worrying about the matter. Based on their status, they weren¡¯t qualified to change the Harmon family¡¯s decision. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Chris suddenly cleared his throat to get their attention before saying, ¡°Dahlia, if you¡¯re worrying about the candidate list, I might be able to help.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lyra lit up at once and asked hurriedly, ¡°Mr. Nn, how can you help us?¡± ¡°To be honest, my father has some connections with Old Mr. Harmon. As long as my father makes the request, I believe the Harmon family will do something about it.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s awesome!¡± Lyra was filled with excitement as she said, ¡°Mr. Nn, if you can help us with this, you will be our greatest benefactor!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll make the call now.¡± Chrisughed heartily, then dialed his father¡¯s phone number to briefly exin the situation. ¡°Alright, I got it. I¡¯ll talk to Andrew when I have time,¡± Chris¡¯ father, David, agreed perfunctorily and hung up the call. Thinking that he¡¯d solved the problem, Chris started to im credit and said, ¡°My father has agreed to help. You guys don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± ¡°Great! Mr. Nn, thanks to you, we can rest assured.¡± Lyra sighed in relief. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Nn,¡± added Dahlia. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Chris pretended to wave his hand generously. Then, he looked toward Dustin with a provocative gaze. Dustin was enjoying his juice,pletely ignoring Chris. At this moment, Dahlia received a phone call. Taking out her phone, she realized that it was from the general manager of Harmon Group. ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Nicholson? I have good news for you. The top management has decided to appoint you as the Harmon family¡¯s partner.¡± Chapter 14 ¡°We were chosen?¡± Dahlia was shocked. She couldn¡¯t believe his words. The general manager wasn¡¯t talking about her ce on the candidate list, but was referring to their appointment as the Harmon family¡¯s partner! They¡¯d even skipped the final assessment. What was happening? ¡°Did you mean what you said?¡± Dahlia questioned tentatively. ¡°Of course. If you don¡¯t believe it, you maye to our office tomorrow to sign the contract. I have other things to attend to, so I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± After saying a few words, the general manager ended the call. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Dahlia on the other end was feeling both astonished and delighted. Never had she expected things to go so smoothly. A few moments ago, the Jackson Group was just about to get removed from the candidate list but in the blink of an eye, they had be the Harmon family¡¯s partner. Everything was happening too abruptly. Of course, it must¡¯ve been due to Chris¡¯ help that she was able to make it this far. The Nn family¡¯s influence was surprisingly impactful. Only a phone call was needed to change the Harmon family¡¯s mind. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, what happened? Did the Harmon family change their mind?¡± Lyra asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Dahlia nodded and shed a rare smile. ¡°The general manager of Harmon Group called me just now and said I¡¯m chosen to be their partner!¡± Lyra cheered. ¡°Oh my god! I knew you could do it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Nn. This wouldn¡¯t have happened without his help,¡± Dahlia said gratefully. ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Nn is indeed the greatest. He solved our problem with just a few words!¡± praised Lyra. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. It was my father who did the favor,¡± Chris replied with a smile. Although his words sounded humble, the smugness on his face was unconceble. In fact, he was also somewhat surprised by the news. Since when did his father work so efficiently? ¡°Dustin, did you see that? This is the difference between you and Mr. Nn.¡± Lyra turned to look at Dustin and remarked mockingly. ¡°Mr. Nn can easily secure us the position as the Harmon family¡¯s partner with a word. What can you do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. At least, he¡¯s good at sucking up to people,¡± Chris added with a chuckle. ¡°Hmph, what else can he do? He¡¯s an absolute good-for-nothing.¡± When Dustin didn¡¯t retort, Lyra¡¯s arrogance was boosted and she continued, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the bitch isn¡¯t here to see how useless the man she chose is.¡± ¡°Are you done talking? Move out of the way if you are, don¡¯t block my view,¡± Dustin uttered indifferently. ¡°Why? You can¡¯t stand it when we said only a few words? If you have half of Mr. Nn¡¯s capabilities, would you be afraid of others calling you out? You¡¯re hopeless.¡± Lyra sneered. ¡°Oh? Then, tell me, what is Chris capable of?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression became solemn. He might prefer to be low-key, but he wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone who insulted him. He wasn¡¯t a saint, after all. ¡°Mr. Nn made us the partner of the Harmon family through a simple phone call. If this isn¡¯t capability, I don¡¯t know what is,¡± Lyra answered while staring down at Dustin condescendingly. ¡°How are you so sure that it was him? What proof do you have?¡± Dustin countered. ¡°Who else if not Mr. Nn? It¡¯s definitely not you. I mean, look at your terrible attitude!¡± Lyra snorted coldly. ¡°Hey, Rhys, what makes you think that the Harmon family would suddenly change their mind if it wasn¡¯t because of me?¡± Chris asked haughtily. ¡°That¡¯s right. The truth is right in front of you. Why can¡¯t you just admit it?¡± Lyra echoed. ¡°Don¡¯t get too conceited. If I were you, I would go and confirm the truth myself before thanking the wrong person,¡± Dustin said, expressionless. ¡°From what I see, you¡¯re just jealous of others because of your ipetence,¡± scolded Lyra. ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡± Dustin shrugged it off. ¡°Rhys, you wanted proof, right? Fine, I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± Chris sneered as he pulled out his phone to call David again, ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± ¡°What is it this time?¡± David sounded annoyed over the phone. ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to know how did your talk with Old Mr. Harmon go.¡± ¡°What talk? I¡¯m still in a middle of a meeting. I don¡¯t have the time to help you with your nonsense. Don¡¯t ever bother me over stuff like this again!¡± ¡°What?¡± Chris was caught off guard when his father hung up the phone angrily. The smile on his face had stiffened. Instantly, his intention to boast about his capability was shattered. If his father didn¡¯t help him, then who did? Could it be a coincidence? ¡°Mr. Nn, what did your father say? Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Dustin said with a fake smile. As he was seated right behind Chris, his keen ears could pick up everything David had said on the phone. He didn¡¯t even need to listen to their conversation to know what was going on. Chris¡¯ stupefied expression was self- exnatory. ¡°Mr. Nn, don¡¯t hesitate to tell us. We should let this bastard understand that he could neverpete with you!¡± Lyra prompted. Meanwhile, Chris¡¯ eye twitched. He pretended to be calm and replied with a dismissive smile, ¡°What¡¯s there to tell you about? My father has confirmed that he made a request to the Harmon family and helped us big time. Otherwise, Dahlia wouldn¡¯t have qualified to be their partner!¡± Hearing this, Dustin frowned deeply as he didn¡¯t expect Chris to be so stubborn. How could he lie in front of everyone? ¡°Did you hear that, Dustin? I told you so, but you didn¡¯t believe it. What do you have to say now?¡± Lyra barked proudly. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that Chris is lying?¡± Dustin questioned back. ¡°Dustin, that¡¯s enough!¡± At this moment, Dahlia couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Can you drop with your act for once? I know that you¡¯re jealous of Chris, but you can¡¯t just nder him! Is it so difficult to admit he¡¯s good?¡± Dahlia stood up and yelled, a hateful look on her face. Initially, she didn¡¯t wish to argue with Dustin. However, seeing how obstinate he was behaving, she really couldn¡¯t bear to watch any further. ¡°Jealous? nder?¡± Dustin paused, feeling slightly taken aback. ¡°So, that¡¯s the kind of person I am in your eyes?¡± ¡°Look at yourself. Am I wrong?¡± Dahlia retorted. Her question rendered Dustin speechless. Chapter 15 Never in Dustin¡¯s wildest dreams would he think that was how Dahlia viewed him. She had no faith in him at all. As it turned out, three years of marriage meant nothing whenpared to an outsider. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m despicable, while Chris is a hero. I ndered him. Are you happy now?¡± Dustin said self-mockingly. It was pointless to defend himself when there was no trust to begin with. ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? Are you saying I¡¯m using you?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the one to me for badmouthing a good person,¡± Dustin replied curtly. ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn!¡± His words angered Dahlia. She never knew that Dustin would act like this out of spite and refuse to admit his mistake. Was he finally showing his true colors after their divorce? ¡°It¡¯s all right, Dahlia. Don¡¯t get too worked up.¡± At this time, Chris put up a pretentious act of kindness and said, ¡°Dustin must be doing this because he doesn¡¯t like that I¡¯m too close to you. I don¡¯t me him. Everyone makes mistakes.¡± ¡°Do you see how forgiving Chris is? This is the difference between you and him!¡± Dahlia spat, disgusted. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to try arguing with you if that¡¯s what you think,¡± Dustin replied in a clipped tone. ¡°Hmph, I bet it¡¯s because you feel guilty,¡± Lyramented disdainfully. ¡°People like you are detestable. Why do you insist on putting on an act when you don¡¯t have what it takes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about what you think of me.¡± Tired of bickering with them, Dustin stood up and left. Just then, a man with curly hair appeared at the hall entrance. He had on a pair of sunsses and was smoking a cigar. ¡°Damn, what a lively atmosphere!¡± Edward grinned as he looked around. As soon as his eyesnded on Dahlia, he was momentarily dazed. Then the look in his eyes quickly turned fiery. ¡°Tsk, tsk. I wasn¡¯t expecting today to be my lucky day. I¡¯ve met another stunning woman!¡± Edward licked his lips and approached Dahlia right away. He smiled and said, ¡°Hey, beautiful. You look familiar. Have we met before?¡± Dahlia threw him a nce and ignored him. ¡°Our meeting must be fated. Why don¡¯t youe and get a drink with me?¡± Edward invited. ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Dahlia rejected without hesitation. ¡°Money can buy your interest,¡± Edward stroked his chin and uttered slyly. ¡°Let me get straight to the point then. If you sleep with me for one night, I¡¯ll pay you any amount you like.¡± ¡°Get lost,¡± Dahlia growled. ¡°Oh, dear. How feisty. I like it!¡± Edwardughed gleefully. While speaking, he reached out his hand to touch her. A loud p sounded when Dahlia struck his face with her palm. Clear, red fingerprints were imprinted on his cheek within seconds. ¡°You¡­ you dare to p me?¡± Edward touched his burning cheek, his gaze darkening. ¡°What are you going to do about it? What an uneducated prick,¡± Dahlia said impassively. ¡°Bitch! You¡¯re asking for trouble!¡± Edward¡¯s blood boiled and he lifted his hand to hit Dahlia, but he was suddenly shoved away by Chris. ¡°Fucker, you dare to act out at this kind of asion? Are you asking for a beating?¡± Chris red at Edward. How dare that bastard flirt with his woman in front of his face? ¡°You rascal, you¡¯d better stay out of this or face the consequences!¡± Edward bellowed. ¡°Ha! Are you threatening me? Bring it on. Show me what you got!¡± Chris provocatively waved his hand. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Without another word, Edward threw a punch at Chris. Thetter swiftly dodged his fist and countered his attack,nding a blow on his face. Edward staggered backward with blood tricking down his nose. ¡°You want to fight? Too bad you picked the wrong person!¡± Chris scoffed. ¡°Mr. Nn, you¡¯re awesome! This thug deserves to be beaten up!¡± Lyra praised loudly. ¡°Yeah! Good one!¡± The guests at the scene followed suit and apuded, which stroke Chris¡¯ ego. At last, his time to shine had arrived. It felt incredible! Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Bastard, do you know who I am? You dare to hit me?¡± Edward seethed through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Chris would have been six feet under. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about who you are. Get out of here if you want to live!¡± Chris barked fiercely. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, I¡¯ll give you that. You¡¯d better not have run away when I return!¡± After that, Edward quickly left the ce. Chris sneered. ¡°What a fool. How dare he act all mighty in front of me?¡± ¡°Mr. Nn, I didn¡¯t know you were so strong. You beat him with just a punch!¡± Lyraplimented him, her eyes glowing with admiration after witnessing the fight. ¡°Haha, I can beat ten weaklings like him!¡± Chrisughed. It seemed like his workout routine had paid off. ¡°Thankfully, you are here to stop him. Or else, we would¡¯ve been in trouble.¡± ¡°Fret not. If you reencounter such situations, give me a call and I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Chris patted his chest confidently. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t let an opportunity to show off slip by. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, this is what a real man looks like!¡± Lyra said while ncing at Dustin with sarcasm, ¡°Not someone who runs away like a scaredy cat whenever he faces small hurdles. How useless.¡± Although Dahlia was quiet, she was filled with even more disappointment. When she was in trouble just now, Dustin had stood idly and watched without any sign of wanting to help. Putting their past rtionship aside, any other ordinary person would¡¯ve stepped in to help out even if they were strangers. She might not have noticed this before, but now, Dustin¡¯s uselessness was apparent as day. Compared to Chris, he was far from being on par. ¡°Quick, seal off the exits!¡± All of a sudden, a burst ofmotion sounded. It was none other than Edward, who¡¯d stormed out earlier. This time, he was back with even more malice. ¡°What? Do you want to get another beating?¡± Chris stepped forward like a heroic person. However, his vanity eventually faded away upon seeing the group of burly bodyguards following behind Edward. Chapter 16 ¡°What the hell? Why did he bring so many people?¡± Chris gulped, feeling faint for some reason. Weren¡¯t they supposed to fight one-on-one? Edward had disrespected the rules of a fair fight by involving a gang. Though Chris was cursing in his heart, he had no choice but to face them head-on. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t lose face in front of Dahlia. ¡°That¡¯s them. Surround them!¡± With a wave of his hand, the bodyguards led by Edward dashed forward at once, surrounding Chris, Dahlia, and Lyra. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t you dare touch me. My father is David Nn, the president of Nn Pharmaceuticals!¡± Sensing that he was at a disadvantage, Chris hurriedly threatened them with his father¡¯s status. ¡°So what?¡± one of the bodyguards yelled. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯ve messed with? He is Sir Spanner¡¯s son, the heir of Drey Group!¡± His words caused an uproar among the crowd. 2 ¡°Sir Spanner? Is he talking about Trevor Spanner, King of the Underworld from East City?¡± ¡°It must be him!¡± ¡°Poor guy. I can¡¯t believe he messed with Sir Spanner¡¯s son. Looks like he¡¯s doomed.¡± Everyone started whispering to one another, expressing their fear. ¡°You¡­ you guys work for Sir Spanner?¡± Chris stammered out of intimidation. Trevor, also known as Sir Spanner, was East City¡¯s infamous King of the Underworld, second only to the Mighty Three. He was a man of ruthlessness who showed no mercy to those who wronged him. Under hismand were hundreds of subordinates specialized in ckmail and other types of crimes. In simpler terms, Trevor would be the most feared viin in a story. Whoever offended him would face consequences worse than death. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯ve made a huge blunder this time,¡± thought Chris in a cold sweat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I thought you were confident. Are you scared now?¡± Edward closed in on Chris, his eyes filled with viciousness. ¡°Um, this is a misunderstanding¡­¡± Chris forced a smile, sounding extremely submissive. ¡°Misunderstanding, my ass!¡± Edward roared in fury, pping Chris across the face twice, leaving his face marked with red fingerprints. Suppressing his exasperation, Chris bit the bullet and smiled apologetically. ¡°My father is acquainted with Sir Spanner. Could you let this slide for once? I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are? You¡¯re not in the position to ask me for that.¡± Edward forcefully poked Chris on the forehead with his index finger. With each poke, Chris was forced a step back. At this very moment, Chris had his tail between his legs, not daring to make a sound. Lyra couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted, ¡°Hey, you bunch of thugs! Do you think it¡¯s cool to bully others?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Why? Are you angry?¡± Pushing Chris aside, Edward headed in Dahlia and Lyra¡¯s direction with an evil smirk. ¡°This is the Harmon family¡¯s territory. Don¡¯t you dare cross the line!¡± Lyra warned sternly. 2 ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of the Harmon family?¡± Edward scoffed and said, ¡°Besides, you guys were the ones who started the fight. I¡¯m only acting out of self-defense. What is the Harmon family going to do about it?¡± 2 ¡°What¡­ what bullshit are you spouting?¡± Lyra started to be frantic. ¡°Hmph, looks like you¡¯ve not understood the situation. Let my men knock some sense into you if that¡¯s the case!¡± Edward gestured for his bodyguards to make a move, and two of them stood forward menacingly. 1 ¡°Stop right there!¡± Dahlia suddenly interrupted with a cold voice. ¡°This has nothing to do with her. Let her go.¡± ¡°Does that mean you will take the responsibility?¡± Edward let out a cruel chuckle. Sure. I¡¯ll let her off the hook, but in return, you have to sleep with me tonight. If you manage to satisfy me, I¡¯ll pretend that none of this happened.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Dahlia raised her hand to p him, but Edward caught her wrist just in time. ¡°Bitch, how dare you hit me again? Boys, tie her up!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Several bodyguardsplied and immediately seized Dahlia. ¡°Let go of her, you thugs!¡± Just as Lyra was about to rescue Dahlia, Edward ruthlessly Chagh kicked her to the ground. ¡°Mr. Nn¡­ Please save her!¡± Lyra cried out in pain, unable to get to her feed. Helplessly, she could only beg Chris. ¡°Edward, let¡¯s talk this out. Why involve the women?¡± Chris tried to persuade Edward. For Dahlia¡¯s sake, he had to resort to pleading for mercy. ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯m not done with you yet, and you¡¯re trying to save someone else?¡± Edward cussed. ¡°No, no! That¡¯s not what I meant. There¡¯s no need to get violent. We can settle this peacefully,¡± Chris exined politely. ¡°Shut your trap!¡± Edward¡¯s heavy p sent Chris stumbling to the ground. ¡°Say one more word and I will kill you.¡± a Chris shrank back and kept silent. Although he cared about Dahlia, he had to save his skin first. After all, it was unreasonable to offend Sir Spanner over a woman. ¡°Hmph. Turns out you¡¯re just a coward!¡± Edward jeered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why these women would stick with you.¡± Chris felt insulted, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°You two, stop struggling already. Take them away. I¡¯m going to have a st tonight.¡± Then, Edward ordered his men to tie Dahlia and Lyra up and bring them away. ¡°Mr. Nn! Please, help us!¡± Lyra screamed at the top of her lungs. However, Chris didn¡¯t react as he kept his head bowed. His cowardness made the people around shake their heads. Obviously, Chris was too timid to do anything. Just when everyone thought that Dahlia would inevitably be vited, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Edward and blocked his path. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch her.¡± ¡°What the fuck? Are you trying to be the hero too?¡± Edward sneered. ¡°I advise you to let her go before things get out of hand,¡± Dustin stated coldly. Edward chuckled with indifference. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°Then, go to hell!¡± Chapter 17 ¡°Then go to die!¡± Dustin stated expressionlessly, but his hard gaze was unnerving. ¡°Go to thell?¡± Edward burst outughing. Even the group of bodyguards standing behind him burst intoughter; all of them looked at Dustin as though he were an idiot. ¡°You little punk! Don¡¯t you know who I am? You¡¯ve got some nerve speaking to me that way,¡± Edward said cockily. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, and I couldn¡¯t care less. You have three seconds to let her go, or else,¡± Dustin stated inly. His words instantly caused a stir; even the people who were holding Dahlia were shocked. None of them expected that Dustin would say such a thing; he was remarkably bravepared to the silent Chris. However, such bravery was useless. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. You¡¯re going to die!¡± Chris¡® face was full of resentment because Dustin¡¯s show of bravado only made his cowardice even more apparent. Naturally, Chris was irritated and even filled with resentment when a good¨Cfor- nothing like Dustin was braver than he was. ¡°Are you fucking insane?¡± Edward looked Dustin up and down before continuing, ¡°So you want to y hero, huh? Fine! I¡¯ll see just what you¡¯ve got!¡± With that, he raised his hand and gave another signal. Two burly bodyguards swiftly charged forward at the same time to tackle Dustin. Both of them were 6.3 feet tall, extremely muscr, and the size of a bear. They each had an imposing presence. Dustin looked like a mere child inparison, so everyone present assumed that this confrontation would be over without suspense. They were wrong. As they drew nearer to him, Dustin delivered two swift punches that connected loudly with each of the men¡¯s faces. And just like that, the two huge men copsed to the floor as though they had been struck by lightning and were motionless. ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone was visibly shocked by what they had just seen. No one understood what had happened as, in the blink of an eye, both of the bodyguards were on the floor. Meanwhile, Dustin was standing there unscathed. ¡°Fuck! What did that punk just do?¡± Edward¡¯s expression sank. The two men who had just fallen were his most capable bodyguards; they could take on a group of people on their own without any problem. Hence, it was strange that they were bothying unmoving on the floor after just one face¨Coff. ¡°This is yourst chance. Let her go,¡± Dustin threaten coldly. ¡°In your dreams! Get him!¡± Edward retorted angrily and waved his hand to signal his men. The remaining bodyguards behind him immediately surrounded Dustin, but he merely scoffed and attacked first, not wasting any more time on words. His movements were as fast as lightning, and his attacks were extremely fierce. Each of his punches connected loudly with its target. The burly bodyguards were utterly defenseless, like sheep waiting to be ughtered, in the face of Dustin, who was like a ferocious tiger. Muffled grunts could be heard, and in the short span of a few breaths, they were all lying on the floor. The hall waspletely silent as thest bodyguard dropped to the floor with an audible thud. All the guests had their jaws ck and were staring at Dustin with wide eyes as though he were an anomaly. None of them would¡¯ve ever guessed that he was so fearsome. He had effortlessly taken down so many men with his own strength, just like in a movie scene. ¡°How is this guy so strong?¡± Chris¡® eyes were wide open in disbelief. ¡°How can it be? Is this really that piece of trash, Dustin Rhys?¡± a dumbfounded Lyra wondered out loud, feeling unsettled. ¡°He¡­ knows how to fight?¡± Dahlia had an indecipherable expression on her face once she came back to her senses. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They had been married for three years but she never knew that Dustin was such a formidable fighter. ¡°Was he just really good at hiding it? Or was it because I never cared enough to notice?¡± she wondered. 1 ¡°Y¨Cyou! Who are you!¡± Edward started panicking at this point and he involuntarily took two steps back. ¡°I¡­ am your reckoning,¡± Dustin stated as he slowly advanced toward Edward. ¡°Stay back!¡± Edward shouted as he suddenly pulled out a switchde and held it against Dahlia¡¯s throat. ¡°Come any closer, and I¡¯ll slit her throat!¡± ¡°The thing I hate most is being threatened.¡± Dustin¡¯s expression turned cold and in a sh, he charged forward and grabbed hold of Edward¡¯s hand that was holding the knife. Then, with a forceful twist, the switchde fell to the floor with a loud ttering sound. Edward was stunned for a moment before he let out a piercing shriek, simr to that of a pig being ughtered. ¡°Argh-¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Dustin cut Edward off with a p to his face just as his shriek barely left his mouth. Edward¡¯s expression instantly soured, as though he had just tasted shit. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re dead meat! All of you are dead meat!¡± Edward somehow mustered up the courage to throw out a threat. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dustin questioned stoically as he kicked Edward over with one foot. Seeing this, Dahlia immediately stood in front of Dustin to block him. ¡°Stop! You can¡¯t harm him, the consequences will be too severe!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Dustin stated indifferently. ¡°But I do!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°Do you even know that we will all suffer the consequences with you if you beat him up?¡± Dustin frowned upon hearing her words. He thought she was concerned for his well¨Cbeing, but it turns out she was only concerned for herself. ¡°Stop while you¡¯re ahead, Dustin. Don¡¯t drag us down with you!¡± Lyra called out. ¡°That¡¯s right! I see you¡¯ve grown tired of living to darey a hand on Mr. Spanner!¡± Chris called out before hurriedly helping Edward to his feet and exining, ¡°We have nothing to do with Dustin Rhys hitting you just now, Mr. Spanner.¡± His words weren¡¯t just to shift the me onto Dustin; they were also a direct usation. Dustin narrowed his eyes, feeling as though a weight had been ced on his chest. The only reason he had taken action earlier was to save Dahlia, but he was now being painted as a violent viin in the end. It was hard for him not to feel displeased about this. ¡°You little punk! You¡¯re good at fighting? So what!¡± Edward, having mistaken Dustin¡¯s silence for terror, instantly rediscovered his confidence. ¡°Let me tell you, power and status are what matter in society. You better believe I¡¯ll make you meet a tragic end if you darey another hand on me!¡± Dustin didn¡¯t say anything in return, but his furious expression could be seen in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Scared?¡± Edward grinned. ¡°Since you¡¯ve got no guts, get on your knees and bow down to me! I might just let you off if you put me in a good mood.¡± Chapter 18 ¡°Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and beg Mr. Spanner for forgiveness!¡± Chris chimed in, taking advantage of the situation to add to Dustin¡¯s humiliation. Chris was green with jealousy when Dustin was showing off earlier, so he was now trying to get some payback. ¡°Will he kneel? Or will he not? If he does, he will forever be too ashamed to show his face. But if he doesn¡¯t, he might be dead or maimed once Edward retaliates,¡± Chris thought. ¡°Hey punk, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance to make amends! I¡¯ll spare you if you grovel at my feet today. If not, don¡¯t me me for being merciless.¡± Edward jabbed Dustin¡¯s chest with his finger with a smug expression on his face. ¡°What does it matter if he knows how to fight when he has no power and no status? In the eyes of the public, he¡¯s nothing more than a foot soldier,¡± he continued mentally. ¡°Are you aware that you¡¯re ying with fire?¡± Dustin asked as he looked at Edward¡¯s finger. ¡°ying with fire?¡± Edward smirked. ¡°Not only do I want to y with fire, but I also want to y with your woman! Believe it or not, I¡¯m going to have my way with her tomorrow while you watch. And not only me, but my men will each get a turn as well, and I want you to watch it all helplessly. I want you to understand what it¡¯s like to despair, to believe that living is worse than death!¡± Dustin¡¯s expression instantly turned thunderous at Edward¡¯s words, and he could no longer hold back his rage. ¡°You asked for this!¡± he shouted as his hand shot forward to forcefully grab Edward by the throat and lift him above his head. He then raised his other hand and ruthlesslynded two punches on Edward¡¯s abdomen. Edward made a gagging sound as he felt his stomach churn, making him want to vomit, but he found that he couldn¡¯t as his throat was being constricted. His face soon turned red as he felt himself suffocating. Suddenly, he had a sense that he had made a grave mistake. ¡°Stop it!¡± Dahlia yelled, moving forward to intervene. Dustin ignored her and dealt another vicious punch, this time to Edward¡¯s crotch. The gruesome sound of flesh being minced could be heard before blood flowed to the floor. Edward let out a groan as his body spasmed. He was in such excruciating pain that he couldn¡¯t cry out even though he wanted to, and in the end, his head lulled to one side as he fainted. Everyone was stunned as they stared at the bloodstained area. Not even in their wildest dreams would they ever imagine that Dustin could be so cruel as to discontinue Edward¡¯s family line with a single punch. After all, he was Sir Spanner¡¯s son! Sir Spanner was the kind of man who woulde after you for touching even a strand of hair on his son¡¯s head, much less injuring him. Safe to say, from today onward, Dustin had incurred Sir Spanner¡¯s vengeful wrath. ¡°Have you lost your mind!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression changed drastically as she forcefully shoved Dustin. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯ve done? You¡¯ve just gotten yourself into deep shit this time!¡± An apology or money could be used to rectify the situation if it was only a light injury or bruise, but there¡¯s no way Trevor will let things slide so easily now that Edward has been beaten to such a state. ¡°All I did was take care of one of society¡¯s scum, is that so wrong?¡± Dustin shot back, perfectly composed. ¡°That¡¯s not the point, the point is you shouldn¡¯t have harmed him!¡± Dahlia rebuked, frowning. ¡°Hey Dustin, you shouldn¡¯t drag us all down with you if you¡¯re so eager to die! Do you know what the consequences of harming Sir Spanner¡¯s son are?¡± Chris¡® face was flushed with rage. Although Dustin was the one who had harmed Edward, Chris had also shoved Edward previously; hence, he¡¯s also worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it when Sir Spanner investigates and finds out about it. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough! Since it¡¯se to this, you should hurry up and run. Get as far from here as you can while there¡¯s still time!¡± Dahlia reacted quickly. away She knew that once news of Edward¡¯s maiming got out, Sir Spanner would surely be furious. And when that time came, Dustin would be at a dead end once he mobilizes all of his forces. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to,¡± Dustin stated, his demeanor still indifferent. ¡°Stop acting tough! Sir Spanner is more powerful than you think, your martial arts. skills won¡¯t be enough to save you!¡± Dahlia chastized. Even if he knew how to fight, he couldn¡¯t stop bullets! ¡°He¡¯s not the type of person to listen to reason, Ms. Nicholson, stop wasting your breath. Furthermore, we should not interfere in matters unrted to us in order to avoid bringing trouble upon ourselves.¡± Lyra quickly interjected. ¡°That¡¯s right, this guy can¡¯t run!¡± Chris said, suddenly blocking the exit as though something had urred to him. ¡°What are we going to do if he runs away? What if Sir Spanner exacts his revenge on us instead? Won¡¯t we just be the fall guys!¡± ¡°Mr. Nn has a point!¡± Lyra chimed in,ing to the same realization. ¡°If Dustin runs away, we¡¯re going to be the ones who suffer!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Dustin just saved us!¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Nobody asked him to, he¡¯s the one who poked his nose into our business!¡± Lyra scoffed. ¡°Exactly! And seeing as he has brought this upon himself, he should be the one to face it!¡± Chris chimed in self¨Crighteously. ¡°Both of you-¡± Dahlia¡¯s pretty face turned cold as she started to speak when Dustin interrupted her. ¡°You all can be at ease. I will take responsibility for my actions; I won¡¯t implicate any of you.¡± ¡°This is a matter of life and death! Could you please drop the macho act!¡± Dahlia raised her voice, slightly annoyed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about what happens to me, Ms. Nicholson. This has absolutely nothing to do with you, so just sit back and watch,¡± Dustin dered loudly, ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think I¡¯m worried about being implicated?¡± Dahlia asked, frowning. ¡°Is that not the case?¡± Dustin looked directly at Lyra and Chris as he said this. Dahlia was at a loss for words after his subtle hint. Although the thought never crossed her mind, the same couldn¡¯t be said for her secretary, who had already drawn a line early on. In Dustin¡¯s eyes, he thought her secretary¡¯s words were the same as hers. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think; you have to leave today!¡± Dahlia¡¯s tone suddenly became forceful. ¡°And I don¡¯t care what you say, I¡¯m not leaving.¡± With that, Dustin turned and walked out to the flower garden. ¡°You!¡± Dahlia was fuming. ¡°Why is he so rebellious?¡± she wondered. Chapter 19 The hall was in an uproar because of Dustin¡¯s actions. The timid guests had long left, in fear of bing caught in the crossfire. As for the unconscious and critically injured Edward, his bodyguards had immediately taken him to the hospital. ¡°This is troublesome.¡± Dahlia had a concerned look on her face as she scowled. Sir Spanner was infamous for being cruel and ruthless, and he surely wouldn¡¯t be inclined to just let things go when his son had been beaten into such a state. Dustin may not have much longer to live. ¡°Lyra, I want you to find out if there¡¯s any way this can be resolved peacefully,¡± Dahlia suddenly said. Lyra was puzzled. ¡°What do Dustin¡¯s actions have to do with us, Ms. Nicholson? Why do we need to expend effort for his sake?¡± a Dahlia had a frosty expression as she retorted, ¡°He saved my life earlier. Should I just watch him die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I just think it would be very unwise to cross Sir Spanner at this point. Moreover, no one would willingly get involved in this mess,¡± Lyra exined. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we have to try.¡± Dahlia had a resolute look in her eyes. ¡°¡­ Very well then,¡± Lyra responded, having no choice but toply. She then immediately started making calls to all their connections. However, all the big bosses immediately hung up from fright once they had gotten a grasp of the situation, and none of them dared step in since Sir Spanner was involved. ¡°You see, Ms. Nicholson? It¡¯s not because we don¡¯t want to help, but because we can¡¯t,¡± Lyra said, waving her hands. ¡°Try again,¡± Dahlia ordered, frowning. ¡°There¡¯s no point-¡± Lyra shook her head as she began to speak when she noticed Chris off to the side. ¡°Hey, maybe Mr. Nn will be able to help us.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Chris asked, surprised, as he pointed to himself. ¡°Yes! Didn¡¯t you say before that your father was friends with Sir Spanner? Your father might be able to mitigate the situation, right?¡± Lyra asked expectantly. ¡°Err¡­¡± Chris was taken aback. His father did indeed know Sir Spanner, but their rtionship was strictly all business. There might be a chance of mitigation if it were just a small matter, but Edward had been severely harmed, so how could Sir Spanner possibly be persuaded to refrain from retaliating? ¡°I¡¯ll owe you big time if you¡¯re able to help with this, Mr. Nn!¡± Dahlia eximed earnestly. Looking at her expectant expression, Chris couldn¡¯t help having a dilemma. This was his best chance of wooing her, so naturally, he wasn¡¯t willing to let it pass him by. ¡°I can give it a try, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything. After all, it is Sir Spanner.¡± Chris eventually agreed after briefly mulling it over. Dahlia visibly rxed. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll already be so grateful as long as Dustin doesn¡¯t lose his life!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Chris said casually, nodding. It would be great if it worked out, but there weren¡¯t any cons if it didn¡¯t. After all, Dahlia already owed him a favor by asking for his help. Meanwhile, at a lounge in Mirage. Natasha¡¯s lips curled into a meaningful smile as she watched the events unfold on a monitor. She had a clear view of Edward being beaten and almost gave in to the urge to p her hands and cheer. She had always found some members of the Spanner family to be as annoying as flies, but she hadn¡¯t been able to take any action toward them due to certain reasons. Thankfully, Dustin did not disappoint. She was quite delighted with his performance today. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I¡¯m afraid Mr. Rhys does not have enough influence to protect him from Trevor¡¯s wrath. Should we assist him?¡± Alfred Jarvis, a butler who was standing by her side, suddenly asked. ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty. Have someone monitor him¨Cit¡¯s too soon to say if Trevor outmatches him.¡± Natasha¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at Dustin¡¯s imposing figure on the screen. Cer ¡°Oh? Do you think so highly of him?¡± Alfred asked, slightly bewildered. Natasha smirked. ¡°More like intrigue¨CI have a feeling that he¡¯s full of surprises.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t actually have feelings for him, do you, Ms. Harmon? Please keep in mind that you already have a fianc¨¦-¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Natasha cast a chilly nce in Alfred¡¯s direction, and he instantly went silent from fear. ¡°Remember this: You are in no position to say anything about my personal affairs; just focus on performing your own duties well.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Harmon.¡± Alfred didn¡¯t dare say anything further as he felt a chill run down his spine. Midnight at the district hospital. In an instant, Edward was surrounded by a crowd of people as the emergency operating room¡¯s doors opened, and he was wheeled out on a hospital bed with his lower halfpletely bandaged. At the forefront of the group was a tall and brawny man with a full beard and mustache. It was none other than East City¡¯s King of the Underworld, Trevor Spanner. ¡°Doctor! How¡¯s my son!¡± Trevor asked first. The doctor sighed. ¡°His life is not in peril, however, the damage to his genitals is quite extensive. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to regain full function.¡± ¡°What!¡± Trevor¡¯s expression changed drastically upon hearing this. Won¡¯t be able to regain full function? Didn¡¯t that just mean he¡¯d be impotent! ¡°Don¡¯t you all know how to do your jobs? You can¡¯t even treat such a light injury?¡± Trevor yelled, grabbing the doctor by the cor of his shirt. ¡°We¡¯ve tried everything we could, sir, but I¡¯m afraid the injury is just too severe. Preserving his life was no easy task either,¡± the doctor replied with a tinge of exasperation. The doctor had never encountered something so tragic¨Cthe patient¡¯s genitals had been reduced to a pile of mush. If he hadn¡¯t arrived at the hospital in time, he might have even lost his life. ¡°You¡¯re useless! Get out of my sight!¡± Trevor, whose expression was frighteningly thunderous, bellowed as he shoved the doctor aside. If the best doctors at the district hospital couldn¡¯t do anything, then his son really was invalid. ¡°Talk! What the hell happened!¡± Trevor abruptly turned and demanded angrily from the bodyguards who stood behind him. ¡°Edward was fine, why has he been beaten to a pulp!¡± ¡°Sir Spanner, he¡­¡± One of the bodyguards mustered up the courage to summarize what had happened. Trevor¡¯s temper immediately red once he finished listening, and he raised his hand and brutally pped the bodyguard across the face. ¡°Useless pieces of shit! What¡¯s the point in hiring all of you if you can¡¯t even defeat one man!¡± Trevor roared out. However, his rage didn¡¯t subside at all, so he pped each of them multiple times. The bodyguards lowered their heads, not daring to speak. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Go gather more men and bring that punk to me! I don¡¯t care who he is. I¡¯m going to cut him into pieces for daring to harm my son!¡± Trevor¡¯s forces began mobilizing with his one order. It would appear that a turbulent storm was rapidly brewing¡­ Chapter 20 The next morning, in the most luxurious private room at Mirage. ¡°Mr. Rhys, thank you for protecting me. Here is the canscora you wanted. Please take a look.¡± Natasha put an exquisite wooden box on the table before pushing it forward. ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin opened the box and saw a blood¨Cred canscora in it. The herb was crooked, like a dragon¡¯s tooth. It had an interesting appearance. He gently sniffed it, and its unique stench filled his nose. ¡°It is really a canscora! Thank you, Ms. Harmon!¡± Dustin¡¯s face lit up. He had been searching for various rare herbs all these years. Finally, he found another one. There were still five herbs left. If he could collect the remaining five herbs, there would be hope! ¡°You¡¯re wee. You deserve it. Come to think of it, I should be the one thanking you.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I have a favor to ask. Can you contact me immediately next time if you find such rare herbs? I am willing to pay heavily for them!¡± Dustin looked serious. ¡°Of course I can do that. But I¡¯m curious about the reason you¡¯re collecting these herbs.¡± Natasha asked hesitantly. ¡°To save someone.¡± Dustin hesitated before saying, ¡°I have a friend who is seriously injured. I need these rare herbs to save him.¡± ¡°Oh, what disease did he get? Even you can¡¯t cure him?¡± Natasha appeared surprised. She had witnessed Dustin¡¯s medical skills before. It was not an overstatement to say that he could even bring the dead back to life. ¡°Medical skills alone are not enough. I need various herbs to heal him.¡± Dustin shook his head. One could not make bricks without straw. No matter how good his medical skills were, he could not cure many diseases without the proper herbs. ¡°I see.¡± >> Natasha nodded as realization dawned upon her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you. I¡¯ll contact you immediately if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Thank you in advance, Ms. Harmon.¡± Dustin gave a slight nod. ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡± Natasha gave a wink. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± Dustin did not stay for long. After making some small talk, he excused himself and left. 20 minutester, in front of Peaceful Medical Center. Holding two bottles of alcohol, Dustin strolled into the medical center. ¡°Hey, drunkard, look what I¡¯ve brought you!¡± He eximed while scanning the area. He followed the sound of a man snoring, and soon he saw a drunk man with a flushed face under a table in the medical center. The man was one¨Ceyed and had a broken leg. He looked like a shaggy beggar. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± Dustin pushed him. The man ignored him, turned around, and continued sleeping. His snore became louder. ¡°You seem to be sleeping rather soundly.¡± Smirking, Dustin opened a bottle of alcohol. The fragrance of the alcohol spread across the room. The next second, the sleeping man was jolted out of his sleep. He bumped his head on the table with a bang and broke the table in half! Ignoring the ss shards on the floor, he instantly snatched the bottle in Dustin¡¯s hand and poured it into his mouth. ¡°This is some good stuff!¡± The one¨Ceyed man exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling refreshed. ¡°This alcohol cost me a lot of money. You¡¯d better save some forter.¡± Dustin reminded him. ¡°Come on.¡± The man rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a wealthy guy. Two bottles of alcohol are nothing to you.¡± ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t waste them!¡± ¡°Cut the nonsense! Why are you here?¡± The one¨Ceyed man red at him. ¡°I¡¯ve found another rare herb.¡± Dustin handed him the box with the canscora. ¡°Huh?¡± The man opened the box and immediately frowned. ¡°Bastard, I told you not to search for herbs for me anymore. I¡¯m going to die anyway. Dying now and dyingter doesn¡¯t make a difference.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem, but I¡¯m going to continue searching for herbs. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Hey! Why are you so stubborn?¡± The one¨Ceyed man began to panic. ¡°Do you know that the Rhys family controls all the main herbs needed for the production of life¨Csustaining medications? They will eventually find out if you keep searching for herbs!¡± ¡°So what? I¡¯m not the same person I was ten years ago,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°Kid, I know you¡¯ve progressed and are better than them, but the Rhys family is unbeatable. Nobody can fight against them. I don¡¯t want you to get involved again!¡± the man said somberly. ¡°Life is guided by destiny. I¡¯ve been hiding for ten years, and I don¡¯t want to hide anymore. I want to live the rest of my life confidently!¡± Dustin was determined. ¡°You will face many hardships if you choose this path. Your mother wanted you to live peacefully like a normal person.¡± ¡°My mother has passed away and she will nevere back. You are the only rtive I have left in this world. How can I watch you die just like that?¡± Dustin shouted. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My life is worthless. It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll die with you!¡± ¡°Gosh! Why are you so stubborn? Even if you don¡¯t think of yourself, you should consider your pretty wife. Do you want her to be a widow?¡± The one¨Ceyed man used his trump card. He had already noticed Dustin¡¯s ambition three years ago, so he had even chosen a prettydy to marry Dustin so that Dustin would settle down. He would use this method every time they got into an argument, and it always worked! ¡°It¡¯s no use. We¡¯re divorced.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°What? Divorced?¡± The one¨Ceyed man was stunned. No way. He couldn¡¯t use Dustin¡¯s wife as an excuse anymore. Without any ties, Dustin would go all¨Cin soon! ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind. No matter if you agree or not, I will do it. You know my character,¡± Dustin said firmly. ¡°Whatever. If that¡¯s what you want, go ahead.¡± The one¨Ceyed man waved his hand. ¡± The worst that could happen would be me losing another leg and bingpletely blind.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be blind. I¡¯ll make sure you stay alive.¡± Dustin gently clenched his fist as determination filled his eyes. Ten years ago, the one¨Ceyed man had protected him. Now, it was Dustin¡¯s time to protect him. Chapter 21 At noon, in the president¡¯s office of the Quine Group. Dahlia was distracted while reading her documents. Her mind waspletely upied by Dustin. She was worried that Trevor would track down Dustin. If that happened, Dustin would be doomed. ¡°Lyra!¡± Finally, Dahlia couldn¡¯t hold herself back after imagining all the possible scenarios. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, how can I help you?¡± Lyra came in after knocking. ¡°Help me prepare some gifts. I¡¯m going to the Drey Group,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°The Drey Group? Isn¡¯t that Sir Spanner¡¯s ce?¡± Lyra was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s right. I want to talk to him.¡± Dahlia nodded. ¡°Why do you want to talk to him? Is it about Dustin?¡± Lyra panicked. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, please calm down! Sir Spanner is still angry. Why would you visit him and poke the ho¡¯s nest?¡± ¡°No matter what, I have to try!¡± Dahlia was adamant. ¡°Wait! We still have Mr. Nn! He said he would help. Why don¡¯t we wait some more?¡± Lyra advised Dahlia. ¡°We¡¯ve waited for one whole night, and there¡¯s still no news from him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to help us. I have to do this myself.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, don¡¯t we have any better way? Why don¡¯t we think about it again?¡± Lyra was worried. ¡°Dustin got into trouble because of me. I can¡¯t sit still and do nothing. Go do as I say.¡± Dahlia waved her hand. Seeing the determination in Dahlia¡¯s eyes, Lyra couldn¡¯t help sighing. Left with no choice, she had to obey Dahlia¡¯s order. She knew that Dahlia wouldn¡¯t change her mind once she made up her mind. 30 minutester, they arrived at Drey Group. ¡°Lyra, you can wait in the car. You don¡¯t have to go in with me.¡± Dahlia ordered. ¡°No way. We must help each other out through thick and thin. How can I let you take all the risk by yourself?¡± Lyra was a loyal person. ¡°This is dangerous. Just in case, I need you to wait outside. Call the police if I don¡¯te out in half an hour, got it?¡± Dahlia looked serious. ¡°Alright! I will make sure toplete my task!¡± Lyra nodded vigorously. She knew that she had a great responsibility. It was entirely up to her whether Dahlia could return safely. ¡°I¡¯ll go in then.¡± Without saying much, Dahlia opened the door and entered the building. with Unlike ordinarypanies, the people in the Drey Group were all buff guys tattoos. One could tell that they weren¡¯t kind people. After Dahlia reported her identity, a bald guy led her to an office on the top floor. In the office, the bearded Trevor sat calmly on a sofa with a cigar in his mouth. ¡°Are you Ms. Nicholson from the Quine Group?¡± Seeing Dahlia enter his office, Trevor narrowed his eyes. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re gorgeous. No wonder my useless son would get into a fight with other people for you.¡± ¡°Sir Spanner, may I ask how your son is doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. He won¡¯t die, but he¡¯s crippled,¡± Trevor said faintly. ¡°Crippled?¡± The look in Dahlia¡¯s eyes wavered. Although Trevor sounded calm, he couldn¡¯t hide the anger in his eyes. ¡°So, what do you n to do about this?¡± Trevor crossed his legs on the table and sat ¡°Sir Spanner, I¡¯m the one who caused everything and am willing to take full responsibility for this. I hope you can be generous and let Dustin go,¡± Dahlia said solemnly. ¡°You want to take responsibility? Are you sure you can do that?¡± Trevor grinned evilly. ¡°I will hire the best doctors to treat your son. Also, I will bear the correspondingpensation. Just tell me how much you need,¡± Dahlia continued. ¡°I don¡¯t need money.¡± Suddenly, Trevor put a bottle of alcohol on the table. ¡°If you really want to negotiate with me, finish this bottle of alcohol first.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Dahlia was put in a difficult position. She wasn¡¯t good at drinking. She didn¡¯t know if she could handle it after drinking the whole bottle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to drink it? In that case, no deal.¡± Trevor waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it!¡± Dahlia hesitated for a few seconds. Eventually, she picked up the bottle. A bottle of alcohol was nothing compared to Dustin¡¯s life. Hence, she took a deep breath, put the bottle in front of her mouth, and started gulping down the alcohol. After finishing one¨Cthird of the alcohol, she began to cough violently, and her face turned red. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the difort and continued drinking. She began to feel dizzy when she finished two¨Cthirds of the bottle. Panting slightly, she finished the whole bottle. ¡°Sir Spanner, are you satisfied now?¡± Staggering, Dahlia grabbed the table. ¡°Haha, interesting.¡± Trevor smiled teasingly. ¡°Since you seem sincere, I¡¯ll give you another chance. Take off our clothes now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°Sir Spanner, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I want you to take off your clothes and serve me. I will consider letting you go if you manage to satisfy me. To bepletely honest, even though I¡¯ve slept with many women, I¡¯ve never done so with a woman as stunning as you.¡± Trevor smirked. Dahlia¡¯s face darkened as soon as she heard that. His son, Edward, was a greedy pervert. She never expected his father to be the same. Indeed, an apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree! ¡°Sir Spanner, I can promise you anything else except for this!¡± Dahlia begged desperately. ¡°Except for this? Haha¡­¡± Trevor threatened evilly, ¡°You should know how powerful I am. You should be honored that I¡¯m willing to talk to you. If I don¡¯t want to talk to you, there will be no use, even if you strip yourself naked and kneel before me. You better think twice! I¡¯ll go take a shower, you better have all your clothes removed when Ie back. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to do it myself! By then, I won¡¯t be alone, all my brothers outside will join me!¡± Dahlia¡¯s face turned pale when she heard that. She suddenly realized that she had thrown herself into the lion¡¯s den. Chapter 22 At Peaceful Medical Centre, Dustin and the one¨Ceyed man were drinking when hist phone rang suddenly. ¡°Hey, Dustin! Ms. Nicholson is in danger. Hurry up! We need your help!¡± Lyra shouted. as soon as the call connected. ¡°Danger? What¡¯s going on?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! Ms. Nicholson was worried about your safety, so she personally approached Sir Spanner to talk to him. She hasn¡¯te out since then. I think she is in danger!¡± Lyra sounded urgent. ¡°What the hell was she thinking? I told her it was none of her business. Why is she looking for trouble?¡± Dustin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Dustin Rhys! Don¡¯t you have any conscience at all? Ms. Nicholson is trying to save you!¡± Lyra shouted angrily. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°The Drey Group!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there straight away!¡°Without saying anything more, Dustin hung up and rushed straight there. At the same time, in the Drey Group¡¯s offices. Dahlia slumped on the couch, feeling lightheaded. Her face was dripping with sweat. She could feel the aftereffects of the alcohol hitting her. Her hands and legs went weak, and she was losing her bnce. Most importantly, her bag and mobile phone were confiscated right when she entered the office. She couldn¡¯t even call anyone for help. What should she do? As she was thinking of a n, the office door opened, and Trevor strode in wearing a robe. ¡°Why are you still dressed? Do you want me to take action?¡± Trevor sized her up. In his eyes, Dahlia was just too alluring. She exuded a unique sort of charm. He was eager to taste her. ¡°Sir Spanner, you¡¯d better not do anything stupid. I¡¯ve already got everything prepared. My subordinate will call the police if I don¡¯t go out in half an hour. The police are about to arrive!¡± Dahlia warned. ¡°What? Are you trying to scare me?¡± Trevorughed dryly, ¡°How do you think! managed to put myself in this position? I¡¯ll be honest with you. Many of the people in the police station are my men. Do you think they will dare to touch me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hearing what he said, Dahlia turned pale. She thought she would be safe since she had a backup n. Never did she expect Trevor to have no fear at all, ¡°Come on. Stop struggling. Nobody can save you today. Obey my orders if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Trevor began to step closer to Dahlia. ¡°Don¡¯te near me!¡± Suddenly, Dahlia grabbed a pair of scissors from the table, wanting to defend herself for thest time. ¡°Damn it. You ungrateful thing!¡± Trevor was furious. He struck Dahlia with his fist, and she fell to the ground unconscious. Then he trapped her under his huge body. Forcefully, he tore Dahlia¡¯s clothes open, revealing her fair thighs and slim waist. Just as he was about to reach out and explore her body, a loud bang rang out, and the door was kicked open. A handsome guy came in with a murderous expression on his face, his bloodthirsty eyes made him look like he was about to devour a person alive. ¡°Who are you? How dare you interrupt my business?¡± Trevor stood up, looking frustrated. Dustin did not say anything. He only took off his jacket and covered Dahlia with it. Half¨Cconscious, Dahlia thought she was surrounded by a familiar scent for one second. A sense of security washed over her. ¡°Sir Spanner, huh? I¡¯m the one who injured your son. Well, do you have anyst words?¡± Dustin lifted his head and stared at Trevor as though he were a dead man. ¡°So it was you!¡± Trevor let out an evilugh. ¡°You could¡¯ve lived peacefully, yet you chose to walk right through the gateway to hell! How dare you break into my territory alone? You must have a death wish!¡± With that, he stretched out his hand and pressed a button under the table. An ear¨Cdeafening rm rang out, Instantly, amotion broke out, A bunch of men filled the hallways and gathered in front of the office. Soon, the hallway outside the office was crowded with people, Looking ahead, it was dark out there. There were at least hundreds of people! Additionally, the number of people was still increasing ¡°Kid, I heard that you¡¯re good at fighting,¡± Laughing, Trevor uttered, ¡°So what if you can fight ten or 20 people? I have more than 200 men here. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to fight them today,¡± So what if Dustin was a skilled fighter? He could never beat so many people. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re prepared,¡± ncing at the people, Dustin remained calm. ¡°But nobody can stop me from killing you,¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯re surely a bold one! Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got! Attack!¡± Hearing Trevor¡¯s order, all the men started rushing toward Dustin. ¡°Stop!¡± Suddenly, a roar echoed across the room, followed by a few gunshots. Everybody was shocked upon hearing the gunshots, and they automatically spread out. An elderly man with white hair strode over, dressed in a suit. Behind him were a few fierce¨Clooking shooters. ¡°Mr. Anderson, why are you here?¡± Seeing Hunter, Trevor immediately smiled and went up to greet him. Everyone knew that Hunter was the president of the Swinton Group. He was one of the Mighty Three! He could make the whole Swinton shake with a stomp. ¡°Get lost!¡± Ignoring Trevor, Hunter directly walked up to Dustin. Anxious, he asked, ¡°Mr. Rhys, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Why are you here?¡± Dustin was slightly shocked. ¡°I heard you¡¯re in danger, so I immediately rushed here. Thank God I¡¯m in time!¡± Hunter wiped his sweat, looking worried. If anything happened to Dustin in his territory, he would be doomed as well. ¡°Mr. Anderson, do you know each other?¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment. ¡°Bastard!¡± Hunter was furious. He lifted his hand and pped Trevor hard across the face. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you try to fight Mr. Rhys? You must have a death wish!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Trevor was in a daze. He couldn¡¯t believe it. ording to his investigation, Dustin was a nobody with no background. Why did Hunter seem so nervous? Had Dustin been hiding his true identity the entire time? Chapter 23 ¡°Why are you still standing there? Let them go!¡± The corners of Trevor¡¯s eyes twitched, and his face turned pale. If Hunter had asked politely, he wouldn¡¯t be angry. However, Hunter shouted at him as soon as he arrived and even pped him. He would be too embarrassed to face his men if he let Dustin go just like that. ¡°Mr. Anderson, this guy crippled my son and barged into my ce. How could I stand in front of the public if they know I let him go today?¡± Trevor retorted in a low voice. ¡°Your son deserved to be crippled! I will destroy the Drey Group if you don¡¯t let him go today!¡± Hunter smirked coldly. ¡°Mr. Anderson, I know you are influential, and I can¡¯t offend you. But don¡¯t forget that I have someone supporting me too!¡± Trevor shouted fiercely. ¡°Are you talking about Edwin? Let me tell you. Even if Edwin were here today, you would still have to let Mr. Rhys go!¡± Hunter gave a chilly smile. Trevor¡¯s expression instantly darkened as soon as he heard what Hunter said. He didn¡¯t expect Hunter to be so stubborn. Hunter was even disregarding Edwin for two strangers. ¡°Great! I will tell Sir Hummer what happened today!¡± Trevor said, somewhat annoyed. Edwin Hummer was the leader of the three most influential families in the country. He would definitely be able to control Hunter. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Hunter would have to pay for disrespecting him. ¡°Cut the nonsense, and let them go right away!¡± Hunter could not bother to say one more word to Trevor. He took out his gun and pointed it at Trevor¡¯s head. ¡°Let them go!¡± Seeing that Hunter was serious, Trevor gritted his teeth and gave in. He didn¡¯t want to risk his life for such a small matter. ¡°Trevor, this is a warning for you. If anything simr happens again, even Edwin can¡¯t help you!¡± With that, Hunter escorted Dustin and Dahlia out. None of the 200 men outside dared to move. ¡°Sir Spanner, are you going to let them go just like that?¡± Some of his men felt frustrated. ¡°What else can I do? Do you want to die then?¡± Trevor retorted. Hearing that, his men kept quiet. ¡°Damn it! I won¡¯t let them go just like that!¡± Trevor continued with a gloomy expression, ¡°Contact Fletcher and ask him toe back right away. That guy must die today!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After exiting the Drey Group, Dahlia finally sobered up. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, are you okay?¡± Hunter asked caringly. ¡°Mr. Anderson? Why are you here? Did you save me just now?¡± Dahlia looked shocked. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I just tried to help out. Mr. Rhys risked his life and didn¡¯t back down, even when facing 200 men, only to save you. How devoted!¡± Hunter smiled. ¡°Really?¡± Dahlia turned her head and looked at Dustin next to her. She seemed confused. ¡°Mr. Anderson, didn¡¯t you say that you have some matters to deal with?¡± Dustin asked abruptly. ¡°Oh, yes. Look at how forgetful I am. I almost forgot. Go ahead and talk. I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Hunter didn¡¯t stay for long. After bidding them goodbye, he left with his men. ¡°Ms. Nicholson!¡± Lyra came down from the car. She had been waiting in front of the door, yet Dahlia came out before the police arrived. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, was that Mr. Anderson who just left?¡± Lyra asked tentatively. ¡°That¡¯s right. Thanks to him, we are safe.¡± Lyra nodded her head. ¡°Mr. Anderson is not close to us. Why would he help us?¡± Lyra was shocked. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been wondering too.¡± Dahlia seemed lost in her thoughts. She barely knew Hunter. Why would he help her? Chapter 24 I know! Mr. Nn must have helped us out!¡± Lyra seemed to have thought of something. Suddenly, she said, ¡°I called him after calling the police just earlier. He must have sent President Anderson here.¡± ¡°Chris Nn?¡± Dahlia frowned, feeling doubtful. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Nn is the only person who would help us and has the power to ask President Anderson for help!¡± Lyra analyzed, convinced that she was correct. ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± Dahlia agreed. As they were talking, a red Ferrari stopped by the road. The door opened, and Chris, wearing a set of bright clothes, came down hurriedly. ¡°Dahlia! Are you okay? I came here immediately after receiving the call!¡± Chris seemed worried. ¡°Mr. Nn, thanks for your help. Otherwise, Ms. Nicholson would be in danger.¡± Lyra hurriedly thanked Chris. ¡°Help?¡± Chris was stunned. He almost couldn¡¯t snap back to his senses. ¡°Yes! Mr. Anderson had alreadye just now. He came to rescue Ms. Nicholson.¡± Lyra smiled. ¡°Huh?¡± Chris was even more shocked. ¡°Mr. Nn, I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to get President Anderson¡¯s help. You are amazing. I¡¯m impressed!¡± Lyra began to tter him. The corners of Chris¡® mouth twitched. He seemed confused. Hunter Anderson was a big shot, and Chris was in no position to ask for his help. Actually, Chris didn¡¯t even have the right to meet him, much less ask for his help. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what happened, Dahlia and Lyra had misunderstood him. Since things had already yed out, he decided to continue with the flow. In any case, he wouldn¡¯t lose out on anything. ¡°Ahem, well¡­ I was just trying. I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Anderson to be so kind.¡± Chris fixed his tie and epted the praise. Hearing that, Dustin couldn¡¯t helpughing. This guy was so thick¨Cskinned. Wasn¡¯t he afraid thedies would find out the truth? ¡°Dustin! How dare youugh?¡± Lyra cried, annoyed. ¡°Look at Mr. Nn. He solved everything easily, but what about you? You only know how to be violent, and you nearly put Ms. Nicholson in danger!¡± ¡°Why did he only show up now if he is so amazing?¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°Although he waste, he got Mr. Anderson¡¯s help. Otherwise, do you think you can walk out of Sir Spanner¡¯s territory alive?¡± Lyra replied angrily. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who thinks that way. I don¡¯t think Chris saved me,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°Hey! Why are you so ungrateful? Mr. Nn saved you. Not only did you not thank him, but you¡¯re also sprouting nonsense here. How shameless!¡± Lyra was displeased. ¡°Forget it, he doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate other¡¯s help. Let¡¯s not lower our standards and argue with him.¡± Chris feigned generosity. ¡°Did you see that? This is what we call grace!¡± Lyra red at Dustin. ¡°Dustin, Mr. Nn saved us, after all. I think it won¡¯t hurt for you to thank him.¡± Dahlia seemed dissatisfied too. ¡°Go ahead and thank him if you want. It¡¯s none of my business.¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Why are you acting this way?¡± Dahlia frowned minutely. He didn¡¯t even thank Chris for saving them earlier. How could he be so petty? a ¡°I¡¯m always like that. This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve met me.¡°Then, Dustin continued relentlessly, ¡°Also, please don¡¯t be a busybody and barge into Trevor¡¯s territory next time. You are so dumb!¡± ¡°I¡¯m dumb? I did it to save you!¡± Dahlia was getting angry. ¡°Save me? Who asked you to save me?¡± Dustin raised his voice. ¡°How are we even rted? Do I need your help? Stop being a busybody. You almost killed yourself, yet you¡¯re trying to act tough. You asked for it.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Hearing his words, Dahlia was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe Dustin would say such a thing. Chapter 25 ¡°Is this what you wanted to tell me?¡± Dahlia was dumbfounded and rooted to the ground in disbelief. Looking at Dustin¡¯s cold expression, she thought he felt unfamiliar. She could feel grief and sadness. washing over her as a result. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you! Please keep in mind not to meddle in my business. My life and death have nothing to do with you. We are no longer rted. Do you get it?¡± Dustin scolded her fiercely. His cruel words froze Dahlia. She didn¡¯t expect Dustin wouldin and me her instead of thanking her for her kindness. When had they be enemies? ¡°Hey, Dustin Rhys! Are you even human?¡± Standing on the side, Lyra couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She scolded, ¡°How can you say that to Ms. Nicholson? She was trying to help you! How can you be so ungrateful?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say? Am I supposed to praise her for being brave and barging into Trevor¡¯s ce?¡± Dustin asked coldly. ¡°You are such an ungrateful guy!¡± Lyra was pissed off. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop it! From now on, I will never meddle in your business. Whether you¡¯re alive or dead, it has nothing to do with me!¡± Finally, Dahlia could no longer hold herself back. With that, she left angrily. Nobody noticed the usually toughdy had started to tear up. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Dustin Rhys! You¡¯d better remember what you said today! Don¡¯te and ask for our help next time!¡± Lyra red at him and caught up with Dahlia. ¡°What an idiot,¡± Chris uttered, following after them. This was a chance for him to swoop in. He couldn¡¯t let this chance go. ¡°Silly woman¡­¡± Confusion filled Dustin¡¯s eyes as he stared at Dahlia leaving. He had purposely said that to protect her. Trevor would have taken advantage of her if Dustin hadn¡¯t arrived on time earlier. He didn¡¯t want anything simr to happen again, so he had to cut ties with her heartlessly! ¡°Finally, it¡¯s time to take action.¡± Dustin took a deep breath, turned around, and stared at Drey Group¡¯s building. He hadn¡¯t left earlier because he was afraid. He simply hadn¡¯t wanted to put Dah in danger. Now that Dahlia was safe, he had no worries anymore. Revenge was a dish that must be served cold. Unfortunately, Dustin was an impatient guy. He had to take revenge today! With that thought in mind, Dustin strode into the Drey Group without hesitation. Under the people¡¯s shocked gazes, he locked the main door. Soon, cries and howls rang out from the building. The whole process took about 20 minutes. 20 minutester¡­ With a loud bang, the office door on the top floor was smashed by one of the bodyguards ¡®dead bodies. Dustin stepped on the corpse as he entered the room, covered in blood. He looked like a devil from hell. The whole ce was covered in gore. It was terrifying! In the office, Trevor¡¯s bodyguards were shocked. They were dumbfounded, and chills started creeping up their bodies. Dustin was like a monster; they didn¡¯t expect him to be so strong. He had killed everybody from the first floor to the top floor! He had killed almost 200 men all by himself! Was he even human? ¡°Who¨CWho are you?¡± Panicking, Trevor stumbled backward. When he saw Dustining back, he smiled smugly, assuming that Dustin must have a death wish. Soon, he realized he was wrong. He waspletely wrong! Dustin didn¡¯t have a death wish. He was on a killing spree! Chapter 26 As soon as Dustin entered the building, he gradually worked his way up and killed everybody he came across. None of his opponents could stand up to him at all, each felled in mere seconds. ¡°You want to take revenge on me, but you don¡¯t know who I am?¡± Dustin began to close in on Trevor. The look in his eyes was exceptionally cold. ¡°Damn it! Don¡¯te near me, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Trevor suddenly took out a gun from his drawer. However, Dustin immediately rushed forward and grabbed the muzzle before Trevor could lift his hand. Then, he grabbed the gun. A metallic groan rang out. Trevor was shocked to realize that the muzzle of his gun had been twisted by Dustin. The gun was made of iron! How could he manipte the gun like it was mud? ¡ª ¡°Mr. Mr. Rhys, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. I swear I won¡¯t bother you anymore if you leave now.¡± Trevor started breaking out in a cold sweat. He decided to give in. Dustin¡¯s power was beyond the level of ordinary people. It was no wonder a big shot like Hunter would be so respectful toward Dustin. ¡°You won¡¯t bother me, but I want to bother you.¡± Dustin suddenly grabbed Trevor¡¯s shoulder and pulled him violently. With a crack, Trevor¡¯s arm was broken. ¡°Argh!¡± Trevor cried out. ¡°How dare you touch my woman?¡± Dustin remained expressionless. He struck again and broke Trevor¡¯s other arm. Trevor couldn¡¯t help sweating. His face turned pale while the other people in the room shivered in fear. None of them dared to go near Dustin. ¡°Fuck! Do you know who my supporter is? It¡¯s Edwin Hummer! The leader of Swinton¡¯s Mighty Three! If you kill me today, Sir Hummer will tear you into pieces!¡± In the face of death, Trevor threatened Dustin fiercely. He tried to scare Dustin away by invoking his patron. ¡°Are these yourst words?¡± Amused, Dustin frowned and threw him to the ground. ¡°If you have nothing else to say, you can die now.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill me! Please don¡¯t kill me! I have power, influence, and money. No matter what you want, I can give it to you as long as you don¡¯t kill me,¡± Trevor spat blood and copsed to the ground, pleading ferociously, He was terrified, Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Power and influence? Now that you say that, it reminds me of something.¡± Dustin scanned his surroundings and looked at a corner. A man in a bright outfit was standing there. ¡°You must be his henchman, seeing that you are by his side,¡± Afraid, the man nodded his head without answering, ¡°Good. Kill him, and all his assets will belong to you,¡± With that, Dustin kicked the knife next to his feet toward the man, The man looked at the knife. After hesitating for a moment, his eyes became fierce, ¡°No¡­¡± Before Trevor could say anything more, the man had already picked up the knife and stabbed his chest violently. Blood instantly gushed out of Trevor¡¯s body, Trevor¡¯s eyes widened, and he copsed to the ground. Even after he died, he had no idea who he had offended. ¡°S¨CSir, I¡¯ve killed him.¡± ¡°Trevor is pretty influential in East City. Now that he¡¯s dead, do you think you can handle the situation?¡± Dustin asked calmly. Since the man had chosen his path, Dustin wanted to train him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sir. I¡¯m sure I can handle it!¡± the man said confidently. ¡°Oh? You sound confident.¡± Dustin frowned. Slightly surprised, he said, ¡°Let me ask you. What position do you hold in the Drey Group?¡± The man didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he pointed at Trevor, who was lying in at pool of blood. ¡°He¡¯s my father.¡± Chapter 27 ¡°He is my father.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Dustin was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect the two of them to be rted. ¡°I heard Trevor has a son called Edward. Who are you then?¡± ¡°My name is Mason. I¡¯m Trevor¡¯s illegitimate son.¡± The man bowed his head as he exined, ¡°Trevor forced himself on my mother and got her pregnant. In order to save his image, he kept my existence in the dark and made me his foster son instead.¡± ¡°So, you hate him?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Mason gritted his teeth and seethed angrily, ¡°He abandoned my mother and me, leaving us impoverished all those years ago. Now, he¡¯s only using me as a pawn to assist Edward. I can¡¯t let them trample over me again. I must get back what¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Dustin nodded in approval. ¡°Since you¡¯re ambitious, I will help you. If you do as I say, I will not only help you climb thedder but also help you rule over Swinton.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Delighted, Mason immediately knelt on the ground to show his gratitude. As wise as Mason was, he could tell that Dustin was an extraordinary man. After all, thetter had taken down the entire Drey Group all by himself, so his capability was unfathomable. Working by Dustin¡¯s side would no doubt make Mason¡¯s future bright. ¡°You can call me Mr. Rhys. If you need anything next time, feel free to give me a call. All I ask is your loyalty,¡± Dustin reminded. ¡°I swear to be loyal to you until the day I die, Mr. Rhys!¡± Mason nodded, determined. ¡°You know what to do from here, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Whatever happened today is on me. You have no involvement at all,¡± Mason replied shrewdly. ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± Dustin smiled. The pawn he found had some potential. Suddenly, the phone on the table vibrated. Only after getting Dustin¡¯s permission did Mason answer the call. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up? You need 50 million dors? I heard that you guys haven¡¯t repaid the bank loan. You¡¯re going bankrupt soon, yet you¡¯re still asking me for money? Are you trying to use me? Whatever, I don¡¯t have time for your problem. Get lost.¡± After saying that, Mason hung up the phone without hesitation. ¡°What was that about?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This guy named David Nn was asking for a loan. 50 million dors in one go.¡± ¡°David?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°He has a son named Chris, right?¡± ¡°I think so. How did you know?¡± Mason got curious. ¡°Forget it. Go on and tell me more.¡± ¡°Well, I would¡¯ve agreed to lend him the money if it were in the past since that¡¯s the kind of business my company runs. However, I recently learned that Nn Pharmaceuticals has been investigated for selling fake drugs, though the news has yet to be disclosed to the public. How can I possibly lend money to a business on the verge of bankruptcy? What would I do if they ran off with the money?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It looks like you¡¯re experienced in handling a business. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to take over Trevor¡¯s business.¡± Dustin gave a nod of approval. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mr. Rhys,¡± Mason answered respectfully. ¡°Alright. Clean up the mess here. I¡¯m leaving now. We¡¯ll get in touch again if needed.¡± Without wasting time, Dustin changed into a clean set of clothes and left the Drey Group. It was his first time going on a killing spree in ten years. His emotions were stable, almost peaceful. This was a piece of cakepared to what he¡¯d been through a decade ago. ¡°Honk! Honk!¡± Just as Dustin wanted to hail a taxi home, a yellow sports car rushed over at him with the sound of a roaring engine. When it seemed like it was going to run into Dustin, the car firmly skidded to a stop. Then, the car window rolled down and revealed a gorgeous face. It was a girl with a ponytail, appearing to be around 18 years old. She was youthful and beautiful. ¡°Hey, Rhys, get in!¡± She waved at him. ¡°Who are you?¡± Dustin asked,pletely baffled. ¡°Damn, did you forget me already? We met yesterday!¡± The girl huffed annoyingly. In her own opinion, her natural beauty attracted attention wherever she went. Chapter 28 She was the type to make men fall in love with her at first sight. Thus, she was shocked to learn that Dustin had forgotten about her after just one night. Was her presence so insignificant? ¡°Um¡­ you do look familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡± Dustin tried to dig through his memories. ¡°Yesterday, at the hospital. You treated my grandfather. Do you remember now?¡± The girl uttered through gritted teeth. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re Natasha¡¯s sister, Roth. Am I right?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Who the hell are you calling Roth? My name is Ruth! Ruth Harmon!¡± Ruth nearly exploded out of exasperation. She wanted to step on the gas pedal and run Dustin over with her car. All this time, she¡¯d never been treated this way. How insulting! ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Ms. Ruth, are you looking for me for some reason?¡± Dustin quickly changed the topic. ¡°Of course! Why would I be here otherwise?¡± Ruth rolled her eyes and ordered, ¡°Hurry up and get in the car. Natasha has fallen sick and is demanding to see you.¡± ¡°Hmm? What happened to her?¡± ¡°How would I know? You¡¯re the doctor. You should go and find out. Now, get in!¡± Ruth ordered in an unfriendly tone. Helplessly, Dustin got into the car and then left under the jealous gaze of the passersby. After half an hour, the car finally pulled over in front of a luxurious building called Java Joys. The ce boasted arge backyard, which not only had hot springs but also a garden and a swimming pool. Meanwhile, the main entrance was guarded by security 24/7. O ¡°Follow me.¡± Upon getting out of the car, Ruth led the way, and they hurriedly made it to a bedroom. At this moment, inside the private bathroom was Natasha, who was dressed in a business suit while she soaked in a bathtub full of ice cubes. Her face was flushed, her gaze blurry, and her breathing wasbored. As her chest rose and fell, it caused ripples in the water. ¡°Ms. Harmon, what happened to you?¡± Dustin walked over and was stunned the moment he noticed that she wasn¡¯t wearing anything under her suit. While it wasn¡¯t obvious at first, certain parts of her skin became visible when the fabric was slowly soaked with water. Like any other man, Dustin found it hard to resist when a stunning woman like Natasha was in this state. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re here¡­¡± Natasha opened her hazy eyes and spoke with difficulty, ¡°My body feels so hot. I¡¯m so thirsty and in pain¡­ It feels like my chest is on fire. Quick, help me find out what¡¯s wrong¡­¡± As she spoke, she put out her wrist. With an observant look, Dustin was fast to find out the issue. ¡°Ms. Harmon, if I¡¯m not mistaken, it looks like you¡¯ve been drugged. And with a potent aphrodisiac at that.¡± ¡°Bullshit! Who would drug my sister?¡± Ruth scolded. ¡°What do I do now, Mr. Rhys?¡± asked Natasha lethargically. ¡°Although it¡¯s a special case, it can be treated. But we must move you to a bed. It won¡¯t be easy to treat you in this bathtub.¡± Dustin signaled for her to get up. Natasha nodded, struggling to get up. However, as soon as she took a step out of the bathtub, she slipped and copsed into Dustin¡¯s arms. a Subconsciously, Dustin¡¯s reflex kicked in, and his hands shot out to hold her, and they just so happened to touch her chest. Natasha felt as though she had been hit by a bolt of lightning. At that moment, both of them froze in ce. Dustin¡¯s mind was nk, but Natasha¡¯s expression was agitated. Her eyshes fluttered, and her breathing hitched. The fire inside her had only gotten bigger. Without a warning, Natasha parted her lips and raised her head, surging upward to kiss Dustin. ¡°Hey! What are you guys doing in broad daylight? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Ruth, who was at the door, let out a scream at this sight. She covered her face with her hand, but her curious eyes couldn¡¯t help peeking through her fingers, and she watched the two of them kiss intimately. Chapter 29 ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Dustin instantly came to his senses and rushed to push Natasha away. His face was etched with awkwardness. Everything happened so quickly that he hadn¡¯t had time to think. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was my fault. The drug might have been too strong, as I really couldn¡¯t control myself,¡± Natasha replied coyly. While speaking, she cast a re at Ruth, silently cursing her sister for ruining the rare opportunity for her to get a man. ¡°Ruth could¡¯ve just left. Why did she have to scream? I¡¯m cutting her allowance this month!¡± thought Natasha. ¡°Ruth, help your sister to lie on the bed,¡± instructed Dustin. ¡°Hmph! Of course, I will. Did you think you could take advantage of her again?¡± With a roll of her eyes, Ruth went to hold the grumpy Natasha and walked her to the bed. ¡°Ms. Harmon, please remove your shirt and lie on your front,¡± Dustin added. ¡°What? You pervert, what are you trying to do!¡± Ruth¡¯s anger immediately red. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I have to use a needling method to extract the toxins from your sister¡¯s body. Otherwise, she¡¯d get worse over time, to the point where she¡¯d lose control,¡± Dustin patiently exined. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re not trying to scare me, are you?¡± Ruth looked skeptical. ¡°Why would I lie to you about this?¡± Dustin was in disbelief. ¡°Fine. I will trust you for once. But you have to look away. Don¡¯t peek!¡± warned Ruth. ¡°Okay.¡± Without saying much, Dustin turned around. ¡°Natasha put on your bra. You can¡¯t let him do anything to you,¡± Ruth said as she handed Natasha her bra. ¡°Ah¡­ How considerate of you, Ruth.¡± Natasha¡¯s voice sounded strained. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Come, let me help you.¡± Smugly, Ruth quickly helped Natasha. Then, thetter gave her a look and said, ¡°I think you can head out now. Don¡¯t disturb Mr. Rhys from treating me.¡± ¡°No way! What if he tries toy his hands on you? I must watch him closely!¡± Ruth rejected her instantly. Natasha¡¯s eye twitched, feeling helpless with her upright sister. Why was the girl so dense? She had to teach her a lessonter, ¡°Hey, Rhys, you can look now.¡± After getting Ruth¡¯s permission, Dustin turned around atst. Natasha was lying obediently on her front, her smooth and fair back exposed. Her ass, waist, and neck nearly formed a line of perfect curves. At first nce, she looked like an exquisite piece of artwork. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get to work!¡± Ruth yelled from the side, staring at him firmly. Dustin regained hisposure and took out his needles, sitting by the bedside to start treating Natasha. Even though the aphrodisiac was potent, it wasn¡¯t difficult to treat once it was discovered. The only problem was that Natasha¡¯s body was too alluring. Added to her charmingly flustered expression, his heart couldn¡¯t help skipping a beat. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Fortunately, Dustin possessed excellent concentration. He only focused on the important parts to resist her allure. Around 15 minutester, Dustin breathed a long sigh and removed the needles from Natasha¡¯s back. ¡°Ms. Harmon, your body is free of toxins now. You can flush out the remaining drugs by drinking more water.¡± ¡°Thank you for your help, Mr. Rhys.¡± Natasha smiled shyly. On her wless face was a lingering seductiveness. It was like sweet wine¨Cso intoxicating. ¡°Natasha, hurry up and put on your shirt!¡± Ruth immediately wrapped her sister up tightly, fearing that she would be taken advantage of. ¡°Ms. Harmon, the aphrodisiac you¡¯re drugged with is very simr to the one your grandfather was poisoned with. Based on my judgment, it must have been the same culprit,¡± Dustin suddenly said. ¡°No wonder I felt something amiss.¡± Natasha nodded thoughtfully. ¡°It can¡¯t go on like this. To avoid simr incidents like this, we must find out the person behind this as soon as possible,¡± Dustin advised. Chapter 30 ¡°Do you have a n in mind, Mr. Rhys?¡± Natasha asked. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I need to get a clear understanding of the situation first. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I ask you some questions.¡± Dustin cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°Where did you go today, and did you meet anyone there?¡± ¡°I met Edwin today. We talked about work, and he asked about us being in a partnership, but I rejected his offer,¡± Natasha answered truthfully. ¡°I see. Did you drink anything he offered you?¡± ¡°Of course not. That man has been eyeing my family business for ages. I¡¯d never let my guard down around him.¡± ¡°Then it really is strange how you got drugged, sis,¡± Ruth piped up. ¡°Truly.¡± Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°When you two met, did you smell or touch anything in particr?¡± Dustin then asked. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± Something suddenly dawned on Natasha. ¡°When I stepped into the ce, I did smell something particr. I didn¡¯t pay much attention because I thought it was just perfume. But then, after a while, I started feeling dizzy. My body felt oddly warm too. Good thing I left soon after that. Who knows what could¡¯ve happened if I had stayed longer?¡± ¡°It seems like that fragrance really is the problem,¡± Dustin concluded. ¡°What¡¯s next, Mr. Rhys?¡± ¡°There was ambergris residue found on your skin earlier. It must¡¯ve been the main ingredient in the fragrance that was used to drug you.¡± a ¡°So what? We still need to track down the person who made that drug,¡± Ruth huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Ambergris is a rare substance, so our target pool is quite limited. We can look at recent buyers and narrow down our search from there,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°Good n. I¡¯ll have someone get to it right away!¡± Natasha agreed. With her family¡¯s influence, this sort of thing could be settled in a jiffy. ¡°I trust my work here is done, Ms. Harmon. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Dustin made a move to stand up. ¡°One more thing!¡± Natasha suddenly stopped him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us for dinner?¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡­ already have ns tonight.¡± Natasha gave him a curious look. ¡°It can¡¯t be with your ex¨Cwife, can it, Mr. Rhys? Don¡¯t you find me attractive? Hm?¡± With that, she arched her body to show off her curves. Dustin froze up. ¡°U¨Cuh¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you,¡± Natasha giggled, ¡°I won¡¯t make you cancel your ns. But before you go, here is a token of my appreciation.¡± She made a quick gesture, and a servant came over with an elegant¨Clooking box. ¡°I hope you can make good use of these wines, Mr. Rhys. I¡¯ve had them in store for quite some time.¡± Natasha beamed, handing him the box. ¡°You have my thanks, Ms. Harmon.¡± Dustin dly epted it. He deserved somepensation for work done, and a gift from Natasha Harmon herself wouldn¡¯t be just some lousy trinket. ¡°See Mr. Rhys out, Ruth,¡± Natasha called. ¡°Okay,¡± Ruth¡¯s tone was tinged with reluctance, but she still brought Dustin out to his Lamborghini, Suddenly, his phone rang. It was a phone call from Henry Nicholson, Dahlia¡¯s grandfather, ¡°Hey Dustin, are you up for lunch today?¡± ¡°Thank you, but I already have ns today, sir.¡± ¡°You still need to eat, don¡¯t you? Dahlia should¡¯ve cut you some ck. I¡¯ll make sure to tell her about this!¡± The old man grunted. ¡°It¡¯s just some personal business, sir, nothing to do with Ms. Nicholson.¡± ¡°Alright, enough defending her. I know how you are, and I¡¯m sure this is because of her. Don¡¯t you worry; I¡¯ll make sure to confront her about this. We¡¯re family, and family needs to spend time together.¡± 9 ¡°Uh¡­ sure, I guess,¡± Dustin reluctantly agreed. In the three years after marrying into this family, only this old man treated Dustin as his own. That was why he respected and cared for him deeply. But they wouldn¡¯t see each other for a long time after that. So let this meal be the final goodbye for both of them¡­ Chapter 31 Dustin drove over to the Nicholsons¡® home at noon. The vi was in a secluded neighborhood, with flowers and hedges decorating the front yard. Dahlia was right outside. Dustin tried to avoid her but was still spotted. ¡°Stop right there! I need to talk to you!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dustin asked. Their backs were to each other as they spoke. ¡°I haven¡¯t told Granddad about our divorce because of his condition.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Do you think we can keep him from finding out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a chance to tell him after, just not today.¡± ¡°Alright. Anything else?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Dahlia turned and went inside the house without another word. They never once looked at each other, acting likeplete strangers. Dustin took a deep breath and went in as well, wine in hand. The living room was filled with people, including most of the Nicholsons. Only John, Dahlia¡¯s father, was absent, still outside on his trip. Yet someone was sitting in his usual seat this time, an outsider too¨CChris Nn. ¡°How rude to have us elders wait on him like this,¡± Florence jeered, her expression mean. ¡°Shh, Mom. He might get upset and hurt you!¡± James chirped loudly. He hadn¡¯t let go of what had happened yesterday. The bruises were still visible on his face. ¡°Alright, now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s have dinner.¡± Henry Nicholson announced, beaming at Dustin. ¡°Come and sit beside me, kid.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin smiled in return and helped the old man to his seat. James scowled, his eyes burning with jealousy. ¡°Kiss¨Cass!¡± He had never understood why his grandfather doted on Dustin. James was the old man¡¯s grandson by blood! ¡°Come, let us all drink!¡± Henry toasted. ¡°Granddad, look at this.¡± James pulled up a decorated box of wine. ¡°Chris brought this beautiful wine over, a fine Grand Cru from La Romanee Conti. We should all toast with this!¡± ¡°La Romanee Conti? That¡¯s a really expensive vintner, no?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It was 100 thousand dors a bottle!¡± Chris boasted. ¡°What? 100 thousand dors a bottle?!¡± everyone eximed in shock. The sky¨Chigh price had been way beyond their expectations. The Harmons were pretty well¨Coff, but even they hadn¡¯t had a chance to try something this expensive. ¡°Why¡¯d you spend all that money on this, Chris? It¡¯s too much, no?¡± Florence questioned, though prideced her tone. After all, Chris was her first choice for a son¨Cin w. ¡°100 something thousand isn¡¯t much. I have another barrel of this at home, so please, you all enjoy,¡± Chris grinned like a cat that ate the canary. The pride was evident on his face, however. ¡°Mr. Nn, you¡¯re really generous.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re really in for a treat tonight!¡± The family began praising Chris for his wine, feeding his ego further. ¡°Hey, boy, look at how sincere James is. His wine costs 100 thousand dors. But what about yours, hm? You bought them from the dor store, didn¡¯t you? Cheapskate!¡± Florence sneered and even kicked James in the calf. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a look?¡± James proposed with a conspiring smile. He swiftly opened Dustin¡¯s box of wine. Chapter 32 The wines were quickly unboxed for everyone¡¯s viewing pleasure. ¡°Teh, and here I thought they were decent quality. Looks like these are just craft brews, worth no more than two thousand dors, I bet.¡± James had a look of disdain on his face. ¡°How could thesepare to Grand Crus?¡± ¡°Craft brews have long lost their value on the market. We don¡¯t even give our servants. these!¡± someone eximed, Craft brews weren¡¯t actually that terrible in terms of quality, but they were nothingpared to Grand Crus. ¡°What a cheapskate!¡± Florence scoffed, ¡°How are craft brews cheap when they¡¯ve been on the rise in the country? Is your taste. in fine wine only limited to those brewed overseas?¡± Dustin casually responded. ¡°How is it not cheap when they cost only a couple thousand? Chris¡® wines cost more than 100 thousand dors.¡± James rolled his eyes. ¡°Wines don¡¯t have to be expensive to be good. Plus, you don¡¯t know how much exactly my wines cost.¡± ¡°Are you still trying to make aeback?¡± James sneered. Florence scowled. ¡°Hmph! So damn stubborn, that one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste any more of my time trying to exin to people who won¡¯t listen to reason,¡± Dustin said. He really didn¡¯t want to waste his breath any longer. ¡°That¡¯s enough. What matters most is the vor, not the cost. I prefer whites over reds. anyway.¡± Henry finally interrupted, popped open one of the craft brews, and poured himself a ss. ¡°Wait, why is it so yellow? Shouldn¡¯t craft brews be pale white?¡± ¡°It¡¯s murky too! It isn¡¯t fake, is it?¡± ¡°My goodness, bringing fake wine to dinner! What kind of person would do that?¡± The people started whispering to each other upon seeing the yellow liquid in the old man¡¯s ss. ¡°Now you¡¯ve really done it! How dare you mock us all with this sham of a gift?!¡± Florence cried, mming the table with one hand. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What if something happens to us after drinking it?!¡± ¡°I never expected him to be so evil! Is he trying to poison us all or what?¡± Amotion broke out at the table in an instant. Cheap wine was already embarrassing enough, but fake wine? That was a conspiracy waiting to happen! Not even the old man knew how to calm the situation down now. He never drank much craft brews, but even he knew it was supposed to be a pale, nearly transparent color. Yet the wine Dustin had brought was not only yellow; it even seemed opaque. It didn¡¯t look like anything good. ¡°This is how fine¨Caged craft brews usually turn out to look like,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Bullshit!¡± James cried. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re idiots? No wine looks like this! It¡¯s piss, that¡¯s all it is!¡± ¡°Yeah! Why do you continue to lie through your teeth?¡± Florence huffed. Chris shook his head with faux empathy. ¡°Oh, Dustin. You should¡¯ve told me if you couldn¡¯t bring anything to the table. I could¡¯ve given you a bottle or two for show. Why would you want to drag us down like this?¡± His words seemed kind, but in truth, he was leaping for joy internally. Dustin truly was no match for him. His victory over this family nearly felt effortless. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you trust me or not. All I can say is this wine is genuine and as good as theye,¡± Dustin reaffirmed. ¡°Whoa, what a crowd!¡± Suddenly, a man appeared in the doorway, still dressed in his business suit, holding several gifts. ¡°Dad? You¡¯re back from your trip already?¡± James gasped. It was John Nicholson, Dahlia¡¯s father. ¡°Well, the deal was a sess, so I came home carly.¡± John smiled. The wines on the table caught his attention. ¡°Oh, is that La Romanee? It¡¯s a recent brew I think, but it must cost at least 100 thousand dors a bottle, am I right?¡± ¡°Good on you, Dad! You¡¯re right!¡± James beamed. ¡°Dear, Chris brought this over for dinner. Isn¡¯t he sweet?¡± Florence spoke up, then she turned to re at Dustin. ¡°Unlike some people who tried to poison all of us with fake wine!¡± ¡°Fake wine?¡± John eximed. ¡°Yeah, look!¡± James showed his father the ss of yellow liquid. ¡°Dustin brought this over for dinner. If we hadn¡¯t noticed in time, God knows what would¡¯ve happened to us if we drank it.¡± John took a close whiff of the wine, then tossed the entire ss down in one go. ¡°Dad, what are you doing? Don¡¯t drink that! You¡¯ll kill yourself!¡± James yelled. Yet John seemed to be reveling in the taste of the wine. ¡°A smooth, creamy body, followed by a heady finish, this isn¡¯t fake. This is a priceless aged craft brew!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Everyone gasped. Chapter 33 ¡°You must be kidding, right, Dad? This can¡¯t be aged wine!¡± James¡® eyes were wide as dinner tes. ¡°Look at how yellowish it looks, though. It must be fake!¡± Florence used. ¡°You guys must not have seen brews like this before. Aged craft brews get this color, and it only darkens the longer it¡¯s been aging. Every wine connoisseur knows this.¡± The looks on everyone¡¯s faces quickly changed. Their usations had just been dampened significantly, not by just anyone but by John Nicholson himself, a well- known wine enthusiast. His judgment couldn¡¯t be wrong. ¡°I was blessed to be able to try such a fine wine years ago with a government official, but this brew right here must be finer than the one I had that body and finish tell me it must¡¯ve been aged for at least 50 years!¡± John smacked his lips, still enjoying the brew¡¯s aftertaste. ? ¡°How much would it cost on the market?¡± James asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s priceless. You couldn¡¯t find a willing seller even if you offered a city¡¯s worth. But if we judge based on recent wine auction values, it should cost at least two million dors,¡± ¡°Two million?!¡± Everyone gasped. They¡¯ve never even heard of wine that costs this much! Chris¡® Grand Cru was nothingpared to that! ¡°N¨Cno way!¡± Florence refused to believe it. ¡°Are you sure about this, John? How could Dustin be able to afford this?¡± ¡°Yeah! He can¡¯t even afford a nice pair of pants, not to mention something this expensive!¡± James cried. His argument brought forth the table¡¯s resounding agreement. ¡°He has a point. How could that vagrant have that much money?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ where did you get this brew, Dustin?¡± John asked gently. ¡°A friend gave it to me,¡± he answered truthfully. ¡°Gave it to you?¡± Florence scowled. ¡°How could someone like you have friends rich enough to buy a drink like that? Even if they did, why would they give it to you in the first ce? I bet you stole it from them!¡® ¡°Yeah, he must¡¯ve stolen it!¡± James nodded vigorously, finding a new usation to p Dustin with. He refused to believe Dustin could afford this sort of quality wine, whether or not it was given to him by a friend. ¡°Why did you have to steal this of all things, Dustin? Do you know how Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. many years you¡¯ll have to spend in prison for theft?¡± Chris huffed, appearing to be considerate. How could that pauper have gotten a hold of something not even he could. ¡°Whether you believe me or not doesn¡¯t matter to me. I didn¡¯t steal it, and that¡¯s enough for me,¡± Dustin droned. First, they called his wine cheap. Then, after revealing it wasn¡¯t, they find another usation of him having stolen it. Next, they would just say he ckmailed Natasha into giving it to him. That¡¯s why there was no use exining to them further. ¡°Hah, see? Where¡¯s your excuse now? I knew you stole this!¡± Florence screeched. ¡°You thief! I can¡¯t believe you stole this just to look good in front of us!¡± James gasped, ying along. ¡°Whatever. I got this wine for Granddad and Granddad only, so you guys don¡¯t have to drink any if you don¡¯t want to!¡± Dustin rolled his eyes. He had had enough of this crap. ¡°Enough, all of you! I trust Dustin with my whole heart, and I know he didn¡¯t steal this wine, so stop it!¡± Henry finally ground out. ¡°But Granddad¡­ ¡°Be quiet! Eat your food!¡± the old man ordered once again. Only then did everyone shut up. Even Florence and James, who still didn¡¯t believe he could havewfully gotten his hands on the craft brew. Dinner finally began. Even though everyone had their turn at smearing Dustin¡¯s name, they still dly took their share of the craft brew. Even those who didn¡¯t drink alcohol tried a few sips. After all, this brew cost over two million dors on the market, a precious delicacy they had never had the luck to try before. Why pass on the opportunity? Dustin could only snort at how stubborn this family of people was. Dinner soon came to an end. Chapter 34 Chris rapped on the table, calling for everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Everyone, I would like to share some good news with you all. Nn Pharmaceuticals. has been looking to increase its share pool, so we are currently weing new investors. Is anyone here interested?¡± ¡°New investors?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was immediately captured. Nn Pharmaceuticals was an industry¨Cleading corporation with very limited shares avable. That was why Chris¡® announcement came as a shock to everyone at the table. ¡°Hasn¡¯t thepany been doing alright, Mr. Nn? Why the sudden invitation?¡± Dahlia asked curiously. ¡°Of course, it has been. We¡¯ve just been nning to list ourpany publicly, that¡¯s why. As everyone knows, ourpany is not short on talent or the capability to oveepetition. This share listing is just so we have some funds to give our employees a good bonus this season.¡± Chris smiled. ¡°We haven¡¯t officially announced this to the public yet, and the spots are limited. If anyone here is interested, we can save some spots for you. That sure got everyone on board. Nn Pharmaceuticals could easily bag them all hefty profits! ¡°Count me in, Mr. Nn. I have five million to spare!¡± James called out eagerly. ¡°Eight million on me!¡± Florence followed. Chris beamed. ¡°Alright, two spots for you guys. ¡°Hey, I want a share too! You¡¯ve got yourself another three million!¡± ¡°Five¡­ five million for me¨Cthat¡¯s all my life savings!¡± The family started shouting over each other, worried they wouldn¡¯t be able to get at share. It was a perfect example of herd mentality. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What about you, Dahlia? How many shares would you like to get?¡± Chris turned to Dahlia. ¡°I can give you extra from the pot, given our rtionship.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Dahlia gave it some thought. She had learned a lot on her way up to where she was today. Naturally, she knew not to make decisions based on personal sentiment. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me, Dahlia? I¡¯m offering you a share because you¡¯re important to me. You can say no if you want to¨Cthere are loads of other people waiting to get their share.¡± Chris huffed lightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ll be joining as a shareholder in apany with the Harmons very soon, so I¡¯m being extra careful with how I¡¯m spending my funds, just in case,¡± she exined. ¡°How much do you have in hand right now?¡± Chris asked. ¡°Not much. So million tops.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough! To be frank with you, you don¡¯t need that much to work with the Harmons. Why don¡¯t you consider investing in mypany instead? We pay out really solid dividends each year.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, Dahlia. This is a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime opportunity!¡± Florence cried. ¡°What are you waiting for, sis? You can trust Mr. Nn. He¡¯s already helped you out so many times!¡± James added. ¡°If you believe in me, Dahlia, then invest in mypany. But if you don¡¯t, it¡¯s fine too,¡± Chris finally relented. ¡°L¡­ Alright then.¡± After some hesitation, Dahlia finally nodded. She was only doing this to pay back the favor she owed Chris, and he had insisted so much that it would be disrespectful to reject his offer. This investment wasn¡¯t a bad idea either. Just like that, Dahlia¡¯s So million dors were all promised to Nn Pharmaceuticals. ¡°What about you, Dustin? Wanna buy a share?¡± Chris suddenly asked with a smirk he didn¡¯t bother hiding. ¡°Oh, and by the way, one million is the minimum investment amount. You can have at go at earning big if you have that much as a starter.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± ¡°Heh, I see¡­ Are you not interested? Or¡­ don¡¯t you have that much to spare? How about this: For Dahlia¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll let you have a ten¨Cmillion share if you can fork out a hundred thousand dors at least.¡± Chris grinned. Dustin replied nonchntly, ¡°No, thank you. I have no interest in apany that¡¯s on the verge of packing it up.¡± That brought Chris¡® mood to a shocked standstill. Chapter 35 ¡°What did you say?¡± Chris froze, thinking he had misheard him. ¡°I said I¡¯m not interested in a business that¡¯s about to go bankrupt,¡± Dustin repeated. ¡°Bankrupt?¡± Everyone was too stunned to react to his words. ¡°How dare you! That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Chris was shocked, but he quickly denied it. ¡°Nn Pharmaceuticals is raking in profits. every day and is at its prime. How could we go bankrupt? Stop fear¨Cmongering!¡± ¡°Only you know whether this is fear¨Cmongering or not. Anyways, I¡¯ve received news that Nn Pharmaceuticals will be investigated due to the sale of counterfeit illicit drugs. It¡¯s just a matter of time before they go bankrupt.¡± Dustin¡¯s words were very shocking. ¡°Counterfeit drugs? Investigated?¡± Now, everyone was even more puzzled. Their gaze turned to Chris. ¡°Nonsense! All of it is nonsense!¡± ¡°Dustin, stop spreading these rumors. Nn Pharmaceuticals is aw¨Cabiding.pany. How could it go under investigation? I can sue you for defamation!¡± Chris threatened. His words may appear firm, but he was in turmoil on the inside. Nn Pharmaceuticals was indeed under investigation and would go bankrupt soon. He intended to list thepany as a publicly traded company to raise capital so he could run off with a fortune. However, the news had been suppressed. How did Dustin know without it being leaked? ¡°Dustin, what nonsense are you spewing? How can apany as sessful as Nn. Pharmaceuticals go bankrupt?¡± Florence reprimanded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone knows that Nn Pharmaceuticals has good assets and is at the peak of sess. Stop spreading lies!¡± James also piped in. It was obvious they doubted him. After all, the Nn family had a long history in Swinton. They also maintained a good reputation, so it did not seem possible to have issues. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Nn Pharmaceuticals is about to go under, and the so¨Ccalled ¡®capital increase and share expansion¡® is nothing than a money¨Cgrabbing scam.¡± Chris even contacted Mason to borrow money. The investigation of thepany and its bankruptcy were obviously true. ¡°Bullshit! I just wanted to do everyone a favor because we¡¯re close. It¡¯s fine if you choose not to ept my offer, but how dare you nder me? What intentions do you have?¡± Chris cried out. ¡°Mr. Rhys, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not able to help us. But why cause trouble when Chris just wants to help us? You¡¯re really devious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This fellow must be ndering Chris because he¡¯s jealous!¡± ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re so despicable!¡± Everyone started to chime in, one after another. Dustin was poor, while Chris had power and money. Between the two, they were more inclined to believe Chris. Dustin couldn¡¯t help but frown as he watched themotion. He did not expect his kind intentions to be returned with such a negative reaction. This proved that no one would believe a man without money or power. 1 ¡°Dustin, do you have proof that Nn Pharmaceuticals is going bankrupt?¡± Dahlia suddenly asked. She had invested eight million worth of funds. Naturally, she had to be cautio ¡°I don¡¯t have evidence. But what I said was the truth. You can check if you don¡¯t believe me. You should be able to trace the information,¡± Dustin replied coldly. Dahlia¡¯s expression darkened at his words. Did this mean he was just making it up? She even had high expectations for him. It turned out he was just making false usations. This must be the result of his jealousy turning into hatred. ¡°Everyone, since Dustin imed I¡¯m a swindler, just forget the matter about the shares, lest I rip off everyone.¡± Seeing that the timing was right, Chris deliberately put on an act as if he had been wronged.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 36 Chris¡® words made everyone nervous. How could they let this opportunity to make a fortune slip away so easily? ¡°Chris, ignore this fellow. He¡¯s obviously jealous of you. But we¡¯re not, we all believe you!¡± Florence immediately took a stand. ¡°That¡¯s right! Chris, you promised us about the stocks. You can¡¯t just forget about it.¡± Everyone agreed right away. As they spoke, they turned and red at Dustin. ¡°Dustin Rhys, don¡¯t stop us from making a fortune! Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off so easily!¡± ¡°Yeah! Get lost if you wish to continue on with this nonsense!¡± The crowd chattered and chimed in one after another. From their perspective, Dustin was ndering Chris and preventing them from making money. He had such malicious intentions! ¡°Do all of you really trust Chris? Hasn¡¯t anyone ever doubted if he was lying?¡± Dustin asked with a frown. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! We¡¯ll do what we want!¡± James red at him. ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if we were cheated, it would be on our own terms! It has nothing to do with you! You¡¯re really such a busybody!¡± Florence looked at him with disgust. Dustin smirked at these words. He appeared to be making a fool of himself or being disdainful. ¡°Since you all love to give away your money. Forget I ever said anything.¡± He shook his head. It was hard to advise these stiff¨Cnecked people. These people were so blinded by money that they had no hope. He would just be embarrassing himself if he tried to warn them any further. He even looked forward to their reactions after finding out they had been scammed. ¡°If you have nothing nice to say, you should shut up! You¡¯re such a letdown!¡± Florence spat out. She would have gotten rid of him if not for Henry¡¯s sake. ¡°Alright, this is just a misunderstanding. Dustin must¡¯ve been misled by some news.¡± Henry tried to smooth things over. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s all just a misunderstanding.¡± John smiled and tried to change the topic. ¡°Oh, Dahlia, you were saying you¡¯re starting apany with the Harmon family. How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve be partners with the Harmon family and signed the contract. Our newpany will be officiallyunched in two days. We¡¯ll be having an opening ceremony at that time. Feel free to join if you have the time,¡± Dahlia offered with a smile. It was her goal to work with the Harmon family. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s awesome. I¡¯ll be sure to attend!¡± John answered happily. ¡°Dahlia, I didn¡¯t expect you to partner with the Harmon family. We¡¯ll be able to gain a stronger foothold in Swinton in the future.¡± Henry was very relieved. ¡°Chris helped out a lot in this matter. If he hadn¡¯t pulled some strings, we would never even be eligible to partner with the Harmon family.¡± Dahlia spoke as she turned to face Henry. ¡°Dad, not only that, today when Trevor tried to cause Dahlia trouble, Chris called for Mr. Anderson, who helped her out of the situation!¡± James added. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll have to thank you, Chris!¡± James raised his ss and gave Chris a toast. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just helping out.¡± Chris raised his ss in response. ¡°You must be very influential to be able to ask for Mr. Anderson. But some people who don¡¯t know any better even tried to use the Nn family of going bankrupt. What a joke?¡± Jamesmented in a condescending tone. Dustin sipped his wine quietly, acting as if he did not hear a thing. Although he knew the truth, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to reveal it, because they wouldn¡¯t believe him. The truth would prevail when the Nn family went bankrupt. As they continued to drink, the atmosphere at the table loosened up more. Compared to Dustin, who had been left out, Chris was the center of attention. They surrounded him and greeted him warmly,ughing heartily. However, no one in the Nicholson family realized they were sinking into a mire of their own making. The following morning at the Hummer Vi. As the richest man in Swinton, Edwin was drinking tea leisurely with an old man. ¡°Mr. Lawson, it¡¯s too bad that thedy was so cautious and left before the drug could take effect. Otherwise, I will definitely have subdued her!¡± Edwinmented. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Hummer. She doesn¡¯t have the antidote for the drug I gave her. She will definitely come begging if she doesn¡¯t want to die. You can have your way with her then,¡± Fletcher joked. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s perfect!¡± Edwin¡¯s eyes lit up. He had been longing for a thorny rose like Natasha for a long time. The thought of toying with such an exquisite woman in bed made his heart race. ¡°Sir Hummer¡­¡± Suddenly, a bodyguard came and whispered something in Edwin¡¯s ear. ¡°What? Trevor is dead?¡± Edwin¡¯s face darkened and he demanded, ¡°Who did it? Who dared touch my men? Trevor was his right¨Chand man and did his dirty deeds. His sudden death was quite a loss to Edwin. ¡°It was rumored to be his adopted son, Mason. That man was in a hurry to take over hist position, so he killed Trevor.¡± ¡°Mason?¡± Edwin narrowed his eyes, and thought, ¡°That bastard is so cruel. He wouldn¡¯t even. spare his adoptive father?¡± ¡°Mr. Hummer, I think there¡¯s something fishy about this matter.¡± Fetcher had a suspicion. ¡°Huh? Did you think of something?¡± Edwin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Trevor called me yesterday, asking me to get rid of someone rted to Hunter Anderson. I nned to ask him about it today, I didn¡¯t expect him to pass so soon. Fetcher stroked his beard. ¡°So you think that person killed Trevor?¡± Edwin quickly understood what he was implying. ¡°That¡¯s possible!¡± Fletcher nodded. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°If that person is rted to Hunter, this matter is not as simple as it seems.¡± Edwin rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He had devoted all of his attention to the Harmon family, so if he were to provoke Hunter and both families joined forces, even he would be in deep trouble. ¡°Sir Hummer, I have an idea if you¡¯re afraid of causing trouble.¡± ¡°Please, go on.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Trevor have an older brother, Travis? I heard he is serving in a warzone in the west. Besides, he is also a lieutenant whomands thousands of men. We could just inform him of the news of Trevor¡¯s death, and let him do the rest. Then, we can sit back and watch the show!¡± Fletcher smiled sinisterly. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Edwin¡¯s eyes lit up make use of him! ¡°With a reckless man like Travis leading the way, I can definitely At the same time, in the office of the Jackson Group. Just as Dahlia took a seat, Lyra knocked on her door and entered. ¡°Ms. Nicholson! Something bad has happened!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dahlia felt her chest tighten. ¡°I heard there was a massacre at the Drey Group and Trevor was murdered!¡± Lyra¡¯s words shocked her. ¡°What? Travis was murdered?¡± Dahlia was dumbfounded. He was Sir Spanner! The King of the Underground in East City, who did business with bothwful and uwful people. How could he just die? Besides, they had just seen each other yesterday. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure of the details, but news on this has been released.¡± At this point, Lyra asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Ms. Nicolson, do you think this has anything to do with Dustin?¡± ¡°Dustin?¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Dahlia pursed her lips and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Even if he fights well, he doesn¡¯t have the guts to kill someone. ¡°That might not be the case.¡± Lyra shook her head and added mysteriously, ¡°As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Trevor would definitely not let the issue of his son bing crippled slide. Dustin might risk everything in order to protect himself!¡± Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but frown at these words. That could indeed be the case. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that he died. At least we don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore. In that case, Dustin might have done a good deed.¡± Lyra smiled. 1 ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple,¡± Dahlia stated solemnly. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Trevor could act so lawlessly. He has someone very influential supporting him. This man is our greatest worry!¡± ¡°Someone supporting him? Who is it?¡± Lyra asked curiously Chapter 38 ¡°Edwin Hummer, the richest man in Swinton!¡± Dahlia answered. ¡°What? Sir Hummer?¡± Lyra¡¯s eyes widened in shock as if she had seen a ghost. Everyone knew that anything Sir Hummer said was obeyed without question in Swinton. Trevor was big in East City, but Sir Hummer was the true master of Swinton. He was so powerful that he could just demand anything with the snap of his fingers. He was also very influential in business, politics, and the military. Anyone who wronged Sir Hummer would face a fate worse than death. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, don¡¯t tell me this matter really involves Sir Hummer?¡± Lyra gulped. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Trevor was one of Sir Hummer¡¯s men. Now that he was suddenly killed, Sir Hummer will definitely investigate this matter. It would be troublesome if Dustin was involved.¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Even if that were the case, it would be Dustin¡¯s fault. It has nothing to do with us, right?¡± Lyra asked tentatively. ¡°This depends on how Sir Hummer sees this matter. If he thinks this has something to do with us, neither of us would be spared!¡± Dahlia added. ¡°What!¡± Lyra panicked immediately. She could still remain calm when facing Trevor. However, her legs trembled even thinking about Edwin Hummer. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, why don¡¯t we ask Chris Nn for help? Ask him to have Mr. Anderson intervene.¡± Lyra reacted quickly. ¡°I owe Chris too many favors. I don¡¯t want to trouble him further.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°Then what should we do? If Sir Hummer pursues this matter, aren¡¯t we all in trouble?¡± Lyra cried. ¡°Don¡¯t be flustered. I¡¯m now partnered with the Harmon family. As long as we have their protection after thepany¡¯sunch tomorrow, Sir Hummer won¡¯t be too harsh. on us,¡± she exined. ¡°That¡¯s right! We still have the Harmon family!¡± Lyra revealed a smile. ¡°As long as the ceremony goes smoothly, we¡¯ll be under the Harmon family after the announcement. Nobody would dare bully us!¡± Now all their hope depended on the Harmon family. In the evening, outside the gates of Spanner Manor. Countless military vehicles roared. The car in front carried a g with the words Western War Zone.¡± ¦£¦© As the vehicle stopped, rows of heavily armed soldiers stepped down, one after another. There was a murderous aura surrounding the area. ¡°Sir, we have arrived!¡± Amander walked up to the car and saluted. The door quickly opened, and a burly middle¨Caged man in battle armor stepped out. This man was the lieutenant of the western war zone, Travis Spanner. ¡°Uncle Travis! You¡¯re finally here!¡± At this moment, the doors of the manor opened slowly. Edward was being supported by two men as he limped out. ¡°Let me see the body,¡± Travis demanded. Edward did not dare say anything else and immediately led the way. There was a coffin right at the entrance to the living room. Trevor was lying inside, hist eyes tightly closed. ¡°What on earth happened? Why did your father die so suddenly?¡± Travis gritted his teeth, a look of rage on his face. He only had one brother. Naturally, he was furious that he had been murdered. ¡°It¡® was Mason! That ungrateful brat killed Dad!¡± Edward began to whine. ¡°Mason? He¡¯s nothing but a bastard. He wouldn¡¯t have the guts.¡± Travis narrowed his eyes. course, not hirm alone. I guess he worked with someone on the outside who wanted to take advantage of this at the same time!¡± Edward¡¯s face was clouded with hatred. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Did your dad make enemies with anyone recently?¡± Travis asked. ¡°Uh¡­ Dad easily offends people, but they¡¯re all insignificant people,¡± Edward exined. ¡°So you don¡¯t know anything after all?¡± Travis frowned. ¡°It all happened too suddenly. I was at a loss for a while.¡± ¡°Useless! You¡¯re no better than a bastard!¡± Travis snorted coldly, not bothering to say another word, and gave an order. ¡°Someone investigate this matter at once! I don¡¯t care what it takes. Find me the murderer, even if you have to turn the entire Swinton upside down!¡± Chapter 39 Before the matter of Trevor¡¯s death coulde to a rest, there was a surprising announcement the next day. The Harmon family had decided on a partner, and today would be the opening ceremony of the newpany. Once the news was released, everyone came forward to offer their congrattions. At 8.00 am, luxurious cars were already gathered at the entrance of the Emerald Building. However, Natasha, one of the important attendees, was not present. Instead, she was drinking coffee leisurely at some coffee shop. ¡°Over here, Mr. Rhys.¡± As soon as she saw Dustin enter, she jumped to her feet and waved. ¡°Isn¡¯t today the opening ceremony of your newpany? Why did you want to meet here?¡± Dustin sat across from her.Natasha was wearing a white blouse and a skirt today. Her dark hair was tied in a bun, making her look even more mature. Her top wrapped tightly around her chest, looking as if it were about to pop. ¡°It¡¯s only the opening ceremony. A date with you is much more important.¡± Natasha blinked her eyes teasingly. Her fiery red lips were so alluring. ¡°Ms. Harmon, stop joking. Let¡¯s talk business.¡± Dustin was starting to be flustered. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± She smiled and asked, ¡°Mr. Rhys, does Trevor¡¯s death have anything to do with you?¡± ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Dustin raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. Although Trevor is a reckless bastard, he has many men. It¡¯s not easy to kill him. I thought for some time, and it seemed only you, Mr. Rhys, had the ability to do so.¡± Natasha was deep in thought. ¡°Haha! Ms. Harmon, you think too highly of me.¡± Dustinughed without giving a straight answer. ¡°Trevor¡¯s death is nothing. It wouldn¡¯t affect the situation in Swinton. But the problem is the men behind him,¡± Natasha continued. ¡°Are you talking about Edwin Hummer?¡± ¡°He is one of them. But he won¡¯t do anything disadvantageous to himself because of Trevor. He¡¯s easier to deal with. ¡°Do you mean Trevor has other patrons?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He has a brother, Travis. He¡¯s a lieutenant with great power. He can¡¯t be underestimated!¡± Natasha spoke in a grave tone. Even the Harmon family did not want to go against people involved in the military. This was also why she did not immediately retaliate when Trevor had kidnapped her. ¡°Thanks for the warning, Ms. Harmon. I¡¯ll take note of this.¡°Dust in nodded, his heart filled with gratitude. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s also another thing.¡± Natasha changed the topic, continuing by saying, ¡± Regarding the ambergris, I already have the results. ording to the investigation, the one who drugged me is known as Mr. Lawson.¡± ¡°Mr. Lawson? What¡¯s his background?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°This man is the same as Trevor. He¡¯s Edwin¡¯s right¨Chand man. However, his identity is a mystery. He has been living behind the scenes, giving advice, and carrying out. shady activities.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I want to cut off Edwin¡¯s limbs and teach him a lesson! But¡­ my men are not able to deal with such people, so I have to ask for your help,¡± Natasha gently implored. ¡°Lure him out and create an opportunity for me to deal with him,¡± Dustin answered casually. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys!¡± Natasha smiled and added, ¡°I¡¯ve invited Edwin to the opening of the new company today. Mr. Lawson will also be there. You can carry out your n then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Mr. Rhys, it¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s go.¡± The two did not linger for long. After finishing the coffee, they headed toward the Emerald building. At this moment, there was a big crowd in front of the building. As they stepped down from the car, they saw Dahlia and her family entering the venue. Dahlia was part of the newpany, so it wasn¡¯t surprising to see a representative of the Nicholson family here. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Dustin, why do I keep running into you?¡± a voice came from behind. Dustin turned around only to be met with the sight of Chris Nn. Chapter 40 ¡°I don¡¯t recall Dahlia inviting you. Are you really so shameless?¡± Chris sneered. ¡°I invited Dustin. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Natasha took a few steps forward. Her domineering stance made Chris take a few steps back. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re a man that needs a woman to stand up for you? What a useless man!¡± Chris grimaced disdainfully. He added, ¡°And you! You¡¯ll regret it sooner orter, staying with this trash!¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you? Stay away from me!¡± Natasha snorted coldly. She put her arms around Dustin and walked into the hall without a care. ¡°Stupid bitch! You¡¯re so full of yourself! I¡¯ll get you in bed one day!¡± Chris gritted hist teeth as he watched them walk away. He couldn¡¯t understand why someone as useless as Dustin was so good with women. ¡°Chris, you¡¯re here to join the fun too?¡± A fashionably dressed man exited a Maybach. ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t that Jeff Anderson? You¡¯re here too?¡± Chris¡¯s eyes lit up. It was none other than Hunter Anderson¡¯s son, Jeff Anderson! ¡°The Harmon family isunching a newpany, so I had toe!¡± Jeff smiled. ¡°Jeff! The Harmon family is honored to have someone like you attend the opening ceremony!¡± Chris started to butter him up. ¡°Nonsense! Even my dad has to show respect before the Steel Lady. What a business. prodigy! I¡¯m nothingpared to her.¡± Jeff was veryposed. ¡°You¡¯re being modest.¡± Chris smiled smugly, and quickly changed the topic. ¡°Speaking of the Steel Lady, I¡¯ve never seen her before today. I wonder if she is as beautiful as they say?¡± ¡°Among the Four Beauties of Swinton, Natasha ranks first. Her beauty is unmatched. It¡¯s a shame that no man can get their hands on such an exquisite woman.¡± Jeff ¡°Not even you?¡± Chris was stunned. ¡°Bullshit! I would be honored even to carry her shoes!¡± Jeff rolled his eyes. He dared not speak informally of someone of equal status to his father. ¡°If even you aren¡¯t worth it, what hope is there for the rest of us.¡± Chris sighed. ¡°To be honest, someone like the Steel Lady couldn¡¯t care less about a man¡¯s background. As long as she likes him, even a pauper could be a prince!¡± Jeff added. ¡°Someone so lucky wouldn¡¯t exist!¡± Chris shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say,¡± Jeff said with a chuckle, and continued, ¡°Truth be told, I heard a rumor that the Steel Lady has found herself a boyfriend. She even ns to push him to the top in Swinton.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that true?¡± Chris was so startled his body quivered with excitement. ¡°Why would I lie to you about this? I guess you¡¯ll be able to see it soon,¡± Jeff quipped. ¡°Who is so lucky to get her attention?¡± Chris narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with jealousy and admiration. After all, she was a business prodigy, one of the wealthiest people in Swinton. Not only did she have money and power, but she was also breathtaking. Such an exquisite woman was as rare as a four¨Cleaf clover. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is, but I¡¯m sure if you could get on good terms with him, you would have a bright future!¡± Jeff reminded him. ¡°When you put it like that, I really want to know this guy.¡± His eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, ¡°Jeff, you¡¯re quite influential. Can you get me an introduction?¡± ¡°An introduction? I have yet to be introduced and you want me to introduce you?¡± Jeff answered exasperatedly. Beforeing, his father had asked him to strike up an acquaintance with this new guy. As long as they could be friends, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry for the rest of his life. ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I can. It depends on yourself to change your fate.¡± Jeff couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more. He waved his hand and entered the venue. Chris smiled apologetically and trailed in behind. At this moment, he looked forward to meeting this person. Now that the Nn family was facing bankruptcy, he could get help from the Harmon family and ovee this matter if he could get acquainted with this guy. Then he wouldn¡¯t need to abscond with the money. Chapter 41 As time passed, more guests arrived to give their congrattions. The entire venue was filled with people. A famous entertainer was also putting on a performance on the main stage. Below, the guests were talking andughing over some wine. ¡°Dahlia, this is a nice ce. You would be the owner in the future, right?¡± Florence nced around, thrilled. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m just partners with the Harmon family. I¡¯m merely a secondary stakeholder even if we established apany together,¡± Dahlia exined. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°That¡¯s good enough. Once we get on the same boat with the Harmon family, we won¡¯t have to worry in the future!¡± Florence was delighted. ¡°Sis! Your career is booming right now. You must have made a lot of money, right? When are you getting me a nice car?¡± James smiled tteringly beside her. ¡°I give you quite a lot of pocket money every month. Is it not enough?¡± Dahlia asked unhappily. She did not like giving handouts, even to her own brother. ¡°It used to be enough. But I¡¯ve invested all my savings into Nn Pharmaceuticals, so now I¡¯m broke,¡± James said exasperatedly. ¡°Then you just sit and wait for the dividends,¡± Dahlia said dismissively. As she turned around, she caught sight of Dustin and Natasha out of the corner of her eye. ¡°You invited Dustin here? What a downer!¡± James followed her line of view and frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Dahlia denied tly. ¡°He came without any invitation? That¡¯s so shameless!¡± James grimaced. Then hist gazended on Natasha, and he immediately perked up. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that beauty next to him? She¡¯s stunning!¡± ¡°What beauty? She¡¯s a vixen!¡± Florence continued rather calmly, ¡°She was the one causing trouble at the Jackson Group, and I nearly pped her!¡± ¡°It was her?¡± James¡® tone turned cold, and he spat, ¡°Shit! Dustin is so heartless. How dare he bring this bitch to such an important asion today? He¡¯s such an eyesore!¡± ¡°Look, Dahlia, he¡¯s finally revealed his true colors. It¡¯s a shame. You were so nice to him, yet he¡¯s so ungrateful, and even tried to ruin this asion. I have to teach him a lesson today!¡± As she spoke, Florence got ready to confront him. ¡°Mom! Today is the opening ceremony, don¡¯t cause any trouble!¡± Dahlia quickly grabbed her mother. She knew once her mother started making a scene, it would not end well. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll let him get away with it this time!¡± Although Florence was very upset, she tried to calm herself down. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t embarrass her own daughter. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯re here?¡± Chris brought Jeff and walked over with a smile. ¡°Here, I want to introduce you to someone.¡± ¡°This is Mr. Anderson¡¯s son, Jeff!¡± Chris stretched out his hand as if he was presenting something valuable. ¡°So, you¡¯re Jeff Anderson? It¡¯s a great pleasure to meet you!¡± James immediately tried. to curry favor with him. This was Swinton¡¯s most distinguished elite, and he had at much more respected status than him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe, Mr. Anderson! The Nicholson family is honored!¡± Florence was smiling broadly. Needless to say, Mr. Anderson¡¯s son had to be some big shot. ¡°Nice to meet you, Jeff.¡± Dahlia smiled and greeted him warmly. ¡°You must be Ms. Nicholson. It seems the rumors are true, you¡¯re really stunning!¡± Although he had never met Dahlia, he had heard of her. She was one of the Four Beauties in Swinton and a rising star. Chapter 42 His dad had also warned him never to get involved with a woman like Dahlia Nicholson. ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Dahlia smiled politely. ¡°Dahlia, I have good news for you.¡± Chris suddenly changed the topic and said, ¡°I heard from Jeff that even the Steel Lady will be present for today¡¯s grand opening.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so? That would be perfect!¡± Dahlia raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise. Previously, only the Harmons¡® general manager was present to sign contracts or discuss business matters. She had never met the daughter of the Harmon family. However, she had heard of Natasha before. Ever since Andrew retired, she took over the entire Harmon family¡¯s business unaided. She relied entirely on herself to build and flourish the Harmon family business to greater sess. In a way, they were both very simr to each other. Dahlia even regarded Natasha as her idol. Yet, it was a shame that she had never even met Natasha up to this day. Now that she knew Natasha would be present today, Dahlia looked forward to it greatly. She was really interested in how this business prodigy carried herself. ¡°Sis! I heard that Natasha Harmon is one of Swinton¡¯s Four Beauties. She must be very beautiful. Can you set me up with her after you get to know her?¡± James asked with anticipation. ¡°Yeah! James is no longer young. It¡¯s time to discuss his marriage. If he can get to know Ms. Harmon, it¡¯s fine even if he took theirst name instead!¡± Florence immediately lit 1. up. ¡°Mom! What nonsense are you saying? Why would Ms. Harmon ever set her eyes on James?¡± Dahlia said harshly. ¡°Hmmm, I disagree. What¡¯s wrong with James? He¡¯s young, muscr, and handsome. It¡¯s more than enough for Ms. Harmon!¡± Florence boasted. ¡°That¡¯s right! Look at my muscles! Women go crazy over them!¡± James flexed his biceps confidently. Dahlia was speechless as she watched them. She was starting to regret inviting them here. ¡°Ms. Harmon is already taken. We can stop daydreaming about it,¡± Chris interjected. ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t have a chance?¡± James continued dejectedly, ¡°Who¡¯s the lucky. bastard to get Ms. Harmon¡¯s attention?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Chris smiled. ¡°Huh! I really want to see if he¡¯s as handsome as me!¡± James was quite irked. The performance on the stage had ended. The host took the stage, and the crowd quietened down. ¡°Wee, everyone! The grand opening has officially begun! Now, please give a warm wee to Ms. Harmon!¡± As the host gave the introduction, the guests gave a round of apuse.. ¡°She¡¯s here! Ms. Harmon is here!¡± Chris and the others immediately perked up and turned toward the stage, their eyes filled with excitement. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is she finally revealing herself?¡± Dahlia mumbled eagerly. A young and stunningdy slowly took the stage under the watchful eyes of everyone else. Three beams of spotlights instantly focused on her. However, everyone was dumbfounded when they saw her. ¡°It¡¯s her?¡± Chapter 43 ¡°How can it be her?¡± Dahlia was shocked when she saw Natasha on the stage. Her face was filled with astonishment. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that the Ms. Harmon she longed to meet was her rival! ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t this that bitch? Why is she on the stage?¡± James widened his eyes, unable to react otherwise. ¡°This can¡¯t be? She is Ms. Harmon?¡± Florence was so shocked her tongue was tied and her lips quivered. She couldn¡¯t believe the woman she thought was a vixen was the Harmon family¡¯s daughter! ¡°Why? Why is it her?¡± Chris looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face was as pale as a sheet of *paper, and his eyes filled with disbelief. He never imagined the woman by Dustin¡¯s side was Swinton¡¯s business prodigy! Her mere existence is unparalleled to others. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he thought of his actions before. What should he do? He seemed to have offended Natasha. ¡°Chris, have you met Ms. Harmon before?¡± Jeff was quick to notice something was odd. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ met her, and we had an altercation.¡± Chris swallowed hard as he was obviously nervous. ¡°You dared to offend Ms. Harmon? You really have guts!¡± Jeff gave him a thumbs¨Cup mockingly. Natasha did not get to where she was today by being kind and forgiving. ¡°Jeff! I was careless before and offended Ms. Harmon. Can you put in a good word for me?¡± Chris suddenly became nervous and grabbed Jeff¡¯s hand. 1 ¡°Chris, I really can¡¯t help you out with this. You should pray!¡± Jeff shook Chris off and left. He wasn¡¯t crazy enough to get on Ms. Harmon¡¯s bad side because of someone so insignificant. ¡°I¡¯m done for.¡± Chris¡¯s face turned to ash as he watched Jeff leave. It would be fine if Natasha were forgiving and let it slide. But if she were to seek revenge, she could destroy him with just a word! At the same time, others in the crowd were shocked as well. ¡°Mr. Lawson, didn¡¯t you say Natasha woulde begging after being poisoned? Why does she look fine?¡± Edwin¡¯s face darkened as he watched the slim figure on the stage. ¡°That¡¯s weird. She should not be able to fight it. Could it be that someone had given her the antidote?¡± Fletcher narrowed his eyes in surprise. ¡°Huh! Is this the allegedly cureless paison?¡± Edwin was very dissatisfied. He knew something was wrong from the moment he received the invitation. Now that he had seen Natasha in excellent health, he knew his nt had failed. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Sir Hummer, idents happen. No mere doctor is able to cure my polson unless she had someone special by her side.¡± Fletcher said, deep in thought. ¡°Someone special? Who?¡± Edwin furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Sir Hummer, did you notice the young man standing next to her before?¡± Fletcher pointed toward Dustin. ¡°Do you mean there¡¯s something particr about that guy?¡± Edwin followed his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s right. This man has a steady hand and good control of his breath. He looks like he practices medicine,¡± Fletcher said, nodding his head. ¡°Is he difficult to deal with?¡± Edwin took a closer look. He didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. He¡¯s nothing but a gold digger. ¡°He¡¯s a small fry not even worth mentioning.¡± Fletcher was very confident. Chapter 44 ¡°Okay. Deal with him quickly. I don¡¯t want any further idents!¡± Edwin¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sir Hummer. My two boys will take care of it without a hitch!¡± Fletcher smiled faintly. He took out his phone and sent a text message. In contrast to themotion offstage, Natasha remained very calm. ¡°Wee to ourpany¡¯s grand opening ceremony.¡± Natasha held the microphone, her eyes sweeping across the room. Her domineering aura, along with her cold and sharp eyes, were all fitting for her position as a beautiful business prodigy. ¡°Everyone knows the Harmon family has made a new partner. From today onward, a portion of the Harmon family business will be handed over to said partner.¡± She looked around and continued, ¡°I believe everyone is curious as to who this partner is. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll reveal the answer soon! Now, let us give a round of apuse and invite Ms. Nicholson onto the stage!¡± As she finished, Natasha started to p. Soon after, thunderous apuse followed. ¡°Dahlia! You¡¯re up!¡± Florence quickly nudged the woman next to her. Dahlia immediately came back to her senses. Although she was shocked about who Natasha was, she did not have a choice but to proceed now. She took in a deep breath and pretended as if nothing had happened as she walked up the stage. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s another stunningdy? We¡¯re really blessed today!¡± ¡°Both are equally beautiful but with a different ir. I¡¯d be willing to give up ten years of my life just to have both of them in my arms!¡± ¡°Shit! What man is worthy of such women?¡± As Dahlia approached the stage, there was instantly a stirring in the crowd. Natasha was striking enough, but Dahlia¡¯s presence made the crowd even more excited. It was such a rare urrence to be graced with the presence of two beautifuldies. ¡°We meet again, Ms. Nicholson.¡± Natasha reached out her hand with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be the president of the Harmon Group.¡± Dahlia shook her hand politely, a bewildered look in her eyes. She should¡¯ve known earlier. Such a beautiful and elegant woman with the surname Harmon who had happened to appear two days before the charity ball. If she connected the dots, this woman must be none other than Natasha Harmon. However, she did note to this conclusion because she had been clouded with emotions. Or rather, she never believed Dustin would be involved with such a reputable family. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to get to know each other.¡± Natasha beamed. ¡°Oh, right. We still have a bet, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dahlia nodded calmly. ¡°Do you still think you can win?¡± Natasha raised her chin defiantly. ¡°I believe I can, if you don¡¯t intrude.¡± Dahlia¡¯s gaze was filled with determination, and she did not back down. She had always thought of Natasha as her adversary. Now that they met, she could have a worthy challenge. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t help him. Besides, he doesn¡¯t need my help. Truth be told, he is much more capable than us!¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Love is blind. There¡¯s no lie in that.¡± Dahlia smiled faintly. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t believe me. If that¡¯s the case, time will tell.¡± Natasha smiled, not wanting to exin any further. She believed that one day Dahlia would understand. ¡°But, by then, it would be all toote. Chapter 45 The two women were chatting eagerly on the stage as if they were old friends. However, only a few would realize these two were locked in rivalry. Just like two beautiful roses competing. Both were beautiful yet filled with prickling thorns. Dahlia did not feel inferior or dejected, although Natasha had a prestigious background. In fact, it made her more motivated topete! She had always held herself high and did not give up easily. No matter what difficulties she faced, she would ovee them! It didn¡¯t matter that Natasha was known as Swinton¡¯s business prodigy. One day, she would be equal to her, or she might even surpass her! 1 ¡°I believe everyone has witnessed Ms. Nicholson¡¯s charm! Next, I want to introduce another young man. Not only did he save me, but he also helped out the Harmon family a lot. He is undoubtedly the Harmon family¡¯s savior!¡± The crowd stirred again once she finished. Everyone looked at each other with awe and curiosity. Who on earth would Natasha call a savior? ¡°Chris, could you be the savior she means?¡± Jeff muttered coldly. In his opinion, only an outstanding young man like Chris could fit Natasha¡¯s description. ¡°Chris, I didn¡¯t know you were so important to the Harmon family! Congrattions!¡± Florence smiled brightly, immediately thinking it was Chris. Chris was speechless. The corners of his mouth twitched as he didn¡¯t know how to react. He was nothing. How could he be the Harmon family¡¯s savior? He wouldn¡¯t need to face bankruptcy if he were so capable. ¡°Could it be him?¡± Chris suddenly thought of someone but quickly dismissed the thought. No! It wasn¡¯t possible! How could a useless nobody be a savior to the Harmon family? Under everyone¡¯s anticipating eyes, Natasha paused before saying, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Now, let¡¯s give a warm wee to Mr. Rhys!¡± Natasha waved her hand, and a spotlight shone on Dustin. Everyone¡¯s gaze immediately turned over. ¡°Dustin? How could it be him?¡± James was at a loss for words when he recognized who it was. His mouth was agape in shock. ¡°It can¡¯t be! The Harmon family¡¯s savior is that trash, Dustin?¡± At this moment, Florence was also in a state of shock. Her impression of Dustin was someone insignificant and weak. He wasn¡¯t capable, nor did he have a good background. How could he have be the Harmon family¡¯s savior out of the blue? Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How? How is it him?¡± Chris gritted his teeth, his hands balled into a fist. Rather than shock, he felt more jealous and frustrated. How? How had that trash catch Natasha¡¯s eye? Was he worse than Dustin? In terms of looks, he was better looking. In terms of money, he was the richer. His family background was also far superior to Dustin¡¯s. He was more capable and excellent in every way. CS CamScanner However, though that woman could recognize a gem, she had gone for some cheap guy. Why was that so? Chris¡¯s face was clouded with hatred and resentment. ¡°It really is him.¡± As the lights shone on Dustin, Dahlia was surprised and puzzled. She also felt an Inexplicable surge of emotions. However, Dustin wasn¡¯t happy to be the center of attention at all. ¡°What is this woman thinking? She didn¡¯t mention that I had to be on stage.¡± Dustin furrowed his eyebrows, unable to make sense of her actions. After a moment of hesitation, he made his way up. Murmurs went through the crowd. ¡°Who is this? I¡¯ve never seen him.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s Ms. Harmon¡¯s boyfriend. She wants to take the opportunity to give him some publicity in this opening ceremony.¡± ¡°Ha! So he¡¯s just a gold digger!¡± The crowd started to specte and discuss. Obviously, many looked down on a man that depended on a woman. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to Mr. Rhys. He¡¯s also the Harmon family¡¯s savior. I hope everyone will get to know him better in the future.¡± Natasha smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her gaze fell on Dahlia at the same time, as if to assert dominance. Dahlia didn¡¯t even flinch and remainedposed. She even raised her chin provokingly as if to say Natasha could pick up after her trash. Thus, the two women began another battle. Neither wanted to step aside, their gaze burned into each other. At this moment, Dustin realized something was wrong. When had the two of them gotten into a dispute? Weren¡¯t they partners? Why did it seem as if they were more like rivals? After a few seconds, they looked away at the same time¨CThey were evenly matched. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I look forward to working with you.¡± Natasha reached out her hand once again. ¡°I look forward to working with you too,¡± Dahlia replied with a smile. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to pass thepany matters to you now. Dustin and I have something urgent to do. Please, excuse us.¡± Natasha smiled and led Dustin down the stage with her arms around his. Dustin never uttered a word up till this moment. He was just an ornament. ¡°Ms. Harmon¡­¡± As they came down, Chris approached to say a few words. CS CamScanner However, Natasha didn¡¯t even look at him and spat, ¡°Get lost!¡± Chris froze when she spoke. Hisst strand of hope fizzled up in mes. He knew Natasha would not let this slide easily. He even started to suspect that the Harmon family was behind the investigation into hispany. ¡°These bastards! Since you¡¯re so merciless, I won¡¯t make it easy for you either,¡± he thought. He red at them and left. ¡°Dustin!¡± Dahlia tried to chase him down. Her gaze was fathomless, shining as if she wanted to say something. ¡°Go ahead, Mr. Rhys. I¡¯ll wait for you in the lounge.¡± Natasha smiled and let go of him. This was because she was confident in herself. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Dustin slowly turned around. ¡°I wanted to ask if the Harmon family choosing me as their partner had anything to do with you,¡± Dahlia rified without skipping a beat. This matter had been on her mind ever since she found out who Natasha was. 1 Now that she knew Dustin¡¯s standing in Natasha¡¯s heart, she was starting to have greater doubts. Chapter 46 ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Dustin kept a straight face and yed dumb. He was not one to im credit or recognition for what he had done. Since things had ended between them, he hoped they wouldn¡¯t be involved with each other in any way. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t you?¡± Dahlia still had some doubts. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I think there¡¯s some misunderstanding. How can someone as useless as me help you?¡± Dustin replied coldly. ¡°Maybe I was wrong.¡± There was a hint of disappointment in her eyes as she added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Why would you help me? After all, we¡¯re no longer together. Besides, you¡¯re not capable of doing so.¡± ¡°As you said, I have no money or power. I¡¯m nothingpared to Chris. Is there anything else?¡± Dustin¡¯s face remained nk. 1 Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°No. You can go back to Ms. Harmon,¡± Dahlia said scornfully. ¡°Alright, please excuse me.¡± Dustin did not say much more and quickly caught up with Natasha, who deliberately walked slower. ¡°Mr. Rhys, it seems Ms. Nicholson still has some feelings for you,¡± Natasha teased. ¡°Feelings?¡± Dustinughed mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s good enough that we haven¡¯t turned against each other.¡± ¡°You can never read a woman¡¯s heart. There may be things even she has yet to figure out.¡± Natasha smiled and tried to change the topic. ¡°Oh, you mentioned you still need some rare herbs?¡± ¡°Why? Have you found them?¡± Dustin immediately perked up. ¡°Not yet. But I know someone who can help you. He was bom into a family of doctors, and he collects many valuable herbs. Maybe he has what you need,¡± Natasha exined. ¡°Oh? Who is it?¡± Dustin inquired. ¡°Follow me and you¡¯ll find out.¡± Natasha didn¡¯t give more details. She took Dustin¡¯s hand and went to the lounge on the second floor. There were two men in the lounge room. One of them was Natasha¡¯s grandfather, Andrew Harmon. The other was a burly man who looked about a couple of decades older than Dustin. The man was wearing a suit that made his muscles bulge. He had a calm expression on his face. It was apparent he was no ordinary person. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re here! Have a seat!¡± Andrew immediately gestured for him to sit once Dustin entered the room. ¡°How are you feeling, Old Mr. Harmon?¡± Dustin asked politely. ¡°Much better. It¡¯s all thanks to you. If not, I would have lost my life.¡± Andrew smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Dustin said modestly. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I would like to introduce someone to you.¡± 1/ CS CamScanner Natasha pointed at the other man. ¡°This is Duane Welch, an expert in medicine. He¡¯s from Millsburg and has a lot of experience. You can ask him if you need anything concerning medicine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met you before.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were going to introduce someone so young to me. I don¡¯t know if he has what it takes.¡± Duane sized him up disdainfully. He had personallye because he heard there was a famous doctor in Swinton. He hadn¡¯t expect it to be this unremarkable boy. What a waste of his time! ¡°Mr. Welch, you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. I¡¯ve personally witnessed Mr. Rhys¡® skill. He¡¯s on par with other experienced doctors!¡± Natasha reassured him. ¡°Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, he should evaluate me and see if he could diagnose anything.¡°Duane started to get ready for an evaluation. It was obvious he was trying to make things difficult for Dustin. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I can recognize what disease you have in a nce,¡± Dustin responded. ¡°In a nce?¡± Duane was slightly startled. ¡°Are you joking? You can diagnose me by just looking? Even the senior doctors in Millsburg can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if others can do it. But I can indeed see what disease you have.¡± Dustin was very certain. ¡°Alright! Then I would really like to know what you have diagnosed!¡± Duane joked lightly. ¡°You have a weak pulse, and you often be breathless. Your chest area especially is infected, and in addition to the internal injuries you suffered before, you are now terminally ill!¡± Dustin exined in a breath. ¡°Terminally ill? Ha! What nonsense!¡± Duane chuckled coldly. ¡°Young man, don¡¯t you know that I¡¯ve led an active lifestyle since I was young? My body is very strong. Besides, I take a lot of supplements. I¡¯m basically invincible to any disease! How dare you say I¡¯m terminally ill? What a joke!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only healthy physically. The real disease is internal. Also, you should stop taking those supplements as they would only make your condition worse. Once it breaks out, there will be no turning back!¡± Dustin warned. ¡°What a load of bullshit! I¡¯ve been taking those supplements since I was young and nothing has happened in 40 years. Now you¡¯re telling me they don¡¯t work?¡± Duane was very unhappy about this. ¡°I¡¯m just warning you. If you continue, you will have a thyroid infection in three days!¡± Dustin advised. ¡°You¡¯re not fooling me! I¡¯ve encountered a lot of scammers like you!¡± Duane said disdainfully. ¡°Mr. Welch, Dustin is a skilled doctor. You better not take his words lightly.¡± Natasha reminded him gently. ¡°Natasha, I think you have been scammed. I know my body well. I¡¯m not sick at all. He¡¯s just trying to scare us!¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe it, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± ¡°What is at stake?¡± CS CamScanner ¡°It¡¯s simple. If your disease breaks out within three days, you have to let Dustin pick anything from your collection of valuable herbs!¡± ¡°Alright! But what if I¡¯m fine?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re fine, you cane to the Harmon family¡¯s treasury and pick any three items!¡± Natasha offered boldly. ¡°You stated the rules. Since you¡¯re being so generous, I won¡¯t hold back!¡± Duane chuckled. Everything in the Harmon family¡¯s treasury was an extraordinary item. Any three would be a rare collector¡¯s item. ¡°Mr. Welch, a word of advice, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t leave Swinton in these three days. If anything happens, I can still save you in time,¡± Dustin advised. ¡°What a joke! Who am I? Do I need you to save me? Even if I were sick, I would never ask you to treat me!¡± Duane said contemptuously. He wouldn¡¯t even bother talking with this scammer if it weren¡¯t for the Harmon family. ¡°There¡¯s no point in saying more. The truth will prevail¡± Dustin smiled faintly without saying another word. He just hoped Duane¡¯s rare herbs collection would have what he needed. Chapter 47 ¡°Mr. Harmon, I have to attend something else. Please, excuse me.¡± After a few exchanges, Duane got ready to leave. He hade because of a renowned doctor. He wouldn¡¯t stay long since it was just a sham. ¡°Mr. Welch, I suggest you listen to Mr. Rhys¡® advice and stay around Swinton for these few days to avoid anything.¡± Natasha kindly reminded him. ¡°Natasha, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. You should worry about yourself,¡± Duane piped up thoughtfully. ¡°I remember your engagement to Tyler Grant is imminent. I don¡¯t think a man like him would like it if you were too close to other men.¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t help but frown at these words. He had touched on a sensitive topic. ¡°It¡¯s just an engagement. We¡¯re not even married yet. At worst, I can break off the engagement,¡± Natasha answered casually. ¡°Break off the engagement? That¡¯s the Grant family you¡¯re talking about. Have you thought of the consequences of your actions?¡± Duane was slightly bewildered. ¡°What consequences would there be? They can¡¯t do anything to me,¡± Natasha replied calmly. ¡°The Grant family might not do anything to you, but I¡¯m not sure about the one next to you. You¡¯re well aware of the Grant family¡¯s ways. The closer you get to him, the more danger he¡¯s in.¡± Duane gazed toward Dustin. His implications were clear. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t believe Tyler would cause any trouble!¡± Natasha maintained an impassive face. ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you. What you do is up to you.¡± Duane didn¡¯t say more and left with a smile. ¡°What Duane says is true. You¡¯d better deal with the matter between you and the Grant family.¡± Andrew warned. ¡°Grandfather, I know what to do.¡± Natasha nodded. Although they had been engaged since young, she had never fallen for him. How could she marry someone she doesn¡¯t have feelings for? Besides, she despised arranged marriages the most! ¡°Ms. Harmon, Sir Hummer is requestign to see you,¡± a bodyguard informed her after entering. ¡°Edwin Hummer?¡± Natasha raised an eyebrow. ¡°I was just about to see him. I didn¡¯t expect him toe first. Bring him to the lounge, I¡¯ll be there in a second.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Nicholson,¡± the bodyguard replied promptly and left. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m going to see what I can find out from Edwin. You can pretend to be my bodyguard and Improvise.¡± Natasha nced at the man beside her. ¡°Okay,¡± Dustin agreed and nodded his head. Today¡¯s ceremony was bait for the prey. Now that the prey was here, he could not pass on this opportunity. CS CamScanner Three minutester, Dustin and Natasha arrived at another lounge. Edwin and Fletcher were leisurely enjoying some tea inside. Behind them were a pair of twins. ¡°Ms. Harmon, congrattions on your grand opening!¡± Edwin immediately congratted her. He seemed like a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. they were ¡°Wee. Sir Hummer. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here!¡± Natasha greeted cheerily. Although they enemies, they had to put on a cordial act. ¡°I see a few new faces around you. Aren¡¯t you going to introduce them?¡± Natasha looked toward Fletcher and the other two men. ¡°Oh! This is an old friend of mine, Mr. Lawson. He helps me with my personal affairs. As for these two young ¡°men, they¡¯re his apprentices,¡± Edwin introduced them without hesitation. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°So you¡¯re Mr. Lawson. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Mr. Lawson, I have something to discuss with Ms. Harmon. You can leave the room.¡± Edwin gave them a look, hinting for them to leave. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Chapter 48 Fletcher threw a nce at Dustin and went out with his apprentices. ¡°You should go out too.¡± Natasha gestured for him to exit the room. Dustin nodded and went out. They had a tacit understanding with each other, or in other words, they had ulterior motives. ¡°So, you¡¯re Natasha¡¯s personal bodyguard? You don¡¯t look like much!¡± The twins sized Dustin up like he was their prey. ¡°Is that so? You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Dustin went down the stairs without another word. ¡°Liam and Noah, follow him and get rid of him,¡± Fetcher ordered coldly. 1 In his opinion, he didn¡¯t need to deal with an insignificant person like Dustin. His two apprentices could easily finish him off. ¡°No problem!¡± Liam and Noah grinned and followed him quietly. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Once Dustin went downstairs, he strolled through the garden and entered the underground parking lot. The ¡°Boy! You really know how to dig your own grave!¡± 1 At that moment, Liam and Noah finally revealed themselves. There was nobody here, so they could make a move. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the prey may sometimes be the predator?¡± Dustin turned around slowly, as if it was all a part of his n. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, but the prey is definitely you!¡± The two grinned grimly. However, before they could make a move, there was a thunderous sound of footsteps. A group of thugs armed with machetes and steel pipes rushed in. ¡°Huh, this is not enough to bruise us!¡± Liam and Noah grinned, not taking the thugs seriously at all. Dustin raised his eyebrow. He, too, felt it was a bit excessive. He didn¡¯t need help to fight these two people. ¡°Dustin! Your time hase!¡± Chris yelled and walked out of the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s you! Are you here to join the fun too?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes in surprise. ¡°Join the fun? I¡¯m going to break you today!¡± Chris said viciously. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have any beef with you,¡± Dustin stated calmly. ¡°You may not, but I do!¡± Chris cried with resentment. ¡°Who are you to deserve Ms. Harmon¡¯s attention? How am I inferior to you? Why am I getting kicked aside like a dog? Why?¡± ¡°You brought people here because of that?¡± Dustin was slightly confused. He really couldn¡¯t understand how Chris¡¯s mind worked. What was this, jealousy turned into wrath? ¡°Of course not! You¡¯ve long been an eyesore to me! I haven¡¯t been able to get with Dahlia because of you. Your entire existence is a stumbling block in my lifel¡± Chris roared. His hatred toward Dustin had slowly grown over time. He always thought he was a nobody, so he never took him seriously. However, he finally acknowledged him as a threat after finding out Natasha¡¯s identity. He may just be some gold digger, but he would be a threat if he stayed by Natasha¡¯s side and stirred up trouble. Thus, he wanted to act first and destroy Dustin. He refused to believe Natasha would fall for a useless piece of trash! Chapter 49 ¡°I¡¯d advise you not to do that, or you will regret it.¡± Dustin remained calm and unbothered. Chris had always been nothing but a joke to him. ¡°Ha! I know you practice some martial arts, but it¡¯s not enough to defeat the men I hired. They¡¯re all experts in martial arts. Besides, even if you can fight, you¡¯d only get chopped up by my men!¡± Chris smiled coldly. It was apletely different matter to fight with hand¨Cto¨Chandbat than armedbat. He refused to believe Dustin could survive a weapon! ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t know what grudge you hold against each other, but we set our eyes on him first. You¡¯d better stand aside!¡± the twins yelled. ¡°Initially, they thought Chris and his men were Dustin¡¯s backup, but they turned out to be his enemies. ¡°Who are these two idiots? Step aside, or we¡¯ll deal with you too!¡± Chris red at them and roared. ¡°Deal with us?¡± Liam and Noah nced at each other and chuckled, ¡°Haha! We¡¯ve not met someone as fearless as you in some time. Come, let us see what you and your men can do.¡± They made some taunting gestures toward the men. ¡°Fuck! You¡¯re asking for it! Kill them all!¡± Chris didn¡¯t waste another second and gave the order. The men armed with knives and steel poles immediately stormed forward. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We should warm up.¡± Liam and Noah grinned and stepped forward. 1 What happened next shook Chris to the core. The twins waved their bare fists around and began to attack his men viciously. They moved at the speed of lightning, and their fists were extremely powerful. Every strike took one man down. Any unlucky fighters would die right on the spot! Chris realized something frightening. Their hands seemed to be cast from metal. One punch could create a hole through the wall. One kick could bend the steel rod in half. These people weren¡¯t human. These two were clearly monsters! In just a few minutes, Liam and Noah managed to defeat all the thugs. Not a single one of them remained. Their strength was astonishingly overpowering! ¡°How is this possible?¡± Chris was so frightened his lips quivered. He never expected these two ordinary men to be so powerful. ¡°What a bunch of trash! I haven¡¯t even finished warming up!¡± Both Liam and Noah felt unsatisfied with their battle. As they spoke, they turned to look at Chris, and he stumbled backward out of fear. ¡°Coward!¡± Both of them couldn¡¯t be bothered with Chris and turned around to focus on Dustin. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn. I hope you can surprise us. Otherwise, this would be too easy.¡± CS CamScanner ¡°Bring it on.¡± Dustin waved his hand with an unwavering expression. ¡°Liam, let me have at it first!¡± Noah chuckled and leaped forward. Chris, who had been frightened earlier, Immediately got excited as he watched this unfold. He could see that their target was Dustin. Although his men were all defeated, he would be d as long as Dustin got beaten up too. He couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it at the thought of the twins¡® performance just now. ¡°Dustin Rhys, aren¡¯t you good at fighting? I would like to see how you escape these two monsters!¡± Chrisughed gleefully. At this moment, Noah made a move. His body arched up slightly, and there was a sudden force. In an instant, his body sprung forward like a preying cheetah and mmed into Dustin powerfully. Even a cow would fall, let alone a person. As Chris was gloating at the thought, Dustin suddenly moved. He reached out his hand at lightning speed, grabbed Noah¡¯s neck, and threw him against the wall. There was a loud explosion as Noah¡¯s body made a hole in the wall. Noah groaned. He felt dizzy after being hit and had lost all his strength. All his bones felt as if they had shattered, and he couldn¡¯t even move. Noah had lost all fight in just one move. Dustin red at him coldly. He grabbed Noah with one hand like he was nothing. ¡°Stop it!¡± Liam cried out in utter shock. He shot up and aimed a punch at Dustin¡¯s back. A muffled thud followed his punch. Dustin, who had been hit, stood as firm as a mountain. On the contrary, it was Liam who was sent flying miles away by the burst of energy. Hended harshly on a concrete wall and spat a mouthful of blood before hended on the ground. Liam was horrified as he looked down and realized the arm he used to punch Dustin hadpletely shattered. His internal organs had suffered severe damage. However, he still had surging energy in his body flowing out uncontrobly, like a wildfire that couldn¡¯t be contained. Liam could not bear it anymore and spat out another mouthful of blood. Chris was dumbfounded by what he saw. It was as if he had seen a ghost. He never imagined that the pair of twins who seemed so invincible Just now would be defeated by Dustin in a blink of an eye. They hadn¡¯t even made any significant moves. How could this be? This was impossible! Chris was so shocked his face turned to ash, and cold sweat dripped down his back. He had been so sure of the twins¡® ability. Liam and Noah were able to easily take down 20 people before. He had never seen such dauntless fighters! Logically speaking. It would be easy for them to deal with Dustin. How did they fail right at the beginning? If these two were monsters, then wasn¡¯t Dustin a beast amongst monsters? Chapter 50 ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± Liam trembled as he dragged himself over. Hisidback expression had been reced by shock and fear. Never did he imagine that his full strength could not even scratch his opponent. Instead, he had injured himself gravely. Was this man even human? Fletcher had clearly told them he was just an ordinary martial artist. Why was he so powerful? ¡°Liam! Run away! Quickly!¡± Noah, who was pressed against the wall, yelled out at the top of his lungs. The moment he crossed paths with Dustin, he realized that Dustin was much stronger than they had imagined. He had been able to render himpletely useless with one move. ¡°Ah!¡± Liam cried out begrudgingly. Reluctantly, he abandoned his brother and ran away. He knew he couldn¡¯t save him. He didn¡¯t even have the power to fight Dustin to his death. If Dustin was a mountain, they were nothing but ants. His punch just now hadpletely crushed his will to fight! ¡°I have to tell Fletcher! This man is too frightening. He shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly, otherwise Fletcher will surely die!¡± Liam¡¯s desire to survive pushed him to rush out of the parking lot. He was only focused on one thought. He had to tell his master to leave Swinton and never return! This man was someone they could never afford to offend! Dustin didn¡¯t bother to chase after Liam because he knew Liam¡¯s internal organs had suffered fatal damage. ¡°Who on earth are you? Why are you in Swinton?¡± Noah was filled with fear, as if he had seen a ghost. If he knew someone so powerful existed by Natasha¡¯s side, he wouldn¡¯t dare to approach her even if he had the courage of a lion. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll give you a chance. Tell me everything about Fletcher, and I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°You want me to betray him? In your dreams!¡± Noah red at him and used hisst remaining strength to tap on his amulet. There was a crisp sound, and Noah bled to death in an instant. Dustin raised an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t expect Noah to be so determined as to opt for suicide to prevent himself from spilling anything. Chris cowered in a corner, shivering after witnessing everything. He quickly ran away without another word. He wouldn¡¯t have provoked Dustin if he knew he was so powerful. Now he had brought trouble onto himself. He was speechless! At the same time, In the lounge of the Emerald building. Edwin and Natasha were still conversing. CS CamScanner ¡°Ms. Harmon, I have some business at home. Please, excuse me.¡± Edwin got ready to leave after the chat. ¡°Goodbye, Sir Hummer.¡± Natasha did not intend to stop them and watched as they left. ¡°Mr. Lawson, do you have any news from your apprentices?¡± Edwin immediately asked once they got in the car. ¡°Maybe they wanted to have a bit more fun. Don¡¯t worry, Sir Hummer. They will return after they deal with the matter.¡± Fletcher smiled calmly. He was very confident in the apprentices he trained personally. They were twins, so they had a deep emotional connection. Their strength doubles once united. They were undoubtedly invincible in Swinton! Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That would be best.¡± Edwin nodded without another word and ordered the driver to get going. Soon, they arrived at the Hummer Vi. However, before they could settle down, a bodyguard rushed in and cried, ¡°Sir Hummer! Mr. Lawson! Liam has sustained fatal injuries. I don¡¯t think he will make it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Edwin and Fletcher¡¯s faces immediately fell when they heard this. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Liam is invincibly strong. Who could hurt him?¡± Fletcher was very distressed, and he grabbed the bodyguard by the cor. ¡°It¡¯s true! Liam is at the door right now. You have to see him now or it will be toote!¡± the bodyguard pleaded. Fletcher did not waste any time. He pushed the bodyguard aside and left quickly. However, he lost his cool when he saw the dying Liam when he arrived at the door. ¡°Liam! What happened to you? Where¡¯s Noah?¡± Fetcher¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Noah¡­ is dead. We were mistaken! You Leave!¡± Before Liam could finish his sentence, there was a splutter, and he spat a mouthful of blood on Fletcher¡¯s face. His head slumped and he died on the spot! ¡°Liam!¡± Fetcher eximed, ovee with sorrow. He had carefully trained both apprentices to pass on the mantle. He didn¡¯t expect them to die so suddenly. ¡°Why? Why did this happen? Who did this?¡± Fetcher held on to the body and cried. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Liam was already in this state when we found him.¡± The bodyguard shook his head. ¡°Mr. Lawson, Liam was very capable. How did he end up this way?¡± Edwin walked toward them at this moment. Fletcher did not respond. He knelt down and inspected the body carefully. ¡°Broken bones and blood vessels, major organ damage. He must¡¯ve met a powerful opponent!¡± After the inspection, Fetcher¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you saying that fellow by Natasha¡¯s side is very powerful?¡± Edwin frowned. ¡°His strength must not be taken lightly if he could destroy my apprentices. I made a wrong judgment!¡± Fletcher said in disappointment. ¡°Can you defeat him?¡± Edwin implored. ¡°Although this man is very strong, he¡¯s still young. He can¡¯t be more powerful than my 40 years of experience. I will kill him and take revenge for my apprentices!¡± Fletcher swore with determination. ¡°Mr. Lawson, since you¡¯re proficient in the mystic arts. You should use what you¡¯re confident in,¡± Edwin reminded him. He didn¡¯t want any more idents to ur. ¡°Hmph! This man killed my apprentices by beating them to death! I would return an eye for an eye and kill him myself!¡± Fletcher gritted his teeth. If he knew his apprentice died because of his attempt to punch Dustin, he would no longer have had this thought. Chapter 51 In a lounge at the Emerald building. Natasha greeted Dustin. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± Her eyes scanned him over in worry. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Dustin shook his head and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the twins. What do you n on doing next?¡± ¡°Those two were some of Edwin¡¯s most useful men. I think he will be very rmed now that they are dead. We should take things slow lest we scare them away,¡± Natasha said. She did not want to burn the bridge between her and Edwin. She just wanted to teach him a lesson so he would back down. This was the best option. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t say more. ¡°Oh, yes, you should take cover for the time being. I received news that Trevor¡¯s brother, Travis, is back, and he¡¯s hunting for the murderer.¡± Natasha¡¯s tone and expression turned grave. She would not pick battles with the military. Travis was a general in the warzone. Even she had to think twice before getting on the wrong side of him. ¡°Thanks for the advice. I know what to do.¡± Dustin nodded. The position of general was a very powerful one. To someone ordinary, he held the power of life and death.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. However, Dustin was not so afraid. Meanwhile, in the Spanner Vi. Travis stood by the coffin¡¯s side with his eyes closed. Outside the living room, members of the Spanner family knelt on the ground. Everyone had their heads down. Not a word was spoken, and the atmosphere was very tense. Trevor had died out of the blue, the traitor Mason had disappeared, and the murderer was nowhere to be found. The entire Spanner family was reeling from the loss. ¡°General! We¡¯ve got something!¡± At this moment, an adjutant walked in. ¡°Who is the murderer?¡± Travis opened his eyes with a bloodthirsty look. ¡°We¡¯re not sure who the murderer is. But, we¡¯ve found someone rted to him,¡± the adjutant exined. ¡°Be more specific.¡± ¡°ording to our Investigation, two people went to the Drey Group before Trevor¡¯s demise. One was the Quine Group¡¯s president, Dahlia Nicholson. The other was Hunter Anderson, the president of Swinton¡¯s Business Commerce!¡± ¡°You mean they are associated with the murderer?¡± ¡°Yes! Dahlia, especially, is the key to everything. Edward was crippled because of her. She must know the murderer¡¯s identity!¡± the adjutant deduced. ¡°That¡¯s right! That bitch ruined me! She has someone good at fighting on her side. They must have killed my CS CamScanner father!¡± Edward immediately became agitated. ¡°Gather the troops! Arrest her immediately!¡± Travis stood up and said coldly after ordering. ¡°I don¡¯t care who the murderer is. I will destroy his whole family for killing someone from the Spanner family!¡± That evening, the Nicholson family were celebrating Dahlia¡¯s newlyunchedpany in a restaurant. ¡°Sis, I¡¯d like to raise a toast to you. I wish you sess in the future!¡± James grinned and raised his ss. The rest of them cheered and raised their sses. ¡°Dahlia, you must be hiring since thepany is newly established. I have a niece who¡¯s a fresh graduate. Can you arrange a job for her?¡± ¡°Huh! I almost forgot. I also have a cousin that¡¯s recently unemployed. He has eight years of experience in business management. Dahlia, you should hire him into management. He¡¯s sure to help you out!¡± After a few drinks, some women started to chatter. ¡°Hiring is handled by Human Resources. I usually don¡¯t interfere. Of course, if any of you have a suitable candidate, they can always submit their resume,¡± Dahlia responded professionally. The company was very against nepotism, and she would usually avoid matters like this. Of course, if it were unavoidable, she would arrange an idle job for them. ¡°Dahlia, listen to me. I heard that Dustin and Ms. Harmon are very close. If you won¡¯t help us, we¡¯ll ask Dustin!¡± one of them eximed. ¡°Hmph! Dustin is nothing but a gold digger. He¡¯s not even fit to be in my sister¡¯s shadow!¡± James snorted coldly. ¡°That¡¯s right! What can useless trash do for you? Do you really think he could speak up before Ms. Harmon? Stop daydreaming!¡± Florence also added in spite. Why would they mention that trash to dampen the mood? ¡°But I heard Dustin was invited onto the stage at today¡¯s opening ceremony,¡± the person added. ¡°So what? He didn¡¯t even say a single word. It was so humiliating!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It may seem he¡¯s living a glorious life now, but he¡¯s nothing but a tool. Ms. Harmon will kick him aside when she gets tired of him!¡± Everyone started nodding along. That was right. What did Ms. Harmon see in a person such as Dustin? In the end, he was nothing but a ything. Once she got tired of him, she would throw him away. By then, Dustin would be worthless! ¡°Hard work requires effort. Any man who depends on a woman is useless. The real talented young man is Chris!¡± James finished and gave Chris a big thumbs up. Chris¡¯s eyes twitched, and he seemed nervous. In the past, he would definitely scoff in contempt of Dustin. However, after witnessing his power today, he felt Dustin was not someone ordinary. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about this and eat,¡± Dahlia said, trying to change the topic. She didn¡¯t want to hear Dustin¡¯s and Natasha¡¯s names mentioned. Whenever she thought of the twoughing and talking, she would feel strangely panicked. ¡°Quick! Surround this ce. No one can leave!¡± Suddenly, there was amotion outside the door. Immediately, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. A group of heavily armed guards stormed in aggressively. The deadly aura radiating from them made everyone¡¯s blood run cold. ¡°Who is Dahlia Nicholson?¡± The leading soldier stepped out, his eyes as sharp as a knife. Chapter 52 Everyone was shocked when they watched the guards swarm in. They looked at each other in confusion for some time. ¡°Officer, what is the matter?¡± Florence braced herself and asked. She had never witnessed such an asion as a civilian. Even if she did not do anything illegal, she still felt guilty. ¡°I¡¯m asking, who is Dahlia Nicholson?¡± the officer spoke in a somber tone with a hostile look in his eyes. ¡°I am¡­¡± Dahlia slowly stood up and put on a brave face as she asked, ¡°What can I do for you, officer?¡± ¡°ording to our investigations, you are coborating with the enemy. You are used of being a spy nted by the west. Come with us immediately to assist in the investigation!¡± the officer announced. ¡°Coborating with the enemy? A traitor?¡± Everyone was shocked at his usation. That didn¡¯t seem usible. Dahlia was born and raised in Swinton, she wasn¡¯t mixed in any way. Even her ancestors were all ordinary farmers. How could she end up being a traitor? ¡°Officer, is there a mistake? My daughter is a model citizen. She pays her taxes every year and even donates to charity. How is it possible that she¡¯s a traitor?¡± Florence asked in shock. ¡°That¡¯s right! My sister is innocent. You shouldn¡¯t spew nonsense!¡± James mmed the table and stood up unhappily. ¡°We will find out whether this is a mistake after the investigation!¡± the guard answered coldly. ¡°Is there even a need? We can testify!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Dahlia is definitely not a traitor!¡± everyone spoke out in support. They were very clear about Dahlia¡¯s conduct. It would be more usible that she manipted the market, but being a traitor to the country was not possible! ¡°I¡¯m just following orders. Anyone who stops me will be deemed an aplice!¡± The officer started to get impatient. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± James red at him. ¡°Do you know who we are? You wouldn¡¯t live to see daylight if you dared touch a single hair on my sister!¡± ¡°Huh! There is solid evidence of Dahlia Nicholson¡¯s collusion with the enemy country. Anyone who obstructs the arrest must be an aplice. If that¡¯s the case, take them all away! Anyone who resists will be shot!¡± At the officer¡¯s order, all the soldiers raised their guns one after another. The cold gun barrel aimed at the people in the room felt very menacing. In an instant, everyone froze. ¡°You-you¡­¡± James wanted to say something but Dahlia quickly stopped him. ¡°Everyone, keep calm. I believe CS CamScanner Owned by N?velDrama.Org. there must be some misunderstanding. I¡¯m sure they will let me go after the investigation.¡± The officer snorted coldly at these words. They were the ones who decided whether this was a misunderstanding or not! ¡°Take them away!¡± the officer ordered, and everyone was taken to the car. The car stopped at the gates of the Spanner Vi 20 minutester. ¡°Officer, this doesn¡¯t look like a ce for investigations,¡± Florence asked with uncertainty. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Go in!¡± The officer couldn¡¯t bother to say more and forced everyone inside the vi. Everyone realized something was off once they walked into the courtyard. Two white gs were hung on each side of the door, and in the middle of the living room was a coffin. Trevor¡¯s portrait greeted them. ¡°Sir Spanner?¡± Everyone widened their eyes in confusion. As for Dahlia, she started to feel uneasy. She realized she must have walked into a trap. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Just when everyone was left wondering, a burly Travis walked out imposingly. His sharp eyes and menacing stance felt so overbearing some couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Sir, everyone rted is here,¡± the officer replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Travis nodded, his gaze swept through the crowd, and he continued, ¡°My name is Travis Spanner. I¡¯m from the western war zone with the position of a general. I believe some of you may have heard of me.¡± 2 ¡°Travis Spanner? General?¡± Everyone¡¯s face fell at these words. Chris was especially fearful. Others might not know it, but he knew very well how scary the western warzone was. Only one who was experienced in battle and had strong military control could obtain this position. Even the Mighty Three had to show their respect in the face of this man. In this world, money and status were far inferior to power! Rich people did not necessarily have power, but people with power must have money! This man before him was the prime example of someone with money and power. The point was his power came from the military. He could convict anyone of any crime in just a word! For example, treason! ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time, so I¡¯ll just ask one question. You¡¯ll survive if you answer honestly. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be convicted for the crime of treason!¡± Travis threatened without beating around the bush. ¡°General, we will fully cooperate with the investigation!¡± Florence nodded, her legs trembling with fear. She had no choice. This man¡¯s demeanor was too domineering! ¡°Alright. Let me ask you, did my brother¡¯s death have anything to do with you?¡± Travis asked. The crowd got anxious as soon as he said those words. ¡°No! It has nothing to do with us! We don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯re all innocent!¡± ¡°General! You must be mistaken! We have nothing to do with Sir Spanner¡¯s death!¡± Everyone shook their heads in fright. They would definitely lose their lives if they admitted to such a thing. ¡°Is that so?¡± Travis snickered coldly. He waved his hand without another word and ordered, ¡°Edward, take a look at these people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Edward slowly limped out of the room. As his gaze fixed on Dahlia, he immediately took on a lustful expression. However, his lust quickly turned to resentment. Now that he had be crippled, he wouldn¡¯t feel anything even before this exquisite woman. ¡®Since he couldn¡¯t get her, he would rather destroy her! At this thought, Edward¡¯s face contorted into a nasty look. ¡°Uncle! It¡¯s her, Dahlia! My dad¡¯s death must have something to do with her!¡± Edward pointed at Dahlia, then turned around and pointed at Chris, shouting, ¡°And him! He also has a grudge against me! He might be suspicious too!¡± Chapter 53 Chris waspletely dumbfounded to be pointed out by Edward. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Edward to do so. He didn¡¯t do anything, but somehow he got involved. ¡°Tell me honestly, did you have anything to do with my dad¡¯s death?¡± Edward red and shouted. ¡°No! It had nothing to do with me! I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Chris shook his head in fear, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t know, or you don¡¯t want to tell?¡± Edward narrowed his eyes menacingly. ¡°Mr. Spanner, I really have no idea! This is all a misunderstanding!¡± Chris started to plead, every inch of his body was begging for mercy. Although he knew Edward was taking the opportunity to settle their personal grudge, he couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Huh! It seems like you won¡¯t spill without some pressure. Come, beat him up!¡± Edward ordered, and two officers immediately took action. ¡°Wait!¡± James suddenly stopped them. ¡°Do you know who he is? He¡¯s Chris Nn of Nn Pharmaceuticals! He¡¯s also very close with Mr. Anderson! If you dared touch a hair on him, Mr. Anderson would not let it slide!¡± ¡°There! Uncle Travis, you heard it. This guy is rted to Hunter Anderson! He must be one of the murderers!¡± Edward suddenly became excited, as if he had caught Chris admitting to the crime. ¡°So you¡¯re Hunter¡¯s aplice that killed my brother?¡± Travis red at him. There were two main suspects in this case. One was Hunter Anderson, and the other was Dahlia Nicholson. This man was connected to both of these people, so he was obviously involved. ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t me!¡± Chris was slightly startled, and he quickly shook his head. ¡°I have nothing to do with Mr. Anderson! I don¡¯t know anything at all. This whole thing was a misunderstanding from start to finish!¡± ¡°Chris, why do you have to be afraid of them? You have Mr. Anderson to help you. They wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you!¡± James proimed proudly. ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Chris was so terrified he threw his arms around andnded a p on James¡® face. Mr. Anderson was nothing! This guy was a generalmanding thousands of troops! Who could stop someone like him if he goes mad? ¡°Chris¡­ Why did you hit me?¡± James held onto his face in pain. ¡°Didn¡¯t you give Mr. Anderson a phone call to save my sister when Sir Spanner was messing with her? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°Fuck you! How dare you speak nonsense! Shut up!¡± Chris was about to cry. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Was this guy an idiot? Couldn¡¯t he read the room? ¡°We have a witness and physical evidence! I¡¯d like to see you exin yourself!¡± Edward gloated. He just CS CamScanner wanted to take advantage of the situation. He didn¡¯t expect to actually get results. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Edward, this guy is bullshitting! I didn¡¯t do anything. It was aplete coincidence that Mr. Anderson showed up that day! They were the ones giving me all the credit willingly!¡± Chris had no choice but to tell the truth as the situation started to get out of hand. ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you help my sister?¡± James was very confused. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Chris berated angrily. ¡°Who am I to request for Mr. Anderson? You should really use your brains! If I had that power, I wouldn¡¯t go bankrupt!¡± ¡°What? Bankrupt?¡± The entire Nicholson family was shocked by his words. They couldn¡¯t react for a moment. ¡°At this point, I won¡¯t bother to hide anymore. Dustin was right. Nn Pharmaceuticals is under investigation, and we¡¯re going bankrupt. Now, it¡¯s just an empty shell!¡± Chris could no longer be bothered. He would do anything to be set apart from the Nicholson family. ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you? You said thepany was going public. How could it go bankrupt?¡± Florence was dumbfounded. ¡°Going public? That¡¯s bullshit! I just said that to fool all of you! There¡¯s no such thing on earth! I wouldn¡¯t even think of you if the dividends existed! Stop dreaming!¡± Chris had a grim expression on his face. He was bbing about everything at this moment. He would do anything to draw a line between himself and the Nicholson family to save his life. ¡°You mean you¡¯ve been lying to us?¡± Florence was shocked and in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s right! I just wanted to snag some money and run away. Who knew you¡¯d be dumb enough to believe it!¡± Chris sneered. ¡°You monster! How could you cheat us of our money? Pay us back!¡± Florence shrieked and jumped at Chris. That was her retirement money. She had invested everything to get the bonus. Who knew it would all be in vain? It was as if her whole world had copsed! ¡°You sly wolf! We trusted you! How could you cheat us of our money? You¡¯re an animal! Give us back the money!¡± The others were also agitated and started to protest, but they were quickly forced back by the armed guards. Only Florence was quick enough to leave a scratch mark on Chris¡¯s face. ¡°The money is gone! Truth be told, I¡¯ve transferred all the funds overseas. You should just give up!¡± Chris camepletely clean. His words were like a knife, stabbed through their chests. They had never felt more regret! If they had known this, they wouldn¡¯t have been greedy and believed in Chris¡¯s nonsense. ¡°Why would you do this?¡± Dahlia frowned in confusion. She never expected Chris¡¯s capital increase would be a scam. Moreover, Dustin was being kind when he tried to tell her the Nn family was going bankrupt. However, no one believed him. This was really a big p in the face! ¡°Why? Of course, it was for money! I¡¯ll have women when I have money. You should all know this!¡± Chris snickered. ¡°So the partnership with the Harmon family had nothing to do with you either?¡± Dahlia asked tentatively. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Chris admitted to it inly. ¡°My dad never called the Harmon family. They made the decision themselves. I just took advantage of the situation! The funny thing was you all believed me without a doubt!¡± Dahlia waspletely dumbfounded. Everything turned out to be a misunderstanding. Chris never helped her in any way and even cheated her of her money. The worst part was that he had taken credit for everything and kept her in the dark. He had such wild ambitions! The question was, who had helped her behind her back if it wasn¡¯t Chris? Chapter 54 ¡°Could it be Dustin?¡± Dahlia wondered. She then immediately dismissed this thought. That was impossible! They were already divorced. Besides, they were now like water and oil. Why would he help her? Moreover, he wasn¡¯t capable of it. ¡°Chris Nn! You¡¯re such a vile and despicable human being! I must¡¯ve been blind to believe in someone like you!¡± ¡°Bastard! I even thought of you as family! You¡¯re even worse than that trash, Dustin!¡± Florence and James cursed at him after knowing the truth. They had put their whole trust in Chris. They didn¡¯t expect him to be a fraud. ¡°We all have to look out for ourselves! You only have yourself to me for being so dumb!¡± Chris mocked scornfully. ¡°Shut the fuck up! My ears are sore from listening to your bickering!¡± Edward roared, and everyone fell silent at once. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, I have nothing to do with the Nicholson family. I don¡¯t know Hunter Anderson either. The Nicholson family was behind Sir Spanner¡¯s death! I had nothing to do with it!¡± Chris knelt on the floor with a thud and started to beg. ¡°Uncle Travis, how should we deal with him?¡± Edward asked. Travis didn¡¯t say a word. He took two steps forward and dered to Chris, ¡°I don¡¯t care about what you have to do with the Nicholson family. I just want to know who the murderer is! Tell me, and I¡¯ll spare you, or else you face the same fate as them!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Chris suddenly had an idea and said in a hurry. ¡°I figured it out! It must be Dustin! He must¡¯ve murdered Mr. Spanner!¡± ¡°Dustin? What a familiar name.¡± Edward pinched his chin in deep thought. ¡°Edward, did you forget? He¡¯s the one who beat you up!¡± Chris started to bber. ¡°It was him!¡± Edward immediately remembered and added resentfully, ¡°Uncle Travis, Dustin is the most suspicious of all!¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Travis asked coldly.. ¡°I saw him at the Emerald building this morning. I don¡¯t know where he went after that. Oh, Dahlia is in charge of the Emerald building. She¡¯s also Dustin¡¯s wife. She must know where he is!¡± Chris pointed at Dahlia and pushed all the me onto her. ¡°Bullshit! Dustin and my sister are divorced!¡± James immediately refuted. ¡°That¡¯s right! We have nothing to do with Dustin. His mess has nothing to do with us!¡± ¡°Yeah! You should look for Dustin. We¡¯re all Innocent!¡± CS CamScanner Everyone started to protest, afraid of being involved in this matter. ¡°I¡¯ll decide if you¡¯re innocent or not. Everyone is guilty before we find the murderer!¡± Travis scoffed coldly. ¡°That damned Dustin! He¡¯s going to kill us all!¡± ¡°This is so unfair! We¡¯ve obeyed thew our whole lives. Why did we meet such a troublemaker?¡± The Nicholson familymented together. ¡°Leave Dahlia and lock up the rest of the Nicholson family!¡± Travis gave the order. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The adjutant saluted, and armed soldiers led Florence and the others into the car. As for Chris, he was shocked out of his wits. ¡°Where are you taking them?¡± Dahlia frowned with worry. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about them. You should worry about yourself.¡± Travis slowly inched closer and asked coldly, ¡°Where is Dustin? Are both of you involved in my brother¡¯s death? You¡¯d better be honest, and I¡¯ll end you quickly! Otherwise, your entire family would join you!¡± ¡°Sir Spanner¡¯s death has nothing to do with me! I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Dahlia denied. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Travis snorted. ¡°It seems you won¡¯t say anything without some force.¡± He waved his hands, and two soldiers came forward and bound Dahlia up and hung her in from the ceiling. ¡°Let me go! You¡¯re abusing your power!¡± Dahlia kept on struggling. However, her wrist hurt more with each struggle. ¡°Abusing my power?¡± Travisughed at her statement. ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t got a hold of the situation. Now, your life is in my hands. I decide if you die or live. I¡¯ll ask you one more time, where is Dustin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Dahlia shook her head stubbornly. ¡°Huh! I think you would only give up after facing death! Beat her up until she spills it!¡± Travis commanded. A burly underling quickly came forward dragging a barbed whip. ¡°What are you doing? I¡­ Dahlia¡¯s face paled, and as she was about to say something, the whipnded hard on her back with a crack! With that crisp sound, her clothes tore, and a deep, bloody wound was left on her back. Dahlia moaned and gritted her teeth, holding in pain. What quickly followed were multiple whips. The blowsnded on her one after another. Dahlia finally couldn¡¯t hold it in and let out a scream. Her body was in such pain it started to tremble. Her pale and smooth back instantly became bruised and bloody! This whip was a specially designed torture device covered with dense spikes. Even a man couldn¡¯t endure a dozenshes, let alone a woman. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Spill!¡± Travis stood to her side and watched unfeelingly. Dahlia bit her lip in pain. She was sweating profusely, but her eyes were set with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Hit harder!¡± Travis was losing his temper with her andmanded his underlings to use more strength. As a result, the sounds of the whip and screams began to erupt one after another. Chris couldn¡¯t bear to watch on. He could only lower his head in silence. Edward, on the other hand, had a disturbing smile on his face. Chapter 55 After being subjected to the torture, Dahlia finally passed out. Her back was bloody and horrific to look at. The fresh wounds were still bleeding profusely, her body still twitching uncontrobly even while she was passed out. ¡°General, she has lost consciousness!¡± one of his men reported. ¡°Wake her up and keep going.¡± Travis spat coldly. ¡°Uncle Travis, can I have a go?¡± Edward interjected eagerly. Ever since he was crippled, there had been a tremendous shift in his psychology. The more beautiful a woman was, the more he wanted to destroy her. ¡°If you want to, go ahead.¡± Travis nodded in approval. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Travis!¡± Edward grinned eerily. Once Dahlia awakened, he wielded the whip in his hand and struck her. ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Just kill me!¡± Dahlia could no longer endure the pain. Her mind was at the end of its rope. Now, she could only hope they would put an end to her misery. ¡°Kill you? Not so fast! I haven¡¯t even had enough!¡± Edward smiled sadistically and continued with the torture. After a while, Dahlia, covered in bruises, fell into aa again. ¡°General, the murderer hasn¡¯t been revealed. If this continues, she will die soon,¡± the adjutant reminded. ¡°This woman is so stubborn!¡± Travis was impressed. This torture device was typically used to coerce confessions. People usually confessed to everything after three whips. Even specially trained forces would not be able to handle a dozenshes. Yet, this woman was able to withhold dozens of whips without revealing anything. Even he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. ¡°Hang her at the entrance as bait. Call off the surrounding guards and see if Dustin wille to rescue her.¡± Travismanded. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the adjutant answered and hung the unconscious Dahlia at the gates. ¡°Don¡¯t you die on me! I¡¯ll have my fun with you when I capture Dustin!¡± Edward licked the drops of blood at the corner of his mouth with a perverse smile. Dustin had just finished his meal at the Peaceful Medical Center when he received a call. It was Hunter Anderson, and he sounded like he was in a hurry. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯ve received news that Ms. Nicholson has been arrested!¡± CS CamScanner ¡°Arrested?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°It¡¯s Travis Spanner! He arrested Ms. Nicholson and her family for the crime of treason. They are receiving private punishment now!¡± Hunter exined. Dustin¡¯s face fell when he heard this. He knew very clearly what type of person Travis was. No ordinary person could bear the torture methods in the war zone! ¡°Where is Travis?¡± Dustin was very anxious. ¡°At the Spanner Vi. Mr. Rhys, Travis has set an ambush for you. You shouldn¡¯t be too impulsive. Wait¨C Before Hunter could finish, Dustin had already hung up the phone and rushed out. When he arrived at Spanner Vi, he saw a woman hanging from the front of the vi doors. The woman¡¯s hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and blood trickled down her body. It was a horrible sight to behold. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Dustin¡¯s eyes widened in shock when he realized the woman hanging there was Dahlia! Dustin balled his hand into a fist. A murderous aura erupted from him. Suddenly, there was a gust of strong wind that sent the rocks flying. Even the surrounding temperature started to drop rapidly. Dustin shot up and cut off the rope with one hand. He caught Dahlia, who was covered in blood, and landed gently on the ground. At this moment, Dahlia had already passed out, and the wounds on her back were an unsightly mess. The sight of those whip marks and wounds pierced Dustin¡¯s heart like a sharp knife. ¡°Just kill me,¡± Dahlia mumbled unconsciously. She must have suffered a lot of pain to ask for death. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dustin¡¯s hands were trembling. Tears pricked his eyes. He knew that Dahlia was in this mess because of him. He dragged her into this. 1 ¡°Haha! Dustin Rhys, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Edward roared as he and his men walked out slowly. ¡°You did this?¡± Dustin raised his head slowly, his eyes fixed on the whip in Edward¡¯s hands. ¡°So what? What can you do to me at this point?¡± Edward was not afraid at all. Although his uncle had withdrawn half the troops, there were more than a dozen heavily armed elites ambushed around. Each of these men could defeat a hundred people. It would be easy to deal with this one man. ¡°Dustin, is it? Did you kill my brother, Trevor?¡± Travis asked. ¡°It was me.¡± Dustin answered inly. As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Edward. ¡°I¡¯m d that you admit it. Now, go pay for your sins before my brother¡¯s coffin before I end your life,¡± Travis said coldly. ¡°Pay for my sins?¡± Dustin snorted coldly, ¡°Even your superior, Adam Spanner, would not speak to me this way.You¡¯re nothing to me!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Travis raised an eyebrow. Adam Spanner was themanding general in the western army. He was also his superior. Only a handful of people know about his existence. How had Dustin heard of him? ¡°You know Chief General Spanner?¡± Travis was slightly taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to take your own life out of respect for Adam. This way, your body might still be intact!¡± Dustin demanded. ¡°Keep my body intact?¡± ¡°Before Travis could respond, Edward guffawed loudly. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Open your eyes and recognize your ce in this world!¡± As he spoke, the other hidden elites immediately revealed themselves. Each armed soldier looked very threatening and menacing. However, Dustin didn¡¯t even pay any attention to them. His eyes were focused on Edward as if he were already a dead man. ¡°His body could stay intact, but you would have nothing left but bones!¡± Then, Dustin immediately made his move. Chapter 56 Dustin took a step forward and leaped into the air. He moved as fast as lightning. ¡°Quick! Kill him!¡± Edward immediately tensed up and yelled when he noticed Dustin make a move. However, before the armed elites could react, Dustin had already leaped forward. Dustin reached out and kicked one of the armed elites, who flew away like a piece of paper. A hole was pierced through the bulletproof vest on his chest. Even his bones were shattered! Before he couldnd, Dustin swerved before another person and kicked him in the neck. After killing two people in a row, Dustin did not stop and continued his attacks frantically. Anything he touched was destroyed in mere seconds. No one could stand in his way. These armed elites could not even react to his speed and strength. In a short time, they were defeated one after another. Their guns couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed. Not even a single shot had been fired. The entire time Dustin had been holding on to Dahlia and attacking with his feet! Edward was dumbfounded as he watched what unfolded. He looked like he had seen a ghost. These elites were experienced in battles and each one were heavily armed. It should be effortless to defeat Dustin. Howe they were the ones on the chopping board? What was happening? ¡°Is he a martial arts expert? No wonder he¡¯s so full of himself!¡± Travis narrowed his eyes in surprise. It had not been easy for him to obtain his current position. He was also quite skilled and knowledgeable in martial arts. All the elites in the army have to be trained in martial arts. With the exception of intelligence agencies, proficiency in martial arts greatly affected the ranking of military personnel. The skills disyed by Dustin easily qualified him to be a highly ranked officer! ¡°General, this man is quite powerful, should we retreat?¡± the adjutant asked in a low voice. ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s rare toe up against such an expert. I want to personally fight him!¡± Travis loosened his muscles. That burly body of his carried the strength of a panther. ¡°Your turn!¡± When thest person fell, Dustin¡¯s eyes once again fixed on Edward. ¡°Uncle Travis! Save me!¡± Edward stumbled back in fear. ¡°Nobody would be able to save you today!¡± Dustin stepped forward and headed toward Edward. ¡°Your opponent is me!¡± Travis roared and leaped toward him. He threw a punch at Dustin. Dustin didn¡¯t even look at him as he severed Travis¡¯s leg without any hesitation. As Edward was calling out for help, Travisnded his fist on Dustin¡¯s back. There was a loud explosion. Dustin was unmoved, but his clothes tore open, revealing his muscr body. CS CamScanner Travis, on the other hand, was taken aback by the impact and spat a mouthful of blood as he stumbled to the ground. ¡°General!¡± The adjutant was ovee by worry and he quickly helped Travis up. Travis coughed violently, feeling a surge of blood rising inside. His fist, especially, was trembling uncontrobly, as if it had lost all senses. ¡°This is not possible!¡± Travis was shocked as he stared at his trembling arms. His eyes were filled with shock. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Dustin¡¯s body would be so imprable. His full strength did not even make a scratch on his opponent, yet he had sustained multiple internal injuries. Dustin was an absolute beast! Who on earth was this man? Travis raised his head in confusion and doubt. In an instant, he stood there dumbfounded as if struck by lightning because he realized that there was arge tattoo on Dustin¡¯s sturdy body. It was an animal with a dragon¡¯s head, an ox¡¯s tail, a tiger¡¯s back, a bear¡¯s waist, and a snake¡¯s scales. It was a ck beast! The tattoo of the beast was so realistic that, as Dustin breathed, it looked as if it wasing alive. It looked so majestic and ferocious! It was so daunting! ¡°A kirin tattoo?¡± Travis was stunned, as if he had suddenly remembered something. He looked terrified. His surname was Rhys, with a tattoo of a ck beast, and he knew themanding general. Could he be the Rhys family¡¯s Kirin?! No! That wasn¡¯t possible! Why was the man that stirred up the whole of Chouxe and disappeared for ten years here? ¡°Are you of Chouxe descent?¡± Travis asked tentatively, his lips quivering. ¡°Oh? You finally figured it out?¡± Dustin slowly turned around with a nk expression. There was no harm in him knowing as he was going to die anyway. ¡°It really is you. Why are you here?¡± Travis was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. His confidence from beforepletely dissipated. There was nothing but fear on his face. No wonder he knew Adam Spanner. It turned out he was the legendary Kirin! Travis was done for! He had angered someone that made even Sergeant Adam uneasy! ¡°General? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The adjutant was horrified. He had never seen Travis with such a terrified expression. He could remain calm even on a mountain of corpses on the battlefield. He had always been fearless in the face of danger. What happened to him now? How could a tough guy like him be trembling from fright? Who was this man Dustin? ¡°We¡¯re done for.¡± Travis fell to the ground with a thud dejectedly. He knew he would die today. The only difference was if he would die in one plece. ¡°General! I¡¯ve called for backup. They¡¯ll be here soon! Hold on!¡± the adjutant tried to encourage him. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°There¡¯s no use.¡± Travis shook his head as if he had been exhausted of all strength. ¡°General, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The adjutant started to panic. Travis trembled as he pointed at Dustin and stammered, ¡°He¡¯s the Kirin of the Rhys family, Logan Rhys!¡± The adjutant froze when he heard this name. His face was as pale as ash. They were done for! The dead hade back to life. Chapter 57 Who was Logan Rhys exactly? The hurricane that had stirred up the city of Stonia! The demon that had disturbed the peace of the people! He was also the one behind the tragedy in Osnal ten years ago. No one had ever expected that a 15¨Cyear¨Cold could cause so much destruction. Thus, it was no wonder Travis was horrified to see him. Who would¡¯ve guessed that the man who was standing in front of them was the stuff of legends who had disappeared from the face of the ten years ago. THE Logan Rhys! The adjutant¡¯s legs instantly gave out, causing him to crumple to the ground with a thud. His mind was drawing aplete nk at the moment. After Dustin gave Travis, who was behind him, a nce, he started walking toward Edward. *Help me, Uncle Travis! Uncle Travis!¡± Cradling his broken leg. Edward kept screaming his head off as he wriggled on the floor like a maggot, trying his hardest to evade Dustin. ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t even have a corpse left after I kill you!¡± Dustin dered as he picked up a long whip covered in spikes from the ground, then delivered a swift blow to Edward¡¯s face mercilessly. ¡°Argh!¡± Edward cried out in pain. The skin of his face was torn apart down the middle, and blood started spurting out of the wound. Dustin didn¡¯t hold back and delivered another swift blow to another part of his body. As a crunching sound rang out, Edward¡¯s skin and flesh, along with his clothes, got torn to shreds. ¡°Gah!¡± he yelped miserably once more and resumed crying for help. ¡°Hurry, Uncle Travis! Please save me!¡± Even though he witnessed all this happening, Travis didn¡¯t move a muscle. It was as if he didn¡¯t hear a thing. all while Dustin showed no mercy, delivering blow after blow onto Edward¡¯s battered frame. Every blow caused blood and flesh to spurt out, and the man kept screeching in excruciating pain. ¡°S¨Cstop hitting me! I fucked up! I know I really fucked up this time!¡± Edward begged for mercy profusely as he knelt on the ground. However, his cries fell on deaf ears, and Dustin continued to whip him, his eyes devoid of mercy. *This was for all the pain Dahlia endured up until now. I¡¯ll make sure you pay it back ten, no, a hundred¨Cfold!¡± Dustin eximed to himself. ¡°Good, good! You¡¯d better whip his ass to death!¡± Chris Instigated from a corner of the room with a mischievous look. The saying went that the wicked always got what wasing to them. This was proven true by Edward, the amateur evil mastermind, who ended up abused and beaten up by mega superviin Dustin Rhys. Just as Dustin was in the middle of exacting his revenge, a long procession of cars suddenly drove toward CS CamScanner them and halted right in front of Spanner Vi. Arge number of armed elites swarmed out of each car to seal off the entire premise. The armed elites, who were all d in ck suits and body armor, each carried with them a gun on their backs. All of them looked intimidating. Even if they were just standing there quietly, they still gave off a very menacing feeling. Plus, this was more than a step uppared to Travis¡® menst time! ¡°So¡­ it was Rhys who sent them!¡± Travis thought and immediately felt a pang of despair after looking at the army of elite forces. Thest trace of hope he had in his heart vanished that very second! At that moment, the door to a Rolls¨CRoyce suddenly opened, and Hunter Anderson got out of the car. ¡°Mr. Anderson?¡± The moment the badly battered and bruised Edwardid his eyes on Hunter, he felt as if his savior had arrived. He immediately perked up and started wing his limp body toward Hunter, frantically begging him for help. ¡°Help me, Mr. Anderson! This kid is trying to kill me! Q¨Cquickly, arrest him for me! As long as you help me now, half of the Spanner¡¯s fortune will be yours!¡± Edward offered without hesitation, fully intent on luring him into saving him with his obscene riches. After all, wasn¡¯t life more important than all the riches in the world? The whipping he¡¯d endured had already scared him shitless. He knew very well that if the whipping didn¡¯t cease, he would get beaten to death sooner orter. ¡°Is that you, Edward Spanner?¡± Hunter asked as he gazed upon the bloody figure before him. He had to examine him for a bit before recognizing him. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! You must save me on behalf of Sir Hummer, Mr. Andersin!¡± Edward pleaded as hey on the ground, clutching Hunter¡¯s pant leg with a deadly grip. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Hunter growled in response as he kicked him away and ignored his pleas. Instead of helping him, he quickly walked over to the other side of the car, bent over slightly, and opened the car door to reveal an old man d in a dated suit. He got out of the car and started walking nonchntly using a cane. ¡°Sir Francis, you¡¯d better be more careful¡­¡± Hunter cooed and reached his hand out to prop the old man up. Edward was dumbfounded after witnessing him act all respectful and humble like that. It was known for a fact that the person standing in front of him was the President of the Swinton Group, one of the three major groups in the city. He was even the type tough and joke around with someone of such high standing as Sir Hummer. So, who exactly was this old man who managed to bring out his humble side? What the hell was going on?! Then again, he wasn¡¯t the only person who was surprised at this turn of events. CS CamScanner Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Chris, who was still hiding in a corner, also had a bewildered look on his face. In his eyes, Hunter Anderson was an influential man whose standing was at the top of Swinton. So, who was this person able to reduce him to the demeanor of a mere servant? What was the identity of this man d in such a dated suit in front of him? ¡°Sir! Please help me, sir!¡± Aftering out of a daze, Edward immediately limped over to the old man in the suit and kept bowing his head to him, disregarding the fact that he had no idea who the old man was. It was obvious to him that this man was way more influential than he thought, judging by the fact that he regarded Hunter Anderson as his grandson. Heck, he might even be a government official from Stonia for all he knew! Thus, as long as this mammoth of a man was willing to lend him a hand, he¡¯d be able to reverse his fate and even turn his life around! Hearing Edward¡¯s plea for help, the suited old man merely shot him a nce before withdrawing his gaze. He then proceeded to tidy his hair and straighten his clothes. After making sure that he looked immacte and presentable, he started walking toward Dustin. Then, to the utmost shock and dismay of everyone at the scene, he dropped to his knees on the floor and knelt before Dustin. ¡°My sincere greetings to you, Mr. Rhys!¡± he proimed. Chapter 58 Silence ensued. The atmosphere was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop. Everyone was stunned and dumbfounded the moment the elderly gentleman in the suit knelt down in front of Dustin Rhys. No one had remotely expected that such an influential man with the power to make Hunter Anderson grovel in front of him would kneel in front of Dustin! It was almost like he was a ve who was greeting his master. What the hell was going on here?! ¡°Uh-..¡± Chris hummed and froze on the spot, his face full of disbelief. He had thought that Dustin was only good at fighting, but who knew that this man turned out to be more powerful and influential than he thought? Hunter Anderson was already an influential figure in his own right, wasn¡¯t he? So why did he have to grovel and act meekly in front of the older gentleman in the suit? Surely, the older gentleman in the suit was even more powerful, right? So why on earth was this big shot kneeling in front of Dustin Rhys?! How dare that bastard. This was simply too humiliating! The scene in front of him clearly showed him how terrifying the man he despised, Dustin Rhys, truly was. ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s impossible! Absolutely impossible!¡± thought Edward, who was scared shitless at this point. From the moment he witnessed the older man in the suit kneel, his spirit had been utterly shaken! This instantly shattered his remaining hope for survival. Now, only despair and fear were left in its ce. Who would have thought that his perceived lifeline would turn out to be Dustin¡¯s servant of all people? Shit, what kind of monster had he gotten himself tangled with this time? He was just way too different from Chris and Edward. At this moment, Travis felt his death looming on the horizon¡­ He reckoned that it was his fate that he would not be able to leave this ce alive today the moment he found out about Dustin¡¯s true identity. If he put up a fight, he, along with his entire family would be eradicated! ¡°Dustin, it¡¯s been ten years. I can¡¯t believe I finally found you!¡± Sir Francis said as he knelt on the ground. Tears streamed down his face profusely, but he didn¡¯t give a shit what other people thought of him at the time. Dustin, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even flinch at this. Instead, he looked at him indifferently, as if he was aplete stranger. ¡°Fuck off!¡± he screamed as he averted his gaze from Sir Francis before walking up to Edward. His intent to kill was at its peak now! ¡°P¨Cplease don¡¯t kill me¡­ Please don¡¯t kill me. Just spare my life, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Edward whimpered In fear. pissing himself in the process. Even so, he didn¡¯t stop bowing his head and begging for mercy. CS CamScanner ¡°If I don¡¯t kill you now, I won¡¯t be able to let go of this hatred in my heart!¡± Dustin growled maniacally as he put one foot forward to stomp on Edward¡¯s chest, which caused thetter¡¯s eyes to widen, and look up at him with resignation and fear. So much for a peaceful death. ¡°Mr. Rhys! I¡¯m willing to ept death as my punishment, but please spare the lives of my puny subordinates!¡± When Dustin¡¯s gazended on Travis, they immediately knew that their time on this earth was up. Without another word, the both of them took out their knives and slit their necks simultaneously. No one had the privilege of negotiating with Dustin at this point. After seeing the two corpses fall to the ground, Dustin said nothing as he left the scene immediately with Dahlia in his arms. Sir Francis let out a long sigh, his expression conflicted. Although he¡¯d already found him, seeing how turbulent his heart was now, he wondered if he¡¯d ever return to normal. ¡°How should we go about this, Sir Francis?¡± Hunter asked with his head lowered. Standing before the older man, his status and reputation were like pieces of paper that could be torn into shreds at any time. ¡°Don¡¯t let the news get out. As for everyone rted to this matter, dispose of them all,¡± Sir Francis replied Indifferently. The cavalier manner in which he said it made Hunter¡¯s heart quiver in fear. Does he not know the number of people who would have to suffer because of this? ¡°P¨Cplease don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m friends with Dustin!¡± hollered Chris, who had been hiding all this time. He ran out in a panic the moment he saw that the elite forces surrounding him were preparing to burn down the house. ¡°You¡¯re a friend of Dustin¡¯s?¡± Sir Francis asked as he looked him up and down. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! We¡¯re best buds! We even had dinner together before!¡± Chris nodded profusely, akin to a chicken pecking rice off the ground. At this point, he¡¯d do anything to stay alive. ¡°Is that so? Then can I trouble you to ensure the he doesn¡¯t stay out toote?¡± Sir Francis requested, his tone softer now. ¡°Yes, of course, I¡¯ll definitely tell him that!¡± Chris immediately assured him. ¡°Someone please drive this gentlemah.¡± Sir Francis gestured. ¡°N¨Cno, no, it¡¯s fine¡­ You don¡¯t have to! I can go back by myself!¡± Chris replied while waving his hands in the air frantically. How could he still have the nerve to get in someone else¡¯s car when he was already this scared?Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sir Francis didn¡¯t pursue the matter further and merely waved his hands to let his team know to disperse. CS CamScanner ¡°I¨CI¡¯ll get going then¡­¡± Chris murmured before fleeing as if he¡¯d just escaped from prison. He thanked God for his quick wits, which helped him save his skin just now. However, he reckoned that he couldn¡¯t stay in Stonia for much longer. He decided to leave once he¡¯d saved up enough money. 1 ¡°Sir Francis, I¡¯m convinced that man just now wasn¡¯t very honest with us,¡± Hunter remarked respectfully. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, he¡¯s just an ant to us, so it doesn¡¯t matter if we kill him or let him live.¡± Sir Francis said nonchntly. It was evident to him that Chris was lying the whole time, but he did not dare take the risk, as he feared that Dustin would not take too kindly if he involved himself in his matters too much. He certainly didn¡¯t want to make himself an enemy of the Kirin! Half an hourter, over at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin felt his heart shatter as he gazed at the bloody gash on Dahlia¡¯s body. Although the two were divorced, it wasn¡¯t easy to shrug off three whole years of feelings toward one another. Some emotions simply could not be contained, it seemed. After taking a deep breath, he took off her clothes and began carefully cauterizing the wound for her. Although his movements were subtle, when touching certain wounds, her unconscious body would still twitch from the pain involuntarily. This prompted him to be more careful in handling her. Whether it was cleaning up, disinfecting, putting on ointment or badges, he made sure to be extra cautious every step of the way. Once everything was done, he breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing that a film of sweat had formed on his forehead. Just as he was about to up and leave, a slender hand suddenly reached out to grab his wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t leave me here¡­¡± In her unconscious state, Dahlia looked as if she was experiencing a nightmare. Her tightly closed eyes kept rolling from side to side as she kept muttering inaudibly. Dustin fought to control his rising emotions. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, I¡¯m right here.¡± He slowly moved to sit next to her, holding her hand with both of his hands. ¡°D¨Cdon¡¯t go. Dustin¡­ Seeming as if her sense of security had returned, her murmurs slowly became softer, and she started to calm down. However, she held on to his hand for dear life and refused to let go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he mumbled as he felt the force behind her fingertips. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of heartache at this. In the past, she had never shown him her soft side and always insisted on being a strong, Independent woman. However, after today, he realized that the icy businesswoman lying in front of him was also a woman who needed someone to care for her. Chapter 59 Two dayster, at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dahlia finally woke up. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a very in room that contained a table, two chairs, and a hospital bed. She thought everything looked vaguely familiar, as if she had been here before. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± Dustin quipped as he appeared at the entrance of the room. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. He was carrying a bowl of chicken soup in one hand. Even though it wasn¡¯t the most vorful dish, the soup looked tantalizing to her as she hadn¡¯t eaten anything for the past two days. So much so that her stomach began to growl non¨Cstop at the sight of it. ¡°Were you the one who saved me?¡± she asked first to break the awkward tension between them. ¡°You were injured and unconscious on the roadside, so I patched you up,¡± he answered inly. 1 ¡°You patched me up?¡± she repeated with furrowed brows. A split secondter, she hastily asked, ¡°Oh, right! How long have I been unconscious? What¡¯s the situation with the Spanners now? Are my parents in danger?¡± The sudden barrage of questions made his head spin. ¡°You were unconscious for two days and two nights. Your family is safe and sound. As for the Spanner residence, it has been engulfed in mes,¡± he answered each of her questions calmly. Upon receiving news that her family was safe, she couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, it didn¡¯t take her long to ask another question in surprise. ¡°Engulfed in mes¡®? What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but I heard that there was a gas leak, so all 20 to 30 people inside the Spanner residence got burned alive inside,¡± he said. ¡°A gas leak? Do you suppose it was a coincidence?¡± she asked in a confused manner. ¡°The wicked reap what they sow. The Spanners have done many evil deeds and always sought to harm others. Seeing them fall from grace like this, I suppose this was just karmaing for their ass in a way.¡± Dustin said. She nodded in response, feeling a sense of relief on the inside. With the Spanner household destroyed, she surmised she did not have to worry about being their target anymore in the future. ¡°Alright, stop letting your mind wander. Have some soup first,¡± he said as he handed her the chicken soup. ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied. Since she was hungry, she didn¡¯t refuse his kind gesture and happily started digging. into the soup. She managed to finish the entire bowl shortly after. However, she still felt hungry after finishing her food and considered licking the bowl. ¡°I¡¯ll get you another bowl,¡± he said after noticing her expression and served her another bowl of chicken soup. Without a word, she devoured the second bowl of soup as well. CS CamScanner Now that she was having the chicken soup, she soon felt a pleasant warmth in her stomach, which made her feel so content it was hard to describe in words. Although the two bowls of soup may not look like much, he was the one who cooked them precisely because he was aware that they were very good at speeding up the recovery process. ¡°Still hungry?¡± he asked. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from letting out a small burp. She realized that she mighte across as improper to him, so she tried to swallow the air back into her stomach. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve already had your fill then. Be sure to get lots of rest, and I¡¯lle backter.¡± Before he could leave, she called out to him and said, ¡°Wait! I have something to say to you!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± he said, as he stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. ¡°It¡¯s about Chris. I¡¯m sorry for using you,¡± she muttered. After hesitating for a second, she clenched her teeth and continued, ¡°That guy wasn¡¯t a good person to begin with. I can¡¯t believe he managed to trick us out of such arge sum with his silver tongue. If only we had listened to your advice in the beginning.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today? Did the great Ms. Nicholson just apologize to someone?¡± he teased. ¡°What do you mean? Do I seem like such an unreasonable person to you?¡± she shot back, clearly offended by his remark. ¡°I¡¯m kidding! So what if I got used again? It¡¯s not like this is the first time anyway, so forget about it,¡± he said and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why does it sound so wronging from you?¡± she retorted while wrinkling her brows. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just forget about the past, shall we? Now, take off your clothes¡­¡± he said casually. ¡°Huh?¡± Her expression instantly changed and she subconsciously shielded her chest with her arms. ¡°What are you nning to do to me?¡± she eximed. ¡°No need to get so worked up, you have injuries, so I¡¯m just helping you change your bandages,¡± he answered as he lifted up a bottle of ointment in one hand. ¡°You want to change my bandages for me?¡± she repeated. As if she had just realized something, she hurriedly quipped, ¡°Were you the one who changed my bandages for the past two days?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± ¡°Then, I¡­ You¡¯ve seen everything by now?!¡± she cried, her eyes wide as saucers. ¡°So what if I¡¯ve seen everything? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen them before, so what¡¯s the big deal?¡± he said easily. ¡°You get your ass out of here right now!¡± she screamed in response, her face flushed from the shame and CS CamScanner anger. She couldn¡¯t believe the nerve of this man. How dare he undress and touch her body without her consent. How despicable! ¡°I can still scram if you want, but I¡¯d advise you to give it some thought. Although the injuries on your body have healed, the scars are still there. So, if not treated in due time, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to get rid of them in the future,¡± he patiently exined. She bit her lip and began to feel somewhat conflicted on the inside. ¡°Fine, since you obviously don¡¯t care about that, I won¡¯t help you anymore. You¡¯d better not regret it when you see yourself covered in scars in the future,¡± he retorted with his hands across his chest before turning around and beginning to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± she hollered, finally heeding his advice. It was simply a woman¡¯s nature to take care of her appearance. Even she wasn¡¯t an exception. The thought of her body being covered in scars was worse than the idea of getting killed! ¡°What, changed your mind?¡± he asked as he turned back to face her with an amused look. ¡°Help me change my bandages, but with your eyes blindfolded!¡± she ordered, then threw a random piece of clothing that was lying next to her at him, as if to vent her frustrations. However, her whole body froze when she realized what she had thrown at him. It turned out the item of clothing she just threw at him was her underwear! ¡°You sure have weird tastes. I refuse to use this as a blindfold, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he remarked as he threw the panties back to her. ¡°S¨Cshut up!¡± she stuttered in embarrassment, her face turning pinker by the second. Her pretty face was simr to a ripe peach covered in morning dew now. He was tempted to touch her. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll only apply the ointment on your back while you apply the rest on the front yourself,¡± he finally relented, for fear that she would storm out of the room. ¡°Hmph!¡± She pouted. It was only after multiple bouts of hesitation that she finally agreed to his n. Her injuries needed to be healed, but it wasn¡¯t like she could take care of the scars on her back properly without external assistance. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished applying the ointment on your back evenly¡­¡± he trailed off before continuing in a cold voice.¡°¡­ Now, on to your butt¡ª¡± Chapter 60 After struggling to get away from him, Dahlia¡¯s face was as red as a tomato. Beads of sweat trailed down her body. Her sultry eyes looked as if they could drill a hole into Dustin¡¯s skull. Didn¡¯t he just apply some ointment on her? So why was she giving him such an embarrassed look? ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen enough? Get out!¡± she screamed as she pulled up the nket to cover her body. Her slender waist and upturned hips were a sight to behold indeed. ¡°Just apply this ointment for three to five days, then your scars will disappear,¡± he said bluntly. He then put down the ointment before leaving the room sheepishly. After about ten minutes, Dahlia exited the room fully clothed. Compared to the woman full of rage and shame a moment ago, the woman in front of him now was her usual, cold self. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She pretended as if nothing had happened between them at all ¡°Lend me your phone. I have a call to make,¡± she ordered as she rushed over to him while he was sipping on some chicken soup with her hand outstretched. He didn¡¯t make a peep as he handed his phone over to her without hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s your lock screen password?¡± she asked. ¡°Your birthday,¡± he answered without even lifting his head. His answer made her stiffen and a small corner of her lips turned upwards for a short while before disappearing again. ¡°Hmph!¡± She pouted, feigning disdain. After unlocking his phone, the first number she dialed was her family, to update them on her whereabouts. Following that, she dialed Lyra¡¯s number. *So good to finally hear from you again, Ms. Nicholson! Where have you been for the past two days? Howe there weren¡¯t any updates at all?¡± Lyra asked anxiously. ¡°Something came up, so a few things had to be put on hold. How¡¯s thepany doing now?¡± she asked. ¡°The newpany just opened shop and is currently doing well. And with the Harmon family¡¯s backing. everything is in order. However, the Jackson Group managed to get itself into some hot water the past two days, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Lyra exined. ¡°What kind of hot water?¡± she asked, feeling a little uneasy. ¡°We had a hard time recouping our funds as several partners have not paid back their share of the money yet, so thepany was unable to break even. It¡¯s a good thing that you still have that reserve fund of 80 million dors, just enough to save thepany.¡± Lyra chuckled. CS CamScanner ¡°Reserve funds?¡± she repeated while her expression twisted into a frown. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the money is gone,¡± she admitted. ¡°Gone? What do you mean gone?¡± Lyra spluttered. ¡°I trusted the wrong person. I was fooled by Chris,¡± she answered honestly, without trying to conceal the truth. She then gave Lyra a quick rundown of the events that transpired. Upon reaching the end of her story. Lyra exploded in a fit of rage. ¡°That bastard Chris is certainly a piece of work! How dare he cheat us of our money when we put all our trust in him! Let¡¯s get him arrested right away!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point. He¡¯s probably fled the country by now,¡± she mumbled as she let out a soft sigh. ¡°What should we do now, Ms. Nicholson? Thepany has no liquidity, so it¡¯ll be hard to run operations normally.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think of something¡­¡± she trailed off in reply. ¡°Oh right, don¡¯t we still have the Harmons? Since we¡¯re their partner, the Harmons can definitely help us if only you give them a call,¡± Lyra suggested hurriedly. ¡°The Harmons?¡± she asked with wrinkled brows. She would¡¯ve thought of doing that had she not learned about Natasha before this, but it was impossible to ask her for help now. Dahlia had her pride as a woman too, so she absolutely refused to bow down to Natasha Harmon! ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this, so you go busy yourself with other matters now,¡± she directed. After exchanging a few more words with her secretary, she hung up the phone. ¡°What¡¯s this about thepany being in hot water?¡± Dustin looked up and asked. ¡°Drive me to Eastern River Bank. I have something to do there,¡± she ordered without giving him an exnation. mymand,¡± he said with a nod before finishing his soup in one gulp. ¡°Your wish is my He then drove the both of them in his car to Eastern River Bank. Upon her arrival at the bank, Dahlia was quickly ushered into a private office. As for Dustin, he was instructed to wait outside. ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this Ms. Nicholson from the Jackson Group? What brings you here to my office today?¡± Sitting inside the office was a balding man with a fat head and big ears. He perked up the moment he laid his beady eyes on her. ¡°Mr. Chansey, mypany has encountered some problems with our capital turnover, so we need a loan from you with the same interest rate as before,¡± she exined concisely. ¡°A loan? How much?¡± he asked while stroking his chin. His lecherous eyes looked her up and down. *80 million dors,¡± she answered without flinching. CS CamScanner ¡°Heh, you are aware that this isn¡¯t a small sum of money, right?¡± he shot back with a pained expression. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve worked together, Mr. Chansey. You should know where mypany stands by now,¡± she retorted. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s no longer a matter of credibility, but my mood, Ms. Nicholson,¡± he said slowly. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked, puzzled. ¡°We¡¯re both smart, so I¡¯ll say it outright. I¡¯ve taken a liking to you for quite some time now, Ms. Nicholson, so I¡¯m proposing that if you sleep with me for one night, be it 80 million or 300 million dors, I¡¯ll make sure to lend all of it to you!¡± he said, leering. ¡°Do you have any idea what you just proposed, Mr. Chansey?¡± she shot back, her brows furrowed. ¡°I said what I said. I¡¯m well aware that yourpany is in a crisis right now and that you need money fast. So, I don¡¯t suppose yourpany could get through these tough times without my funds, right?¡± he said amusedly. ¡°Are you threatening me right now?¡± she asked as her expression darkened. ¡°No need to phrase it like that, think of it as a mutual exchange. You want my money, and I want you for one night. If you manage to satisfy me, I¡¯ll lend you the money. Isn¡¯t this a mutually beneficial situation for everyone?¡± he exined while stretching his hands outward. 1 ¡°You¡¯re absolutely shameless!¡± she snapped. She didn¡¯t want to give him any more of her time, so she got up to leave. ¡°You¡¯d better stay right where you are!¡± he bellowed before continuing. ¡°The minute you step out of my office, I¡¯ll make sure to cklist you! Then, good luck finding another bank in Stonia that¡¯s willing to lend you your funds! Thus, you¡¯d better listen to me if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± ¡°I refuse to make such a dirty deal with you even though I¡¯m short on cash! Furthermore¡ªjust the sight of your pig face makes me want to vomit!¡± she spat coldly. ¡°What the fuck did you just say to me?!¡± As though she managed to hit a nerve, he instantly got out of his seat and started yelling. ¡°For a married woman, you sure are great at acting like a virgin! You should be d that Iid eyes on you! So, how dare you turn me down like that! Believe it or not, I can make you go bankrupt with one call!¡± ¡°You? Bankrupt me? I¡¯d like to see you try,¡± she snorted. She was not in the least bit afraid. ¡°Fine! Since you¡¯re so fucking sure of yourself, don¡¯t me me if I use a few tricks up my sleeves! When the timees, I¡¯ll have you sucking on my toes!¡± he bellowed. ¡°Go to hell!¡± she yelled. She was so pissed she flung a cup of hot coffee directly onto his stupid face. It was so hot it made him screech like a bitch and his face soon turned bright red. Now he really looked like an actual pig roasting on a stick. Chapter 61 ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± Mr. Chansey screamed as he touched his scalded face. He was so furious he started pouncing on Dahlia. Her quick reflexes allowed her to deliver a swift but deadly kick to Mr. Chansey¡¯s crotch. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Argh!¡± he cried out in pain immediately and started rolling on the floor with his hands over his bruised member, his face turning a darker shade of purple by the second. ¡°You disgust me!¡± she spat before turning around to leave the room. This caused her to bump into Dustin, who had been eavesdropping by the door the whole time. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked angrily. ¡°Nothing, I was just making sure you were doing okay in there,¡± he replied while shrugging his shoulders. His eyes instantly perked up at the sight of Mr. Chansey, who was writhing in pain on the floor. It was a good thing that she¡¯d managed to mess him up, because if he¡¯d stepped in, he¡¯d surely make sure that Mr. Chansey won¡¯t be using his hands ever again for the remainder of his life. ¡°We¡¯re done here. Let¡¯s go,¡± she snapped without any exnation, then started strutting out of the room in her high heels. She was in a sour mood. ¡°You fucking stop right where you are now!¡± Mr. Chansey suddenly bellowed with a fierce expression before continuing. ¡°Running away like a coward after beating someone up? What do you take me for?!¡± Under his orders, several security guards immediately started forming a human barricade in front of the main door to prevent the two of them from leaving. ¡°You bitch! How dare you kick me? I¡¯ll make sure you never see the light of day again!¡± he yelled as he stormed up to her with a hand raised, ready to strike her. Dustin intercepted his blow without much effort. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you meddle in my affairs? You¡¯d better get away from me if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Mr. Chansey hissed. ¡°You¡¯d better apologize to her now before I rip your mouth open!¡± Dustin threatened with an icy expression. ¡°Like hell I will!¡± Mr. Chansey spat, his rage growing by the second. He swung his fist at Dustin, but Dustin managed to dodge it and delivered a heavy p to his face instead. This caused Mr. Chansey¡¯s humongous frame to stumble several feet. The blow had disfigured his face, and when he opened his mouth, some of his teeth fell out. Everyone at the scene was dumbfounded that Mr. Chansey was sent flying. No one had expected Dustin to be So vicious. To think that he had pped Mr. Chansey In front of everyone. Dld he have no idea that this man was the CS CamScanner manager of Eastern River Bank? An influential man with power, money, and a vastwork! To offend such a person was simply asking for trouble! ¡°H¨Chow¡­dare you hit me?¡± Upon noticing the few loose teeth in his palm, Mr. Chansey¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°So what if I just beat you up? Do I have to make an appointment first?¡± Dustin said indifferently. ¡°Do you even fucking know who my backers are, you little shit? It¡¯s the Spanners! The nerve of you to eveny a finger on me, do you want to die so badly?!¡± Mr. Chansey screeched before pulling out his phone to call for backup. ¡°Hmm?¡± Dahlia frowned slightly before making a call herself. 15 minutester, Florence brought a team of security personnel and made her entrance in the shiest fashion imaginable. Standing beside her was a handsome man in a clean suit. The man seemed graceful and elegant and had an aristocratic air to him. ¡°Matt Laney?¡± Dahlia gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at him in shock. He used to be her upperssman in school and had even tried to court her for a short while in the past. But when he¡¯d left the country, the two stopped seeing each other for a long time. She hadn¡¯t expected him to return so soon, much less with her mother. ¡°Dahlia! How are you? You¡¯re not hurt, right?¡± Florence asked worriedly the moment she entered through the door. She was scared that her daughter had gotten hurt. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. There¡¯s no need to worry,¡± Dahlia replied as she shook her head slightly. ¡°Long time no see, Dahlia,¡± Matt greeted first, as polite as ever. ¡°Yeah, long time no see,¡± Dahlia responded with a small nod. Although she was still somewhat taken aback by his sudden appearance, she decided to regard him as a school friend for now. ¡°I heard that you came across some troubletely, so that¡¯s why I rushed all the way here with your mom. So if there¡¯s anything you need our help with, just let me know,¡± he said with a grin. His words were calm but full of confidence. ¡°I know, right? Nothing is impossible with Matt around!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you caught wind of the incident where our family got arrested. Thanks to Matt, we managed to get out safe and sound,¡± ¡°Not only that, but he also caught that bastard Chris and recovered all the money we were cheated out of!¡± ¡°Just look at him. He should be the first person thates to mind when you think of a capable man!¡± Florence yammered on, praising him every other sentence. CS CamScanner Dahlia could only muster a strained smile upon hearing all of that. ¡°Thanks,¡± she mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s no biggle. No need to make me sound so great,¡± Matt grinned. ¡°What are you doing here, Rhys?¡± Florence quizzed as she shifted her gaze to see Dustin standing next to her. She looked somewhat disgusted upon seeing him. ¡°Mom, it was Dustin who saved me,¡± Dahlia exined. ¡°He was the one who saved you? Hmph, it was more likely that he hurt you instead!¡± Florence¡¯s expression and gaze turned cold as she said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this man who offended Mr. Woods, our family could¡¯ve avoided all that undeserved misfortune in the first ce!¡± ¡°Mom, this whole thing started because of me. It has nothing to do with Dustin,¡± Dahlia corrected. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still taking his side even now. You will regret it sooner orter!¡± Florence eximed, almost losing her cool. If not for Matt standing beside her, she would have flung all sorts of expletives at her already. ¡°Hey, hey, hey¡­ Where did you guyse from again? Do I look like I¡¯m invisible to you all?¡± At this time, Mr. Chansey, who was standing in a corner, finally lost his cool. ¡°Who are you?¡± Matt asked while ncing at him from the corner of his eye. ¡°I¡¯m the manager of this bank!¡± Mr. Chansey barked as he shot him a re. ¡°I demand that these two people pay the price for offending me today!¡± ¡°Do you know who I fucking am? How dare you speak to me like that?¡± Matt spat in response as his expression grew cold. ¡°I don¡¯t care who the hell you are! As long as your nose is in my business, I¡¯ll make sure you never see the light of day too!¡± Mr. Chansey threatened viciously. As soon as he finished saying that, two ck cars drove up to the entrance of Eastern River Bank. Immediately after, an army of buff thugs rushed into the building, their leader being an intimidating man who wore a trench coat and held a cigar in his hand. The way he walked made him look mighty imposing. ¡°Heh¡­ My backer has finally arrived. None of you will be able to escape today!¡± Mr. Chansey guffawed wickedly. It wasn¡¯t like he had any connections or a good background, so how dare he act so cocky? ¡°Holy shit! Isn¡¯t that Sir Zims? What is he doing here?¡± someone whispered. ¡°Sir Zims? The new chairman of the Drey Group?¡± another piped up. ¡°It¡¯s him! I heard that he was the one who was ruthless enough to kill Sir Spanner in order to climb to the top!¡± one eximed. ¡°That guy¡¯s dead meat. I can¡¯t believe he got involved with Sir Zims,¡± another gossiped. CS CamScanner Whispers erupted from the crowd after everyone got a look at the man in the trench coat. Some even gave Dustin a few sympathetic looks afterward. Sir Zims¡® infamous name could be heard everywhere these days, up to the point where the mere mention of his name was enough to make anyone turn pale. ¡°Hmm?¡± Dustin hummed. He couldn¡¯t help but get an odd feeling in his stomach upon looking at the imposing man in front of him. And that was because he just realized that Mr. Chansey¡¯s supposed backer was his own newly acquired follower, Mason Zims. Chapter 62 ¡°Who dares to stir up trouble on my turf? Do they have a death wish?¡± Mason Zims bellowed as he strutted with a cigar in his mouth. Everywhere he went, the crowd dispersed as they were all afraid of provoking him. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Even Dahlia¡¯s expression turned grave uponying eyes on him. Although Trevor Spanner was dead, Mason Zims managed to inherit all of his power and was glowing in his element. With Edwin Hummer behind his back too, not many had the privilege of offending him. sitively ¡°You escape through the side door. I¡¯ll cover for you!¡± Dahlia ordered as she stepped forward to shield Dustin. She was an influential figure herself, so even if Mason was batshit crazy, she knew he didn¡¯t have the balls to do anything to her. It was a different story for Dustin though, for he wasn¡¯t an influential figure or anything. So, if he were unfortunate enough to fall into Zim¡¯s clutches, he would end up dead or disabled, at the very least! ¡°You want him to escape? Where to? As long as Sir Zims is here, even if Jesus came down from Heaven today. He won¡¯t be able to save you! Your death is imminent!¡± Mr. Chansey huffed before cockily strutting up to Mason. ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived, Sir Zims! Just take a look at my face. Look how it got beat up!¡± Mr. Chanseymented. ¡°What happened here?¡± Mason asked with an eyebrow raised. ¡°The story is, this woman approached me for a loan just now. But when I noticed that she had bad credit, I refused to lend her any money. Who knew she¡¯d be so shameless as to start seducing me on top of toying with other men? And just because I didn¡¯t want to give in to her mind games, she beat me up! Can you believe this?¡± Mr. Chansey lied through his teeth, spewing out bullshit the whole time. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s a wild one, I see? Did you mention my name?¡± Mason snapped. He didn¡¯t look like he came here to make friends. ¡°Of course I did! But they didn¡¯t bat an eye at the mention of your name and even boldly proimed that they¡¯d just fight you if you showed up!¡± Mr. Chansey instigated. ¡°Good¨Cno, excellent! If I don¡¯t flex my muscles once in a while, people will start thinking I¡¯ve lost my touch!¡± Mason guffawed wickedly. He had just taken control of the Drey Group and was worried he¡¯d have no opportunity to push his weight around. It was about time a few people who weren¡¯t afraid of death came up to him today! ¡°What a load of crap!¡± Dahlia exploded after holding herself back for so long. She took a few steps forward and started exining. ¡°Sir Zims, I was the one who approached him to take out a loan, but not only did he deny me a loan, he even tried to make things difficult for me! All those usations about seducing him and toying with other men were totally made up and untrue, to say the least. He was lying the whole ti- But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a wave from Mason¡¯s hand. ¡°What makes you think that I care about the truth? I don¡¯t give a shit about who was right or wrong. The fact of the matter was that you picked a fight with someone on my turf, which meant that you were indirectly disrespecting me as well! So, for everyone who disrespects me, whether it be Tom, Dick, or Harry, I¡¯ll have them kneel in front of me to beg for forgiveness.¡± CS CamScanner Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but frown upon hearing that. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so unreasonable. ¡°Heh, didn¡¯t you hear what he just said? Hurry up and kneel on the ground and beg for your life to be spared!¡± Mr. Chansey snickered. He was well aware of Mason¡¯s character, which was why he dared to act so cocky and reckless now. ¡°Tell me¡­Who was the man who hit you just now? Let¡¯s see if he can escape with his hands intact today!¡± Mason twirled a knife in his hand. He vowed to make an example of someone today, no matter what! ¡°Sir Zims, he was the little shit who beat me up!¡± Mr. Chansey stretched out a finger and pointed. As Mason chewed on a cigar hanging from his mouth, he raised his chin and turned his head around to see who it was. However, the moment his gaze met Dustin¡¯s, it was as if his whole body was struck by lightning and he became frozen on the spot! The steel knife in his hand also fell to the ground and ttered on the floor. ¡°Oh, my God, why him of all people?!¡± Mason thought nervously. His body stiffened upon gazing at Dustin¡¯s familiar face. Cold sweat immediately broke out on his face. He was so scared his legs started to buckle. Even after all this time, that image of Dustin wiping out an entire building by himself was still as fresh in his mind as ever. It still gave him nightmares to this day. He became even more frightened after hearing about Travis Spanner¡¯s disappearance and the destruction of Spanner Vi two days ago. That was because he knew very well that it was all Dustin¡¯s doing. Somehow, Dustin had managed to make Travis Spanner, a general of the western warzone, disappear without a trace in just one night. That just solidified how terrifying the man standing in front of him was! ¡°Fucking pig! Why¡¯d he have to get me in this mess!¡± he grumbled to himself. ¡°Weren¡¯t you barking like a rabid dog just now, you little shit? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now that Sir Zims is here?¡± Mr. Chansey, who still didn¡¯t get the memo, continued taunting Dustin as if he had nine lives.¡± Let¡¯s see if you dare p me again. I¡¯ll see to it that you die a horrible death today!¡± The moment he finished speaking, Mason saw a chance to redeem himself and rushed forward to p the living daylights out of Chansey! The sound of a crunch came, followed by a staggering Mr. Chansey, who looked like he was about to copse any second. A red handmark could clearly be seen on his face. ¡°Sir Zims? A¨Caren¡¯t you beating up the wrong person right now?¡± Mr. Chansey mumbled as he used his hands to cover his somewhat shocked expression. ¡°Me, beating up the wrong guy? But you¡¯re the guy I¡¯m supposed to beat up!¡± Mason roared furiously, and without skipping a beat, he lifted a hand to p Chansey a few more times before throwing him onto the ground. As if that did not quell his rage, he started to punch and kick Chansey again, cussing him out as he went. ¡°You fat pig! I feel like throwing up whenever I see you! Why would such a stunning woman like Ms. Nicholson seduce you? Do you even know what you look like?! How fucking dare you spread my name so casually like that! How dare you make a fool out of me, I¡¯ll see to it that you stay dead!¡± CS CamScanner The more he cursed, the fiercer he became and the more blows he delivered. At this point, Mr. Chansey had been beaten up to the extent of crying like a little bitch, screaming for his parents, while he cradled his head and begged for mercy at the same time. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± someone whispered from the crowd. The sudden turn of events left the crowd stunned. No one had expected the tables to turn so drastically. Wasn¡¯t Mason, who arrived like a hurricane minutes before, supposed to be on Mr. Chansey¡¯s side? So why was he beating up his own teammate instead? Who was on whose side now actually? ¡°Um¡­¡± Dahlia trailed off as her eyes widened. She was speechless at Mason¡¯s sudden shift in attitude. ¡°Just a second ago, he paraded around like a cocky motherfucker, acting so domineering and unreasonable but now he was pretending as if he had a halo on his head, and was putting on a righteous front. More importantly, she could obviously make out that there was a trace of fear on his face. However, that was the part that got her stumped. Could one still be fearful of anything or anyone after assassinating someone so powerful as Sir Spanner? Looking around the room, her gaze eventuallynded on Dustin. Come to think of it, Mason¡¯s sudden shift in attitude seemed to have something to do with his encounter with Dustin. Was it possible that Mason was terrified of Dustin? Chapter 63 ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Dahlia thought. She denied the notion as soon as it emerged. Apart from his good looks, Dustin was just an average man. There was nothing special about him. Mason, on the other hand, had not only taken over Sir Spanner¡¯s position and had authority over the Drey Group, but he also had hundreds of henchmen at his beck and call. Why would he be intimidated by a small fry like Dustin? She must be delusional. Mason¡¯s kicks and punches rained down on Mr. Chansey unceasingly, causing him to spit blood. He saw no other way to it than to give Mr. Chansey1 a good beating for fear that Dustin would do him in out of wrath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir Zims, I was wrong! Please stop, I¡¯m begging you, please stop!¡± Mr. Chansey cried out between wails. Mason only stopped after he sneaked a nce at Dustin and saw that his countenance was much calmer than before. He counted himself lucky that there was a scapegoat. He would have been in a bad spot otherwise. ¡°A fat lot of use apologizing to me! If Ms. Nicholson does not forgive you, you will not see tomorrow!¡± Mason scolded harshly. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Ms. Nicholson! I was wrong, it was all my fault. This will never happen again. Please forgive me!¡± Mr. Chansey was on his knees as he begged for forgiveness. Long gone was his unbridled arrogance. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t ever let me see you again!¡± Dahlia uttered frostily. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get lost right this instant!¡± He nodded incessantly and dashed for the exit. He did not even stop to retrieve his shoe that fell off on his way out. ¡°My apologies, Ms. Nicholson. The me is on me. He offended you because I have not disciplined him well. I will reflect on my mistakes.¡± Mason smiled apologetically. He was a smart cookie. Knowing that Dustin always maintained a low profile, he did not blow his cover. ¡°How fair and just you are, Sir Zims. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Dahlia gave a slight smile. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m only doing what¡¯s right,¡± Mason replied with a guilty conscience. ¡°Hmph, at least you know where you stand!¡± Matt announced haughtily. ¡°Had Dahlia been harmed in the slightest today, I would not have let you off the hook!¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Mason continued with the same apologetic smile. He had no idea who Matt was, but seeing that he was with Mr. Rhys, Mason was sure he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. ¡°Take your men with you and scram. Such eyesores!¡± Matt said condescendingly. Mason dared not retort. He peeked at Dustin for a brief moment before taking his leave. In no time, all his CS CamScanner ¡°Once again, Matt saves the day!¡± Florence¡¯s eyes lit up as she smiled excitedly. ¡°Dahlia, did you see that? Wasn¡¯t Sir Zims cocky earlier on? But once he saw Matt, he got so scared that he was just short of peeing his pants! And that¡¯s how powerful the Laneys are!¡± As soon as she said that, the realization dawned on the crowd. ¡°No wonder Sir Zims was terrified. We have a big shot here!¡± ¡°I wonder who that attractive man is. It¡¯s amazing how he scared SirZims off like that!¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome and he¡¯s powerful. How does one even resist a man like that?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. A fewdies in the crowd fawned over how charming Matt was. ¡°The Laneys are, after all, a powerful family of the nobility. I think we have a say on what goes on around here. Dealing with a mere thug is no big deal.¡± Matt smiled, feigning modesty. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal to you, but it would definitely not be an easy feat for some people.¡± Florence then looked at Dustin out of the corner of her eye and said cynically. ¡°Hey Rhys, Matt here just saved your life. Are you not going to thank him?¡± ¡°Why should I thank him?¡± Dustin could not seem to fathom it. ¡°Why? Well, had Matt not dealt with Sir Zims, do you think you could get out of this unscathed?¡± Florence asked as she crossed her arms. ¡°First things first, I did not need his help. Secondly, he had nothing to do with me getting away,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Hmph! How stubborn!¡± Florence then continued, full of disdain, ¡°Matt just saved you, and not only are you unappreciative, but you¡¯re also boasting so shamelessly. Have you no conscience?¡± ¡°Precisely! What¡¯s wrong with him? That is so rude of him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not even thanking the person who saved him! Should have left him to fend for himself!¡± A few girls crowded around were outraged by the injustice toward Matt. From the way they saw it, Dustin was in ungrateful. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s just a small matter. Let¡¯s not make a fuss.¡± Matt said with a wave of his hand, trying to look magnanimous. ¡°Oh, Matt, you¡¯re just too kind! Ungrateful bastards like this one here deserve to suffer!¡± Florence was indignant. ¡°I simply saved him for Dahlia¡¯s sake,¡± Matt smiled slightly and turned to look at Dustin. ¡°Speaking of which, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for taking care of Dahlia in my stead for the past three years.¡± Matt appeared to be thanking Dustin, but his words seemed to carry a different meaning. From what he said, he had staked his im on Dahlia, making her his. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re thanking me, why don¡¯t you kneel before me? That¡¯s not too much to ask for, is it?¡± Dustin challenged. CS CamScanner Matt was at a loss for words. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ¡°I was just ying nice. Does he really think I¡¯m easy?¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Hey Rhys, I¡¯m warning you, you better watch your mouth!¡± Florence was furious. Dahlia remained silent, but her brows furrowed too. She thought that Dustin had crossed the line too. After all, Matt had helped him out of a dire situation. Even if he wasn¡¯t grateful, he should at least be polite. ¡°Dustin, you were able to win her hand back then because I went abroad. But now that I¡¯m back, you will not have the chance anymore.¡± Matt lowered his voice as he approached Dustin. ¡°Is that so? I beg to differ.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°You should know where you stand. You and I, we¡¯re in totally different leagues.¡± Matt straightened out his suit and looked down his nose at Dustin with scorn. ¡°Can you even begin toprehend how vastly different we are in social standing? Everything that you dare not even dream of having is within my grasp. And that is the difference between us!¡± He spoke in such low tones that his words were only audible to the both of them. ¡°I do not know where you got your inted ego from, but if there¡¯s one thing you should know, it¡¯s that you do not mess with me.¡± There was no trace of emotion on Dustin¡¯s face. Matt sniggered meanly. ¡°Very well, we shall see then.¡± He reached out to pat Dustin on the shoulder when he paused midway, reconsidering his decision and retracting his hand slowly as though the act would soil his hand. The simple gesture itself was packed with a ton of humiliation. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s not waste time conversing with the likes of him. How about I treat you to a good meal at Hillview Hotel to celebrate your return?¡± Florence suggested with a smile. ¡°I would be honored.¡± Matt turned around and his innocent facade was back in ce again, a smile stered on his face. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go then.¡± Without another word, Florence led Dahlia away. Dahlia turned to speak to Dustin but failed to find the right words to say. Chapter 64 Natasha was enjoying her coffee with Duane at Java Joys. ¡°Do you still remember our bet, Natasha? Three days are up, and I¡¯m still fit as a fiddle. Isn¡¯t it time for you to make good on your promise?¡± Duane asked with a smile as he sipped on his coffee. ¡°Why are e you so impatient, Uncle Duane? We¡¯ve got half a day left before time is up.¡± Natasha said collectedly. ¡°Hah! You can¡¯t really be buying what that little swindler said, can you?¡± Duane found it ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing martial arts for years. How would I not know my own physical condition? Look at me! Does it look like there¡¯s anything wrong with me?¡± 1 ¡°I don¡¯t know if you look like anything, but I trust Dustin¡¯s judgment.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Hmph! I wonder how that little swindler brainwashed you. Why do you trust him so much?¡± Duane wondered aloud. ¡°Who knows? Maybe this is just how things were meant to be.¡± The corners of Natasha¡¯s lips tugged upward as she thought of Dustin. ¡°Anyway, half a day is left before time is up. If you¡¯re still fine before the sun sets, I¡¯ll make good on my promise!¡°1 ¡°Fine! Half a day it is, then! When the time is up, I¡¯ll show you what a liar that little swindler truly is!¡± With that, Duane left with his bodyguards in tow. Once they were out the door and got into their car, one of Duane¡¯s trusted bodyguards couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°I don¡¯t get it, sir. Ms. Harmon is such an exceptionaldy. Why would she fall for that little swindler?¡± ¡°She never ys by the book. When you find an opportunity, look into Rhys¡® background.¡± Duane instructed. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The bodyguard started the car after answering him. As the car drove on, Duane leaned back to rx. Not a momentter, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He dismissed it initially, but as time went on, the pain became increasingly acute and unbearable. It felt like a knife was stabbed into his chest and twisted around continuously. As tough as he was, the pain caused him to gasp. ¡°It can¡¯t be! Could it be that the little swindler was telling the truth all along?¡± he wondered. Duane clutched at his chest as he broke out in perspiration. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± His bodyguard was quick to notice his difort. ¡°Quick! Send me back to Java Joys immediately!¡± Finally, Duane could bear it no longer. He ordered his bodyguard to turn back. Flooring it the entire way, they were back at Java Joys in a sh. ¡°Uncle Duane, what¡¯s wrong? Do you need to use the washroom?¡± Natasha raised her brows at the sight of Duane, who was drenched in sweat. ¡°Who said anything about using the washroom? Can¡¯t you see that he¡¯s in pain?¡± His bodyguard huffed. CS CamScanner ¡°Hmm? And who are you to run your mouth here?¡± The bodyguard immediately lowered his head as Natasha shot a re in his direction. In a split second, his blood ran cold. ¡°Natasha! My chest hurts! Get that little swindler here to help me, pronto!¡± Duane said with agony written all over his face. ¡°Uncle Duane, it seems to me that Dustin was right. He said you¡¯d get an attack within three days, and he wasn¡¯t lying. Doesn¡¯t seem appropriate that you¡¯re still addressing him as a little swindler, does it?¡± Natasha remarked impassively. ¡°Fine, fine! He isn¡¯t a swindler, I was wrong to call him that. Now can you get him here?¡± Duane gritted his teeth. ¡°Uncle Duane, you¡¯re the one asking him for a favor. It¡¯s not nice to make hime here, don¡¯t you think?¡± Natashamented with a vague smile. ¡°You!¡± Duane was on the verge of rage, but in the end he chose to restrain himself. ¡°Where is Dustin? I¡¯ll go to him ¡°Hang on, let me give him a call to see where he is.¡± Natasha smiled as she dug around for her phone to make the call. Once she got Dustin¡¯s location, she announced, ¡°Peaceful Medical Centre.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Move it! Get to Peaceful Medical Centre right away!¡± Duane dared not dally any longer. He rushed to the medical center. What should have been a 30¨Cminute journey took them only 15. They ran multiple red lights along the way. ¡°So you are here, you rascal!¡± Duane made his way in covered in sweat. He spotted Dustin, who was reading, the moment he entered. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m suffering in such agony, and here you are, happily reading?¡± Duane cursed internally. ¡°Uncle Duane, why are you here?¡± Dustin was taken aback for a brief moment, but he quickly came around. From the looks of it, he must have suffered an attack. ¡°Tell me! I¡¯ve been well all along. Why am I suddenly experiencing pain in my chest? Have you got something to do with this, you brat?¡± Duane questioned through clenched jaws. He had little faith in Dustin to begin with. And now, he was really suffering within three days, just as Dustin had predicted. It was only natural that he would suspect that Dustin was behind everything. ¡°Uncle Duane, what are you implying? Are you saying that I did this to you?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows knitted together. showing his displeasure. ¡°Forget it! I don¡¯t care who did it! Just get over here and treat me!¡± Duane said impatiently. The pain in his chest was getting unbearable. Every second that passed was pure torture to him. His priority was to get relief. ¡°Why the hell are you still standing there? Get your ass here right this instant! If my boss¡® condition gets any worse, I¡¯ll make you regret the day you were born!¡± Duane¡¯s bodyguard, who was by his side, threatened. Dustin¡¯s expression froze over when he heard those words. They were the ones who needed his help, but this was the kind of attitude they came with? Who did they think they were? ¡°If this is the attitude I¡¯m getting, then you¡¯d better find someone else to heal you. I¡¯m not the person to help you,¡± Dustin dered tly. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Duane stopped for a moment before his expression turned malicious. ¡°You bastard! I only came here because of Natashal Don¡¯t be so full of yourself!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Dustin scoffed. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m only addressing you as Uncle Duane out of respect toward Ms. Harmon. If not for her, you are nothing to me. Also, it would do you good to figure out how things stand right now. You are the one who came to me, asking for help. Not the other way around! Now, please get the hell out of here!¡± Chapter 65 Dustin¡¯s words took everyone by surprise. No one had expected him to be so audacious as to disregard them. ¡°You brat! Are you even hearing yourself?¡± Duane¡¯s jaws were tightly clenched and his expression was slightly distorted from the anguish. He was a person of prestige in South City, much less a small ce like Swinton. And now, this little scoundrel dared speak to him like that? How impudent! ¡°I know very well what I¡¯m saying. You, however, do not seem to fathom the severity of the situation at hand. I am the only one who can help with your condition,¡± Dustin spelled out coldly. ¡°You rascal! Don¡¯t go around thinking that you¡¯re some miracle worker just because you¡¯ve got some medical tricks up your sleeves! You better know what¡¯s best for you before I lose my temper!¡± Duane bellowed. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll break your face if you don¡¯t cure my boss!¡± Duane¡¯s bodyguard threatened. ¡°You¡¯ll break my face? I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°I guess this one wouldn¡¯t be afraid until death stares him in the face!¡± The bodyguard was angered. He took a step forward and threw a punch at Dustin¡¯s face. His fist was on the target, and it came on fast. It was evident that he was a skilled fighter. Before the punch made contact with his face, Dustin grunted and gave the bodyguard such a strong p that it sent him sprawling backward. The bodyguard did not even have the chance to make a sound as he passed out on the spot, face disfigured. Duane¡¯s face fell. It never urred to him that Dustin was proficient in martial arts too. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Natasha came strolling in at her own pace, looking haughty and carrying an air of authority. Even without knowing what was going on, she instinctively stood by Dustin. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Natasha! This insolent rascal not only refused to heal me, he even beat my man up! Tell me, how do you think. this should be handled?¡± Duane asked with hostility. ¡°Uncle Duane, I believe Dustin would not have attacked your man without being provoked. That being the case, your man brought it upon himself!¡± Natasha responded firmly. Duane¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°So, you¡¯re adamant about taking his side?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Natasha lifted her chin. ¡°Dustin is my friend. If you have any problem with him, you may come to me.¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re turning against me for an outsider? Have you considered how you¡¯re going to tell your parents about this?¡± Duane roared. ¡°That¡¯s not something you should worry about, Uncle Duane. I¡¯ll deal with them myself.¡°Natasha then continued stonily, ¡°But you, Uncle Duane, look like you¡¯re in serious pain. I think you¡¯d better seek help. Don¡¯t wait till it gets any worse.¡± ¡°You! Very well! Let¡¯s go!¡± After giving them a spiteful re, Duane left in a huff. Natasha¡¯s reaction was not CS CamScanner what he expected. But considering her status, he had no intention of crossing her, so he had no choice but to walk away. ¡°Will you be in any sort of trouble for helping me out?¡± Dustin asked. Though he was not intimidated by Duane. he was still grateful to Natasha. ¡°Trouble?¡± Natasha chuckled. ¡°Well, they used to call me ck Widow. Venomous and deadly, apparently. What¡¯s this trivial matter got on me?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that phenomenal?¡± Dustin raised a brow. ¡°But of course! Are you interested in finding out?¡± ¡°Finding out? How?¡± Natasha chuckled yet again. With a sultry grin, she leaned into Dustin and whispered into his ear. ¡°Come over to my room tonight. I¡¯ll show you.¡± And then, she pulled away, biting her lower lip. That was no mistaking it for anything but seduction. Dustin kept quiet and pretended not to hear her. His eyelid twitched. This woman was really something. seducing him in broad daylight. Meanwhile, Duane¡¯s chest was hurting so much that he rushed to the hospital as quickly as he could. ¡°Quick! Get a doctor!¡± Following Duane¡¯s bodyguard¡¯s rude barks, a group of doctors rushed to the emergency ward to tend to him. However, after going through a series of tests, the doctors came to the astonishing conclusion that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Duane. He was perfectly fine. ¡°Sir, are you sure that you are experiencing pain in your chest?¡± a doctor asked. ¡°Why the fuck would I be lying about it?¡± Duane replied none too kindly. ¡°Fuck it! I¡¯m so close to spasming from the damned pain! Why would I be lying?¡± he thought. ¡°Well, the thing is, we are unable to diagnose the issue. Why don¡¯t you get a consultation from another hospital?¡± ¡°You bunch of worthless morons!¡± Duane left after spewing profanities. Without a moment to waste, he hurried to two other renowned hospitals. Still, their conclusions were the same: He was perfectly healthy and nothing was wrong with him. ¡°How could this be?¡± Duane grabbed at his chest, pale¨Cfaced with sweat running down his face. The worst part was that the pain was intensifying as time went on. It was as though he would never see the end of it. He had been practicing martial arts for many, many years, and he believed himself to be tough and resilient. But the excruciating pain he was going through was simply intolerable. He thought that he might lose his mind if it carried on any longer. ¡°Sir, even the hospitals can¡¯t help. What do we do now?¡± Seeing Duane in so much pain, his bodyguards were at a loss. ¡°Could it be possible that the rascal is the only one who can help me?¡± Recalling Dustin¡¯s words, Duane gritted his teeth. Ultimately, he had no choice but to give in. ¡°Head to Peaceful Medical Centre. Get that rascal to help.¡± CS CamScanner Duane¡¯s men dared not question his decision. They immediately sent him back to Peaceful Medical Centre. This time around, they lost all the contempt and arrogance they had before. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Uncle Duane? What¡¯s got youing back so soon?¡± Natasha, who had been biding her time, rose to greet him with a smile. ¡°Natasha, I acted rashly and said some rubbish earlier on. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. Can you please get Dustin to help me?¡± Duane tried to put on a smile. ¡°Uncle Duane, there¡¯s no use telling me that. It¡¯d be better for you to say it to Dustin.¡± Natasha gestured at Dustin behind her. He was reading leisurely, taking no heed of the few men who had just entered. Duane cleared his throat before starting, ¡°Hey, Rhys, I¡¯m really sorry. I was in such agony that I was rash with my words and offended you. Please do not mind me. I¡¯m really sorry, I apologize.¡± Duane chose to yield to him. Seeing that Dustin was ignoring him, he offered, ¡°Hey, if you help me, you can have your pick out of my collection of treasured herbs.¡± Dustin finally lifted his head when he heard that. Chapter 66 Dustin had no interest in wealth or riches. But at the moment, he had a pressing need for rare herbs. The old drunkard¡¯s condition had gotten worse day by day. He might not even make it through the year. He needed to gather five types of rare herbs to be able to treat him. ¡°I am extremely fussy when ites to herbs. Your collection might not necessarily be useful to me,¡± Dustin voiced out. ¡°I can get you whatever herb you need!¡± Duane guaranteed immediately. ¡°Do you have the Gozoraberry?¡± Dustin queried. ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± Duane shook his head. ¡°Flower of Crimson Gem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that either.¡± ¡°What about Cherusia?¡± ¡°Rhys, I¡¯ve never even heard of these herbs you are naming.¡± Duane¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°How about aged Panax root and ancient Heliotrope? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of those.¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes narrowed. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of those! I know those herbs!¡± Duane nodded. Those two herbs cost a king¡¯s ransom, but at least he¡¯s heard of them. ¡°And do you have them?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the ancient Heliotrope, but I can get you the aged Panax root. But it¡¯ll take a few days.¡± Duane answered. ¡°Fine, thene back when you have them.¡± Dustin said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Oh,e on, Rhys! My chest is aching so badly! I can¡¯t stand it anymore! Please help me first! I promise I¡¯ll send the Panax root in a few days!¡± Duane lost his cool. Dustin kept quiet and turned to look at Natasha beside him. He did not trust Duane. What if he went back on his word once Dustin cured him? ¡°Natasha, please, persuade him. You know I never go back on my word. I always make good on my promises!¡± Duane begged. ¡°Of course, Uncle Duane. I know that you never go back on a promise. But I think we can do better than just at Panax root,¡± Natasha bargained. ¡°What else do you need? I¡¯ll try my best to get it.¡± Duane quickly got the picture. It was obvious that Natasha was trying to raise the price now that they were in control. But he was in no position to haggle. ¡°Uncle Duane, I heard that you¡¯ve got quite a number of properties in Swinton. Hillview Hotel, especially, is doing exceptionally well. Why don¡¯t you give it to Dustin as a gift?¡± A vague smile crept up on Natasha¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± Duane¡¯s lips twitched. Damn it! Hillview Hotel was his golden goose! If he were to sell it, he could CS CamScanner easily get up to a billion dors for it! This woman was demanding quite a lot! ¡°Are you unwilling to part with It?¡± Natasha raised a brow. ¡°Of course not! As long as Rhys will save me, a hotel means nothing to me!¡± Duane forced a smile. He had no other alternative than toply with their demands. ¡°Dustin, seeing how Uncle Duane is being so nice, why don¡¯t you help him this time?¡± Natasha turned to him and winked. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Dustin nodded. He then pulled out a ck pill and tossed it to Duane. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine after eating this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The pill looked too much like a turd. A frown formed on Duane¡¯s face. Did he lose close to a billion dors just for this? ¡°If you do not believe me, you can opt not to eat it.¡± Dustin did not pressure him to consume the pill. ¡°Of course I do!¡± Steeling himself, Duane swallowed the pill. He had to try it to know if it worked. The pill dissolved very quickly, and soon Duane felt a warm feeling spreading over his body. As the warmth spread out, the pain in his chest began to dissipate. In mere minutes, the sharp, agonizing pain miraculously disappeared altogether. ¡°It actually worked?¡± Duane was pleasantly surprised. He patted himself all over to make sure that he was really alright. Finally, he heaved a long breath of relief. Chapter 67 ¡°So, Uncle Duane, what do you think of Dustin¡¯s medical skills? Are you impressed?¡± Natasha asked with a smirk, evidently proud. After all, this was the man she had taken a liking to. ¡°Who knew that a single pill could work such wonders?¡± Duane¡¯s eyes lit up as he said. ¡°Rhys, may I know what this pill is? Can I have a few more? I¡¯ll pay for it. Just name your price!¡± I *This is Gemiphen. It¡¯s a confidential prescription. And because the ingredients are too valuable, the pill that you just had was my only one,¡± Dustin replied, aloof. ¡°That¡¯s okay, just sell me the prescription then.¡± Duane was not one to give up easily. He was a tycoon in the medical industry. He knew how immensely precious such miraculous medicines are. If he could manufacture them in bulk, he would have struck gold! ¡°I told you, the prescription is confidential. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m selling it.¡°Dustin stopped himself before he continued, ¡°Of course, if you could find me another rare herb, I can give you the prescription for the Gemiphen. No charges.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Duane appeared reluctant. It was hard enough to get him the aged Panax root. How much harder would it be to get the ancient Heliotrope? As for the Gozoraberry, the flower of Crimson Gem, and the Cherusia, he had never even heard of them, much less know where to get them. ¡°There¡¯s no rush, Uncle Duane. We can continue discussing this after we get the Panax root.¡± Natasha smiled as she rubbed her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m suddenly feeling quite hungry, Uncle Duane. Why don¡¯t we go for a meal at Hillview Restaurant? You can also transfer the ownership of the hotel to Dustin while we¡¯re there.¡± Duane¡¯s eyelid twitched. This was one impatientdy! Though it pained him to do so, there was nothing else Duane could do other than agree. After all, he had made a promise, and he couldn¡¯t very well go back on it. So, after some small talk, they made their way to Hillview Hotel. Hillview Hotel was situated in an excellent location, right by Lake Vestine. It was famous for its rooftop restaurant, which was Hillview Restaurant. Because of its geographical advantage, it had an extraordinary view overlooking half of Swinton. The night view was particrly breathtaking. With exemry service and exquisite food, it was no wonder that Hillview Restaurant was patronized by many of the rich and famous. Furthermore, they only served VIPs, so regr folk were not allowed to set foot there. Once they reached Hillview Restaurant, the three got a private room to themselves and ordered some of the signature dishes. They soon began to dig in. Meanwhile, a Mercedes¨CBenz SUV stopped in front of the main entrance to Hillview Hotel. The car door Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. opened and Florence stepped out of the car. ¡°Matt, Hillview Restaurant is a wonderful ce. Since you¡¯ve helped us out so much, I¡¯ll treat you to a nice dinner today. Dahlia will be here soon. She¡¯s on her way. Let¡¯s head in without her.¡± Florence led Matt and James into the hotel, but when they reached the highest floor, they were stopped by a waiter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯te in.¡± ¡°What? We¡¯re not allowed to enter?¡± James red at the waiter, displeased. ¡°Do you know who we are? How dare you stop me?¡± CS CamScanner ¡°You¡¯re running a business here! Aren¡¯t you supposed to serve guests? What do you mean we can¡¯t go in? Who are you to look down on us?¡± Florence asked mastily. They had anticipated having a good meal there, but they ended up being denied entry. Peeved was an understatement. ¡°My apologies, but we only serve VIPS,¡± the waiter answered respectfully. ¡°What¡¯s so great about a VIP? We¡¯ll just apply to be a VIP then!¡± Florence scoffed. ¡°May I please know if you¡¯re applying for a regr VIP or a Deluxe VIP?¡± the waiter asked with a smile. ¡°Of course we¡¯re going for the Deluxe VIP! Do we look like we can¡¯t afford it?¡± James asked arrogantly as he lifted his chin. ¡°Yes, we only go for the best!¡± Florence whipped out her card. Matt was watching them. She couldn¡¯t afford to embarrass herself in his presence. ¡°Sure. You¡¯ll have to put in a deposit of five million dors for the Deluxe VIP.¡± The waiter was still smiling. ¡°What? Five million?¡± Both Florence and James were bewildered when they heard what the waiter said. Florence, who had her card in her hand, immediately withdrew her hand. Chapter 68 ¡°Are you kidding me? Five million dors for Deluxe VIP?¡± Astonishment was written all over James¡® face. ¡°Exactly! This is daylight robbery!¡± Florence flew into a rage to cover up her embarrassment. She was lucky she drew her card back in time, or she would have maxed out on her card. ¡°These are rules set by our proprietor. If that¡¯s too much for you, you can opt for the regr VIP.¡± ¡°And¡ª how much would the regr VIP cost?¡± Florence probed. ¡°A deposit of one million dors will make you a regr VIP.¡± the waiter informed them. ¡°One million? That¡¯s not much better!¡± Florence frowned. ¡°We¡¯re just here for a meal. It won¡¯t cost so much. Can¡¯t you just let us in? I¡¯ll make sure you get handsomely tipped!¡± Had she known that Hillview Restaurant charged such exorbitant prices, she would never have chosen to go there in the first ce! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we only serve VIPs.¡± The waiter put on a professional smile. ¡°Hey! Why are you so inflexible? Get me your manager! I¡¯ll talk to him personally!¡± Florence could no longer hold in her temper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but our manager is currently serving three other distinguished guests. I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t have the time.¡± The waiter¡¯s smile was slowly fading away. ¡°You!¡± Florence was exasperated. ¡°Mom, forget it. Why don¡¯t we just go somewhere else?¡± James prompted. As lovely as Hillview Restaurant was, it was way too pricey. ¡°We¡¯re already here! We¡¯ll make a joke of ourselves if we leave now!¡± Florence red at him. ¡°Allow me, Mrs. Nicholson.¡± Matt smiled as he stepped forward, gracefully producing a gold card and handing it to the waiter. ¡°I am a Gold VIP, so I get 20% off on all my spending here.¡± ¡°Gold VIP?¡± That gave Florence quite a shock. ¡°How much did that cost you?¡± ¡°Not too much, just ten million dors.¡± Matt smiled. ¡°Ten million?¡± Florence and James¡® eyes widened. Was he joking? Ten million dors, not too much? They had thought that they were pretty well off, but it seemed like they were nothingpared to Matt! ¡°Please step inside, honored guests!¡± In a sh, the waiter¡¯s attitude changed and became exceedingly weing after verifying that the card was valid. ¡°Shall we?¡± Matt gestured courteously for them to go first. ¡°Hmph! Bootlicker! My friend Matt here is a Gold VIP! See that?¡± James strutted in pompously after giving the waiter a dirty look. CS CamScanner Feeling very pleased, Florence sashayed in with her chest puffed up and head held high. Just then, Dustin emerged from one of the private rooms. He had been on his way to the men¡¯s room when he bumped into them. ¡°Rhys? What are you doing here?¡± James scowled at the sight of him. He was still very much hung up on being pped a while back. ¡°If you can be here, then so can I,¡± Dustin answered coldly. ¡°Hah! What makes you think we¡¯re on the same level? We are Gold VIPs here,¡± James dered snobbishly. ¡°That¡¯s right! This ce is exclusively for VIPS, requiring a deposit of one million dors for even the most basic VIP. Can you afford that?¡± Florence remarked condescendingly. ¡°Indeed, I do not have a million dors,¡± Dustin admitted. It was true that he did not have much. But it would not be hard for him to get the money. ¡°Then what are you doing here if you do not have the money? Get out! Do not lower the standards here!¡± James * expression was one of contempt. ¡°Exactly! Go look at yourself in the mirror! Who are you to appear in such a posh restaurant?¡± Florence sniggered. ¡°Oi! You there! Come here and get this guy out! He¡¯s ruining our appetite!¡± James waved a waiter over to kick Dustin out of the restaurant. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he is one of our guests too.¡± The waiter smiled apologetically. ¡°So what? We are Gold VIPs! Is he more distinguished than us? I am telling you to get rid of this person! This is an order!¡± James barked. ¡°Um¡­¡± The waiter looked uneasy. ¡°What? Are you going to disregard a Gold VIP? With such service, you better watch out. I have quite a mind to lodge aint against you!¡± Florence threatened. ¡°My apologies, but we do not have such rules here.¡± The waiter had his hands tied. ¡°Hmph! If you can¡¯t make the call, get your manager here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Get the manager here! I¡¯d like to see if he prioritizes this miserable man over his Gold VIPs!¡± Florence and James pressed unforgivingly. They were making a big show out of having a Gold VIP card. Even the other diners were throwing them dirty looks. Under their persistent demands, the waiter dared not say more and rushed off to get the manager. ¡°Mom, what are the both of you doing?¡± Dahlia called out as she arrived. She was surprised to see Dustin. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for a meal, of course. Why else?¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°This is quite a pricey ce for a meal,¡± Dahlia reminded him. CS CamScanner ¡°Oh, so you think I can¡¯t afford to have a meal here too?¡± Dustin raised a brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Just as Dahlia was about to exin herself, the waiter rushed back with the manager. ¡°I¡¯m the manager here. Is anything the matter?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the manager? Great! There¡¯s a man who sneaked in. I¡¯m ordering you to get him out of here immediately!¡± James was swollen with arrogance. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sir, you must be mistaken. We have very strict security here. No one is able to sneak in,¡± the manager exined. ¡°And I¡¯m telling you, there is! I¡¯m warning you, we are Gold VIPs! If you do not want trouble, you best do as I ¡°say!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s affecting me and seriously ruining my appetite. I don¡¯t care what you say, just get him out of here!¡± Florence and James were throwing their weight around, not bothering to y nice. 1 ¡°Could you please let me know who you are referring to?¡± the manager inquired. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± James pointed at Dustin. The manager¡¯s expression clouded over when he saw that. ¡°Excuse me, sir, please do not try to y the fool!¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re defying me? We are Gold VIPs!¡± James glowered. He sounded like a broken tape recorder. The manager simply scoffed at that. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a Gold VIP. Even if you were the President of Stonia himself, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Because this man here is the owner of Hillview Restaurant!¡± The whole room fell into a breathless silence. Chapter 69 ¡°What? He¡¯s the owner?!¡± James was stunned by the twist in events. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°You must be joking! How could he be the owner of this restaurant?¡± Florence eximed in disbelief. ¡°Why would it be impossible? I have never seen such arrogant and snobbish patrons as the two of you. How dare you try to make a scene here?¡± The restaurant manager replied in disgust. Earlier, he had seen Duane, the preceding owner, handing over ownership of Hillview Hotel to Dustin in the private booth. ¡°This can¡¯t be! Dustin is as poor as a church mouse. Where did he get the money to buy a restaurant?¡± Astonishment was written all over James¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. The only thing you need to know now is that the restaurant belongs to me. I have the authority to kick you out instead,¡± Dustin answered calmly. At this, the expressions on both their faces turned ck with anger and humiliation. They had nned on upstaging Dustin by shoving their privilege as a Gold VIP into his face. Who would have thought that he was the owner of Hillview Hotel? What a disgrace! ¡°Mr. Rhys, should we remove these troublemakers from the restaurant?¡± The manager spoke up. ¡°No need for that. We should provide good service to our customers. Furthermore, they are still our privileged customers. Send them a bottle of red wine on the house,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°Very well, sir.¡± The manager nodded. ¡°What a showoff. Frankly, he only knows how to leech off women!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He thinks that he is such a big shot when in fact, he is just a freeloader!¡± Florence and James grumbled, cursing under their breath. They were not happy about how things turned out. ¡°Thanks for the offer. However, I would have to decline your gift,¡± Matt cut in suddenly. With a winsome smile on his face, he caught the attention of the other women around with his charm and attractive features. Florence took this opportunity to boast. ¡°Dustin! For your information, Matt is an overseas graduate. Not only is he from an elite family, but he is also extremely talented. He is better than you by leaps and bounds!¡± ¡°Precisely! With your measly worth, you don¡¯t even deserve to be his ve!¡± James chimed in. The humiliation they faced just now was instantly forgotten with the support of Matt. What was the big deal? Dustin was only the owner of a restaurant. Moreover, it was not from hisbor. Inparison to Matt¡¯s noble background, he was nothing! ¡°Florence, you are too kind. I was just lucky.¡± Matt brushed her praises off lightly. However, there was a cocky smile on his face. ¡°Look at that! See how courteous and gentlemanly he is. Between you and him, it¡¯s like night and day!¡± Florence dered, gushing over Matt. CS CamScanner By now, Dustin was done. Turning to leave, he replied calmly, ¡°Please enjoy your time here. Excuse me as I have other obligations.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Dahlia caught up to him. ¡°Is this restaurant really yours? Where did you get so much money from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any money. The restaurant¡¯s a gift from a friend,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°A friend? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Natasha?¡± Dahlia continued with a frown on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who it is. Instead, spend that energy on catching up with Matt over some wine. Isn¡¯t he your beloved senior?¡± Dustin huffed before striding away. ¡°You¡­¡± Dahlia clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was only treating Matt to a meal. Furthermore, her brother and mother were present. Why was he being such a prick? Where was his gentlemanliness? Returning to the private booth, Dustin seemed a little down. He couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated when he saw Dahlia and Matt standing side by side. Matt had the looks and the background. To top it off, they almost got together as a couple before this. It was easy to be suspicious of their rtionship. Above all, Dahlia was being extremely guarded. He couldn¡¯t guess what was going through her mind at all. ¡°Mr. Rhys, what¡¯s wrong? Your face has been downcast since you returned. Is something on your mind?¡± Natasha said, lightly teasing him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I met up with some acquaintances outside.¡± Dustin forced a smile.. ¡°Acquaintance? Is it Dahlia?¡± Natasha¡¯s ears pricked up. ¡°You¡¯re right. It is her. Besides, there¡¯s another guy named Matt Laney,¡± Dustin replied honestly. ¡°Matt Laney?¡± Natasha shot him a mischievous smile. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you should stay away from this person!¡± ¡°Do you know him?¡± Dustin was a little surprised. ¡°Not personally, but I¡¯ve heard of him.¡± Natasha took a sip of red wine andughed. ¡°Matt is notorious among the richdies. He is famous for being a real yboy. Not only does he have the looks and the personality, but he is also extremely generous with his money. Who wouldn¡¯t like him?¡± ¡°What, are you also interested in him?¡± Dustin asked hesitantly. ¡°Of course not! He is not my type and is only good at leeching off women. Besides, with you around, who else Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. would I be interested in anyway?¡± Natasha winked at him yfully. Seeing that Dustin was ignoring her advances, she continued with a charming smile. ¡°To be fair, Matt is from a family of aristocrats. However, his family¡¯s Influence went down the drain recently, making him a broke aristocrat. Being brought up with a golden spoon, he had to find unscrupulous ways to maintain his lifestyle. Thus, he is now making a living off the support of rich older women. Many women have been blinded by his lies and lost all their wealth. His modus operandi is to use the wealth of his previous victim to gain the trust of his current target, and the cycle continues. Furthermore, he is meticulous in his deception. Many of his victims are still being strung along by his charms. If he has his sights set on your ex¨Cwife, you must be very careful. In the end, she may not only lose her wealth, but her life may even be in danger!¡± When Dustin heard about this, he frowned. ¡°Who would have known that he is just a swindler!¡± CS CamScanner ¡°Anyway, you should have your guard up when dealing with people like him,¡± Natasha concluded. ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡± Dustin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you seem to be concerned about Dahlia. Could it be that you still have feelings for her?¡± The expression on Natasha¡¯s face was a little dejected. ¡°No. Even though she is my ex¨Cwife, I don¡¯t wish for her to be hurt in any way.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°I hope that is true!¡± With a smirk, Natasha dered in a bossy tone, ¡°Regardless, even if you still have feelings for Dahlia, I don¡¯t mind having a fair fight with her. Once I have my eyes set on you, no one else can With that, she pompously stuck her nose in the air. Chapter 70 Seated by the window, Florence and James were still cursing Dustin. ¡°Who would have guessed that an ipetent oaf like Dustin could be the owner! What has our world come to?¡± Jamesined loudly. ¡°He is nothing but a leech! If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Harmon¡¯s rmendation, he would never have this opportunity!¡± Florence snarled. James had a look of pure jealousy on his face. ¡°That¡¯s right! Once she loses interest in him, Dustin will be discarded like rubbish. Let¡¯s see how arrogant he can be!¡± ¡°Nothing wille out of being a freeloader like Dustin. Conversely, Matt is the epitome of a real man. Not only is he young and talented, he is also an intellectual!¡± Florence praised Matt effusively. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What a pity. Matt, if you hadn¡¯t gone overseas for your studies, you would have been my brother¨Cin¨C law by now!¡± James tried to butter Matt up. ¡°Absolutely! Just so you know, after you left for your studies, Dahlia has been pining after you for a long time!¡± Florence chimed in as well. ¡°Mom! Where did you get this idea?¡± Dahlia frowned in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! If it weren¡¯t for Matt going overseas, you would never have married Dustin!¡± Florence said stubbornly. Before Dahlia could retort, Matt cut in, ¡°Alright, alright. Let bygones be bygones. We should have our meal before it gets cold. The food here is delicious.¡± Florence and James shut up and tucked in voraciously. ¡°James and I are going down to get some groceries. The both of you can take your time.¡± In the middle of the meal, Florence stopped eating and gave James a knowing look. ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯ll apany Mom.¡± James understood his assignment, and they left the table quickly. Clearly, they were trying to give Dahlia and Matt some private time. After Florence and James left, Matt spoke up, ¡°Dahlia, I am very sorry for leaving you without any warning. It¡¯s all my fault. Please give me a chance to redeem myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. You don¡¯t have to be concerned,¡± Dahlia answered nonchntly. She had moved on from Matt long ago, so she couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°That¡¯s great. You have grown more mature since thest time we met.¡± Matt shot her a charming smile. ¡°Please excuse me, I need to go to the washroom.¡± Dahlia patted her lips gently and left the table as well. Staring at her shapely figure, Matt gave an evil smirk. He took out a small packet of white powder, poured it into Dahlia¡¯s wine, and swirled the ss. Coincidentally, the restaurant¡¯s manager witnessed everything Matt had done. Without further dy, he CS CamScanner quickly went to Dustin¡¯s booth and divulged Matt¡¯s evil n. ¡°He spiked her drink? Are you sure?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed together when he heard this. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m positive. I personally witnessed it!¡± the manager affirmed. ¡°Who would have expected that he revealed his true colors so quickly?¡± Natasha narrowed her eyes. Duane spoke up. ¡°Dustin, you should not let this slide. Do you need me to teach him a lesson?¡± ¡°No, I will handle this myself.¡± Dustin got up and left the booth immediately. At that moment, Dahlia had returned from the washroom. Matt passed her the ss of wine. ¡°Dahlia, this is a token of my apology. Cheers!¡± Matt lifted his ss with a smile. ¡°Alright. After this drink, I need to go home as tomorrow will be a busy day at the office,¡± Dahlia said with ¡°resignation. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s make a move after this.¡± Matt did not pressure her further and downed his drink. Just as Dahlia was about to take a sip, Dustin¡¯s voice stopped her. ¡°I would not drink that if I were you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 71 Dahlia looked over her shoulder and saw Dustin walking toward her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your drink has been drugged. You would be in danger if you had drunk it because it renders you defenseless,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°Drugged?¡± Dahlia frowned and turned to Matt, whose expression stiffened for a split second. However, heposed himself immediately. ¡°Dustin, you must be sorely mistaken,¡± Matt said coolly. ¡°You would know best whether I am mistaken,¡± Dustin retorted coldly. ¡°Dahlia, do you really think that I¡¯m such a malicious person?¡± Matt asked with a disarming smile. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Dahlia was taken aback by the sudden question. After some deliberation, she asked, ¡°Dustin, do you have any evidence to support your im?¡± ¡°The restaurant¡¯s manager saw what happened. He could be my witness,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°That¡¯s right! It was clear as day. He spiked your wine with some powder!¡± the manager pointed an using finger at Matt. ¡°Everyone knows that both of you are in cahoots with each other. It would be impossible for me to deny it.¡± Matt shook his head, acting aggrieved. ¡°Dustin, do you have stronger evidence for your ims? Do not judge someone based on unfounded usations!¡± Dahlia had a serious look on her face. Based on her knowledge of Matt, he wasn¡¯t someone who would do such a thing. ¡°I already have a witness backing me up. What evidence do you need? Would you rather believe him over me?¡± Dustin frowned, anger building up within him. ¡°I¡­¡± Dahlia didn¡¯t know what to say. Matt was from the noble Laney family. As an aristocrat, it was unthinkable that he would carry out such a vile act. However, Dustin seemed so sure of himself. He wouldn¡¯t lie either. At that moment, she didn¡¯t know who to side with. ¡°Dahlia, Dustin seems to have some prejudice against me. That¡¯s fine, I can prove my innocence. Didn¡¯t he im that I drugged your drink? Let¡¯s exchange drinks,¡± Matt said. He took Dahlia¡¯s wine ss and downed the contents. This simple action wiped away every doubt from Dahlia¡¯s mind. If he did drug her drink, he wouldn¡¯t have drunk it himself. ¡°Dustin, I don¡¯t remember doing anything to offend you. Why are you hellbent on insulting me like this? If you have a grudge against me, I sincerely apologize,¡± Matt said personably, tilting his head. With his charm and courteous words, Dahlia was convinced that Matt was every inch a gentleman. ¡°Dustin, what do you have to say for yourself?¡± Dahlia turned to Dustin, her eyes boring into him. CS CamScanner ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, he must have taken the antidote prior to this.¡± Dustin was adamant. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°Dustin, you are going too far! Matt has proven his innocence. Why are you still being so difficult?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Well, I just think that you are making up stories!¡± There was a hint of anger in Dahlia¡¯s voice. Evidently, Dustin felt hostility toward Matt. However, that was no reason to drag Matt¡¯s name through the mud. It would be wrong to do so! ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, then check his pockets. There must be some evidence of white powder on him!¡± Dustin tried turning Matt¡¯s pockets inside out to prove his point, but this was thest straw for Dahlia. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Dahlia sshed the rest of the wine on Dustin¡¯s face. ¡°Have you not done enough damage for one day? Why are you as stubborn as a mule? Being a gentleman, can you not be so petty? If you are jealous of Matt, upgrade yourself andpete on the same level. Don¡¯t use despicable tricks or baseless arguments to ruin his reputation. Your actions will only make me think that you are pathetic!¡± Dustin was dumbstruck by Dahlia¡¯s words. Chapter 72 Dustin was stunned by Dahlia¡¯s hurtful words and furious outburst. Drops of wine rolled down his cheeks and to the ground. He was in a miserable state. Apparently, it was wishful thinking that their rtionship had improved. In actual fact, there was nothing left between them. ¡°What? So you thought that I was falsely using him?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed as he stared at Dahlia. ¡°Am I that despicable of a person in your eyes?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dahlia blurted out. She felt a tinge of regret immediately. Yet, she could not take her words back now. She had too much pride for that. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Finally! You have spoken what you truly thought of me.¡± Dustin had a disappointed look on his face as he put ¡°on a wry smile. ¡°I have overstepped my boundaries. Who knew that after so many years, you still have feelings for Matt.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Dahlia frowned as well. ¡°Am I wrong? You said that you would not contact him anymore. Having said that, here you are having wine with Matt. Aren¡¯t you being too hypocritical?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dahlia was about to exin herself when Dustin interrupted her. ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t even worried about Matt drugging your drink. In actuality, you hoped that he would do so as this would give both of you a legitimate excuse to get together again. Am I correct?¡± It was Dahlia¡¯s turn to be stunned by Dustin¡¯s words. Her face was a mix of disbelief, disappointment, and regret. Never would she have thought that Dustin would say such words. Did he genuinely think so lowly of her? Regardless of the past three years of marriage, there wasn¡¯t a shred of trust left between them. ¡°Dustin! I¡¯m utterly disappointed in you!¡± Dahlia gritted her teeth. As she walked away, she struggled to control her emotions. Dustin stood rooted to the ground. He could feel the anger and hurt washing over him. At this moment, Matt came over. The charming smile that had been on his face just now was reced by a smirk. ¡°Dustin, everything you said was correct. I spiked Dahlia¡¯s drink and drank her wine to get rid of the evidence. I already took the antidote in advance,¡± Matt whispered into his ear coldly. ¡°Nevertheless, it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. Who would believe you now? Dahlia¡¯s smitten with me, and she will support me. There¡¯s nothing you say that would change the oue. What? Are you burning with anger and frustration right now? Sadly, your hands are tied. Besides, I have to thank you for strengthening our rtionship with this incident. I believe that she will fall in love with me before long and willingly go to bed with me. However, don¡¯t worry. Once I¡¯m tired of her, I¡¯ll return her to you soon enough.¡± With this, Matt threw his head back and cackled maliciously. His true colors were finally revealed. Compared to his gentlemanly disposition earlier, this side of him was cruel and sinister like a venomous snake! CS CamScanner Burning with anger, Dustin cracked his knuckles to prevent himself from punching Matt in the face as he left. Dahlia was obviously still in love with Matt. Even if his intentions were good, Dahlia had no need for his help. Since his actions would only be seen as a hindrance, there was nothing he could do. Although Dustin could convince himself logically, he couldn¡¯t help but be aggravated by their rtionship. ¡°Mr. Rhys, what¡¯s happened?¡± At that moment, Natasha and Duane walked out of their booth. ¡°Forget it. I was just poking my nose where it didn¡¯t belong.¡± Dustin said mockingly. ¡°Matt is notorious for sowing discord and stirring up trouble. Don¡¯t be affected by him,¡± Duane continued. ¡°The main problem is not with Matt but with Dahlia.¡± Dustin shook his head. It would be useless to change her mind if she continued to be obstinate. ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t be hung up over a woman! It¡¯s no big deal, women are easy to find,¡± Duane said confidently. ¡°As long as you are rich, women will flock to you. So, shall we get down to business?¡± ¡°What business?¡± Dustin asked with a tilt of his head. ¡°Of course it¡¯s about the Gemiphen!¡± Duane smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve personally tried the miracle pill. A single pill could be worth a fortune! Since you are in need of herbs, why don¡¯t we work together? I¡¯ll deal with the rest of the business if you give me the prescription. Once I make a profit, we will split it evenly. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not changing my mind. I don¡¯t mind helping you out, but you have to give me some rare herbs in exchange for the prescription. Otherwise, it¡¯s a no.¡± Dustin shook his head again. ¡°Dustin, it will be some time before I get my hands on the herbs you want. Can¡¯t you be more flexible?¡± Duane pleaded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this after you have them in your possession.¡± Dustin was immovable. Duane frowned when he heard the resolve in Dustin¡¯s tone. This young man was as stubborn as a mule. Initially, he wanted to start a mutual partnership with Dustin. However, it wasn¡¯t going as smoothly as he thought. It seemed like he needed to pull out some of the tricks up his sleeve. ¡°Ms. Harmon! There¡¯s bad news!¡± A bodyguard dressed in a suit ran into the restaurant hurriedly. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Natasha asked, surprised. ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Ruth! She has been kidnapped!¡± the bodyguard reported. ¡°What did you say?¡± Natasha¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°Didn¡¯t I instruct you to protect her at all costs? How could this happen?¡± ¡°We were keeping an eye on her in secret. However, Ms. Ruth managed to escape and went to a private party. By the time we arrived, she was nowhere to be found!¡± ¡°Do you know who is behind this?¡± Natasha frowned. ¡°It could be Sir Hummer. The kidnappers left a ransom note instructing Mr. Rhys and you to meet at Hummer Vi.¡± ¡°Edwin?¡± Natasha gritted her teeth in anger. How dare he endanger a member of her family? He had gone too far with the repeated provocations and needed to be taught a lesson! Contact the Harmon family. I need some strong fighters as backup! Since Edwin seeks a light, I shall give it to him!¡± Chapter 73 The next morning, they met at Java Joys. When Dustin entered the cafe, he noticed a burly man standing beside Natasha. His bulky muscles rippled under his clothes, and his knuckles were covered with calluses. This man was obviously an experienced fighter. ¡°Mr. Rhys, sorry to bother you. I owe you one.¡± Natasha walked up to Dustin. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I don¡¯t mind helping out a friend in need. Besides, they had even specified my name in the note. I have no other choice.¡± Dustin smiled wryly. Edwin¡¯s men had left a ransom note which had his name on it. He was to go with Natasha to save Ruth. ¡°Mr. Rhys, let me introduce you to Stephan Chapman, one of the best fighters from the Harmon family.¡± Natasha pointed toward the man standing in silence. ¡°Mr. Chapman, a pleasure to meet you.¡± Dustin nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°You¡¯re Dustin?¡± Stephan sized him up. ¡°Was it you who took Liam and Noah Asher down?¡± ¡°In a way, yes.¡± Dustin nodded again. ¡°What do you mean, in a way? Don¡¯t give such a vague answer. Did you use some shady tricks to win against them?¡± Stephan stared at him suspiciously. ¡°Well, as long as it gets the job done.¡± Dustin said nonchntly. ¡°As martial artists, we should win fair and square. What¡¯s the use of winning when you have to resort to despicable tricks?¡± Stephan scoffed. He deemed people like Dustin, who don¡¯t belong to any martial arts group, as inferior to him. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Dustin had no interest in arguing further. ¡°To be honest, I have defeated Liam and Noah in a match before this!¡± Stephan boasted. ¡°Don¡¯t be too proud of yourself even if you win against them! They are weaklingspared to me. Once we have a match, you will know that many martial artists are stronger than you!¡± Hearing Stephan¡¯s speech, Dustin was lost for words. They were practically strangers. Why was he lecturing him like a child? Who was the one looking down on the other anyway? ¡°Alright, now that you have made each other¡¯s acquaintance, we will be working together after this. Once we arrive at Hummer Vi, we may need each other¡¯s help,¡± Natasha cut in. 1 ¡°I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t need to. With me around, it would be easy to take Edwin down,¡± Stephan said confidently. ¡°Mr. Chapman, it¡¯s good to be optimistic, but it¡¯s better not to underestimate the enemy. When will Tilda arrive?¡± Natasha changed the topic. Tilda Snider was one of her aunts and was famous for her deadly strikes. She was currently the head of security for the Harmon family. Compared to Stephan, she was on a different level. In this fight against Edwin, she was the key to victory. CS CamScanner Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Tilda is on her way. She will be arriving shortly,¡± Stephan answered. ¡°Great. Since she is on her way, let¡¯s make a move as well¡± On hermand, Natasha¡¯s car led the way as the group drove in a file toward Hummer Vi. Hummer Vi was situated at the top of a hill which was part of the Hummers¡± privatend. As the cars drove up the hill, Edwin¡¯s men kept surveince on them in the hidden shadows of the surrounding trees. When they arrived at the vi, everyone got down and entered the back garden. With a pair of scissors in hand, Edwin was busy arranging a vase of flowers in a gazebo. Behind him, Fletcher Lawson and a group of muscr men were standing guard, staring daggers at them. ¡°Ms. Harmon, you¡¯ve finally arrived? Have a seat,¡± Edwin said with a smile, pointing to a chair. He acted as if ¡°they were here for a chat. ¡°Sir Hummer, I¡¯ve heard that you are holding my sister hostage. Is that true?¡± Natasha sat down and asked with a poker face. ¡°To be honest, I only knew about your sister this morning. My men did it at their discretion, so I have reprimanded them,¡± Edwin continued with a charming smile. ¡°Is that so? Well, why don¡¯t you let my sister go?¡± Natasha pressed further. ¡°Let her go? That would be impossible.¡± Edwin shook his head. ¡°Ms. Harmon, your sister made a mess at my party, destroyed my antiques, and beat up some of my underlings. If I let her go without repercussions, my reputation in Swinton would be ruined!¡± ¡°Then what do you want in return?¡± Natasha¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Repay me double for my loss.¡± Edwin¡¯s smile was stered on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve calcted the damage your sister caused and everything amounts to ten billion dors. As compensation, I want you to hand over half of your business in Swinton.¡± ¡°Half of the business? Are you joking?¡± Natasha raised her voice. ¡°Ms. Harmon, you are only giving up a small part of your assets. Moreover, your business activities are mainly in Milling. You won¡¯t be affected much by what I¡¯m asking for,¡± Edwin advised. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Natasha retorted. ¡°It¡¯s only right to pay back what you owe. If you refuse, I can¡¯t guarantee that your sister will be safe from harm.¡± Edwin gave her a chilling smile. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Natasha returned his gaze stonily. ¡°I¡¯m just giving you a warning. Of course, we can resolve this dispute with a death match. However, the entirety of our assets must be at stake,¡± Edwin said with a smirk. ¡°A death match?¡± Natasha mulled over his offer. It was an unsaid rule in the business world. A death match was used to settle unresolved conflict between warring families in order to prevent unwanted death and bloodshed. There would be three rounds of battle royale in which the opposing families would send out their representatives to fight on behalf of them. There were no rules and everything was fair game. ¡°Challenge epted!¡± Before Natasha could answer, Stephan spoke up. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a fight? We will take you on! Show me some realpetition!¡± Edwin snickered maliciously at Stephan¡¯s words. This was what he had hoped would happen! Chapter 74 ¡°Mr. Chapman, what are you doing? Why did you interrupt?¡± Natasha frowned in annoyance. She hadn¡¯t even made her decision, but Stephan had epted the challenge without consulting her. He was overstepping his boundaries! ¡°Ms. Harmon, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of! I¡¯m sure I can handle anything they throw at me,¡± Stephan said confidently. He was utterly unaware of his mistake. ¡°What if we lost the death match? Have you thought about the consequences?¡± Natasha narrowed her eyes. ¡°You must be joking! It¡¯s impossible that they will defeat me. Just watch, I¡¯ll put on an amazing performanceter!¡± Stephan patted his chest assuredly. ¡°Ms. Harmon, there are only two choices. You can either pay the ransom with half of your business, or you bet on the deathmatch with all your assets at stake.¡± Edwin repeated his conditions. ¡°I will ept the death match. However, let my sister go first,¡± Natasha said coldly. Even though she knew that she was walking into Edwin¡¯s trap, there was nothing else she could do. Thankfully, she had come prepared. ¡°Of course.¡± Edwin gestured to his men, and they brought Ruth out, bound up tightly with ropes. Thankfully, despite the ordeal, she seemed none the worse for wear. ¡°Ruth, are you injured?¡± Natasha quickly cut the ropes away. ¡°Sis! Thank God you are here. This time, it¡¯s not my fault. I fell into Edwin¡¯s trap!¡± Ruth whined. ¡°It¡¯s alright, go and have a rest. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Natasha nodded. ¡°Ms. Harmon, now that I have released your sister, isn¡¯t it time to sign the agreement for our death match?¡± Edwin already had a document prepared, and a servant brought it to Natasha. The document was both a signed consent and agreement stating the terms and conditions of the match. The loser had toply with all the conditions of the bet, which everyone would witness. ¡°Since you insist on a death match, I¡¯ll take up the challenge!¡± Natasha signed her name on the document without hesitation. tv won. ¡°Alright! I admire your decisiveness!¡± Edwin smirked triumphantly as if he had already ¡°I¡¯ll be your first opponent!¡± Stephan stepped forward confidently. He taunted Edwin¡¯s men on the opposing side. ¡°Who wants to fight me? I¡¯ll send you all to hell!¡± ¡°Wolverine, you are up.¡± Edwin pointed toward a hulking, muscr man with tanned skin who stepped forward as well. ¡°Mr. Chapman, you must be careful of the Wolverine. He is a Muay Thai fighter and notorious among the underground fighting rings in Swinton!¡± One of Natasha¡¯s bodyguards whispered to Stephan. ¡°A Muay Thai fighter? Defeating him would be child¡¯s y!¡± Stephan scoffed. 1 Stephan and Wolverine stood in the ring, facing each other off. CS CamScanner Wolverine was obviously used tobat. He stretched his limbs, cracked his knuckles, and struck a stance. His muscles were contracted tensely as he was poised to strike. On the other hand, Stephan folded his hands behind him and seemed to be at ease. ¡°I¡¯ll let you have the first move.¡± Stephan motioned to his opponent. Wolverine did not hold back. He leaped high into the air and threw a flying kick at Stephan. At this level, his strength could even cause a metal pole to bend. ¡°Child¡¯s y!¡± Stephan avoided the attack easily andnded a punch to Wolverine¡¯s chest. Wolverine lost his bnce and retreated a few steps, panting heavily. Stephan did not give him a chance to catch his breath,nding several heavy blows on Wolverine¡¯s arms, abdomen, and legs. After a few minutes, it was clear that Stephan had the upper hand. Wolverine did all he could to fight back, but he could not recover from his injuries. Finally, Stephannded the final blow, and Wolverine fainted on impact. The first round went to Stephan! Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Seeing the oue, relief appeared on the faces of Natasha¡¯s men. ¡°Who would have expected that Mr. Chapman was so strong? It¡¯s no wonder he is the key fighter of the Harmon family!¡± ¡°With Mr. Chapman on our side, we will definitely be victorious!¡± The audience was whispering in excitement. They were all in awe of Stephan¡¯s fighting ability. Even though he was a little brash, he did have the abilities to back it up. ¡°Who else wants to fight against me?¡± Stephan sized up the rest of Edwin¡¯s men. ¡°This exins why Natasha agreed to the match so quickly. She brought in outside help.¡± Edwin scratched his chin in surprise. ¡°Have you all gone dumb? Come up to fight me!¡± Stephan taunted. ¡°Mr. Lawson, you are up next to prevent any further surprises.¡± Edwin turned to an older man, Fletcher Lawson. ¡°No problem.¡± Fletcher nodded and stepped into the ring with his head held high. ¡°Old man! With your thin and fragile limbs, how can you ever dream of defeating me? Give up now and you shall live!¡± Stephanughed scornfully. ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate yourself!¡± Fletcher replied with a poker face and attacked Stephan immediately. His agile movements were as quick as lightning. ¡°You are just asking for trouble!¡± Stephan sneered and rushed toward Fletcher as well. When they met in the middle of the ring, there was a deafening explosion as both punchesnded on their targets. However, after the debris settled, Fletcher was the only person still standing. Not a hair on his head was harmed. On the other hand, Stephan was lying helplessly on the ground. His arm was obviously broken, and he was CS CamScanner bleeding profusely. Fletcher¡¯s immense power had struck Stephan¡¯s body, Incapacitating him. Fletcher was not done yet. He went up to Stephan andnded two more blows on his chest. Stephan gave a loud cry of pain as his body was flung against a tree. On Impact, blood spurted out from his mouth. ¡°How could this be?¡± Natasha¡¯s men were all dismayed at the sudden turn of events. No one expected Stephan to be defeated so quickly. Fletcher had Stephan Injured and bleeding within three turns. Their difference in prowess was just too significant. ¡°That¡¯s terrible! How can this old man be so strong? Even Mr. Chapman couldn¡¯t defeat him!¡± Ruth eximed worriedly. Stephan was one of the Harmon family¡¯s best fighters. It was unthinkable that he couldn¡¯t even withstand three attacks from an opponent! Chapter 75 Who are you?¡± Stephan¡¯s face was frozen in terror, his body slumped on the ground. There was no hint of arrogance left in his trembling voice. He was soundly beaten after just three attacks. This proved the disparity in their abilities. How could there be Someone with such devastating powers remaining unknown in a small ce like Swinton? ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯m Fletcher Lawson, Liam and Noah were my apprentices!¡± Fletcher said coldly. ¡°What? You are Mr. Lawson of Klesbridge?¡± Stephan was dumbfounded at this revtion. His reputation as martial artist preceded him. Fletcher was not only one of the most prominent fighters in Klesbridge, but he was also a master of poison! There were many tricks that he could use to make someone drop dead without a trace. His mere presence. was enough to make one¡¯s blood run cold. ¡°You seem to have heard of me!¡± Fletcher sneered. When Fletcher revealed his identity, Stephan¡¯s face had turned as pale as a sheet. If he knew that Fletcher was involved, he would definitely not have epted this task. Fletcher wasn¡¯t someone you would want to have as an enemy. Crossing him would only be inviting death. ¡°Who will fight in thest round?¡± Edwin asked loudly. Natasha¡¯s men looked at each other in silence. If Mr. Chapman couldn¡¯t evennd a blow, the rest of them would be easily annihted. No one dared to volunteer as it meant signing one¡¯s own death warrant. ¡°Sis, what shall we do? Are we going to lose?¡± Ruth was fraught with anxiety. Who could be on par and fight against such overwhelming power? ¡°Punk! Are you game to fight a match against me?¡± Fletcher directed his gaze at Dustin, his gaze was brimming with hatred and anger. ¡°Why not?¡± Dustin gave a careless smile. As he was about to step into the ring, Ruth pulled him back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ept his challenge,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°ept his challenge? Do you know how to fight?¡± Ruth asked suspiciously. ¡°A little.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°And you dare to ept his challenge when you¡¯re bad at fighting? Are you attempting suicide?¡± Ruth eximed in frustration, ¡°Do you know who that is? Fletcher Lawson is a formidable opponent. Being foolhardy will only bring about your destruction!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it.¡± Dustin smiled. Although Ruth¡¯s words were sharp, she had good intentions. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Ruth red at him. ¡°What¡¯s the use of you going up to fight when Mr. Chapman couldn¡¯t even defend himself?¡± CS CamScanner Stung by Ruth¡¯s indirect insult, Stephan chimed in sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate yourself, punk! If you can¡¯t even defeat me, it is impossible for you to fight against Mr. Lawson!¡± ¡°Your defeat doesn¡¯t mean I have absolutely no chance,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°Youngsters like you will be the death of me! Do you think so highly of your abilities?¡± Stephan was annoyed by his impudence. ¡°Well, just wait and see.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t exin further. ¡°Dustin, are you really sure?¡± Natasha spoke up suddenly. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Alright, give it a go but admit defeat if you have to. Your life is of utmost importance,¡± Natasha smiled as she gave her permission. ¡°Sis, are you joking? Are you really going to send Dustin to his death?¡± Ruth couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Ms. Harmon! The entirety of your assets are on the line. If this punk loses, you will lose everything!¡± Stephan was anxious as well. ¡°I believe in Dustin.¡± Natasha said with finality. She had full confidence in him. ¡°Enough with the small talk! I¡¯m going to send you to hell!¡± Fletcher shouted impatiently. He was dying to get his hands on Dustin and cut him up into tiny pieces. Dustin ignored Fletcher¡¯s taunts and walked up to him silently. Since Edwin had specifically asked for him to be here, it was obvious that he wanted revenge. If so, Dustin had no qualms about giving him what he wanted. ¡°This is awful! He is going to die!¡± Ruth stomped her foot in frustration. ¡°Ms. Harmon has been taken in by this punk¡¯s overconfidence. What a pity!¡± Stephan shook his head, sighing. Clearly, he did not expect Dustin to return in one piece. ¡°Punk! Was it you who killed my apprentices?¡± Fletcher red at Dustin with hostility. ¡°To be urate, both of themmitted suicide,¡± Dustin answered carelessly. Noah killed himself because he refused to provide Dustin with information. On the other hand, Dustin hadn¡¯t even touched a hair on Liam¡¯s head. Liam had been the one who attacked him. However, he died from the overpowering recoil. It was only right to say that they killed themselves. ¡°You still dare to deny it at thisst moment of your life? Today, I am going to exact revenge for the death of my apprentices!¡± Fletcher¡¯s face twisted with hatred. ¡°Sure, this depends on your abilities.¡°,Dustin was unaffected by Fletcher¡¯s threats. ¡°Arrogant punk! I¡¯m going to wipe you from the face of the earth!¡± Fletcher roared. He concentrated the force in his feet and sprinted toward Dustin with a burst of sudden energy. His movements were as fast as lightning. causingrge cracks to appear on the ground. ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡± Stephan eximed in awe. Fletcher had not even revealed his full strength when he was fighting against Stephan before! CS CamScanner ¡°Go to hell!¡± Fletcher summoned his energy and unleashed a powerful punch in Dustin¡¯s face. The vibrations from the attack formed a torrent of energy that swirled around them and sent debris flying around! Everyone took a few steps back to avoid getting injured in the aftermath. arm Just when everyone thought that the oue was decided, Dustin made his move. He stretched out his ar slowly and gave Fletcher a firm, tight p on the cheek. The impact on Fletcher¡¯s face created a loud cracking noise. At that moment, Fletcher seemed like he was hit by a moving train! His body was flung several yards away like a dirty rag and crashed into a wall, creating a deep crater. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. There was absolute silence as everyone was dumbfounded at the extraordinary turn of events. Chapter 76 The crowd gaped as Fletcher hung limply on the wall. They never imagined that the mighty Fletcher Lawson, who had just trounced Stephan Chapman, had been defeated with an effortless p. What the fuck was going on? ¡°H¨CHow could this be?¡± Stephan¡¯s eyes were wide with disbelief that someone as powerful as Fletcher, the strongest fighter in Klesbrige, had been defeated with a single blow. Was this kid a monster? ¡°No way! Dustin actually won?¡± Ruth couldn¡¯t believe it either. At first, she¡¯d been so certain that Dustin would lose. Instead, he had won the match in a breeze. With just one p, he sent Fletcher flying. His strength was unheard of! ¡°Fletcher¡­ lost?¡± Edwin was shaken and astonished. He was very familiar with Fletcher¡¯s strength. Even in Swinton, there was hardly anyone who could be his opponent. Yet somehow, someone as impregnable as him hadn¡¯t been able to withstand a single blow from Dustin. Unbelievable! Had Fletcher underestimated his opponent, or was it a fluke? Or maybe¡­ it had been Dustin¡¯s true strength. ¡°It seems that I underestimated you,¡± said Natasha, smirking. Her face wore surprise, delight, and also a hint of pride. She knew Dustin was powerful but never expected it to be to this extent. She hit the jackpot this time! ¡°I think I¡¯ve won.¡± Dustin dusted off his hands and nonchntly walked off the arena. At this moment, everyone looked at Dustin as though he was a monster. Especially so for Stephan, who gazed mockingly but now looked at Dustin in awe. It was obvious how strong Dustin was if he could subdue Fletcher so effortlessly. ¡°Dustin, didn¡¯t you say that you barely know martial arts? How are you so powerful?¡± Ruth asked tentatively. ¡°It might just be that he¡¯s too weak,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°Really? But he was the one who defeated Mr. Chapman!¡± Ruth eximed. ¡°Um¡­¡± Stephan¡¯s face twitched as they touched a sore spot. ¡°Sir Hummer, we¡¯ve already won three matches out of five. What else do you have to say?¡± demanded Natasha, her focus on other matters. 1 ¡°I admit defeat. I have nothing to say.¡± Though Edwin seemed upset, he appeared resigned. ¡°Well then, until we meet again!¡± Natasha smiled. With that, she left with a group of people trailing after her. ¡°Sir Hummer, are we supposed to let them go like this?¡± his subordinate asked unhappily. ¡°As if. Do you think they can leave so easily after entering my territory?¡± Edwin sneered. ¡°I still have a present waiting for them.¡± CS CamScanner Sometimeter, the sun began setting behind the mountains. Natasha and her convoy were traveling through a fork in the road when arge bus came barreling toward them. The bus driver hit the brake and drifted to a horizontal stop, blocking the entire road. A bunch of assassins covered in ck immediately swarmed out from both sides of the woods, quickly encircling the convoy of cars. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush! Protect Ms. Harmon!¡± The Harmon family bodyguards reacted instantly and formed a ring around Natasha¡¯s car to protect her. ¡°Kill them!¡± The assassins were fearless as they cut through flesh and knocked down cars. ¡°Edwin Hummer is such a despicable man! How dare he ambush us!¡± Ruth was shaken but furious. ¡°The corporate world is a battlefield. The moment a fight breaks out, things are bound to get messy.¡± Natasha responded calmly, this not being her first rodeo. Ruth humphed angrily. ¡°He better pray that he never falls into my hands, or he¡¯ll regret it!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. The sound of the battle was getting more heated outside the car as numbers from both parties dwindled. Fortunately, despite winning in numbers, the assassins were still no match to the Harmon family¡¯s men in terms of skills. Soon, they began losing the bloody battle, and many who hadn¡¯t been killed chose to flee. The battle finally ended when thest assassin fell to the ground with a thud. More than half of Natasha¡¯s men had been killed, but she and her sister were unharmed. Dustin got out of the car and studied the bodies of the assassins. He realized that each of them had a snake- shaped tattoo on their body. Ruth humphed furiously. ¡°Thank God our men are strong, or we¡¯d be dead today thanks to Edwin Hummer!¡± Natasha then ordered her men, ¡°Do a quick clean¨Cup and let¡¯s leave.¡± They were still close to Edwin¡¯s territory and she couldn¡¯t be sure if he still had anything else up his sleeve, so it was best they leave as soon as possible. As her men cleared the ce, two MPVs with foreign license tes headed toward them and blocked their path. ¡°No way. Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s more?¡± asked Ruth, annoyed. She watched intently as the car door opened and a dozen men dressed for battle got out of the car. Leading them was a beautifuldy in her 30s. Besides her good looks, she also had a voluptuous figure that unted her curves as she walked, an air of authority following her wherever she went. ¡°Tilda?¡± Ruth eximed excitedly and rushed forward to greet her. Everyone was relieved to see that backup had arrived. ¡°What happened?¡± Tilda Snider frowned when she saw the bodies littering the ground. CS CamScanner ¡°They¡¯re Edwin Hummer¡¯s men! They tried to ambush us!¡± Ruth grumbled. ¡°He ambushed you? There¡¯s no way this is a coincidence. No outsider knows about the route you are taking. so how could he have nted these people here in advance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! How did he know we were going to take this route?¡± Ruth was puzzled. ¡°Tilda, do you mean to say there¡¯s a mole among our people?¡± Natasha was quick to react. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Tilda¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°I have reason to believe someone has been selling us out!¡± ¡°Tilda, everyone here are people I trust. I doubt any of them would betray me,¡± countered Natasha, shaking her head. ¡°People you trust?¡± Tilda studied the crowd before her gazended on Dustin. ¡°I see some unfamiliar faces ¡°that don¡¯t belong to the Harmon family!¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s my friend,¡± exined Natasha. ¡°Friend? Humph! Friends are the least trustworthy people. I reckon that he¡¯s the spy! Someone get rid of him at once!¡± Tildamanded. Two subordinates standing behind her immediately pulled out their knives, ready to fight. Chapter 77 Dustin narrowed his eyes at the sight of the swinging des. They had chosen to use him of being a traitor without even trying to get the full picture. ¡°Tilda, there must be a misunderstanding. There¡¯s no way Dustin is the spy!¡± Natasha objected. ¡°We¡¯ll know whether it¡¯s a misunderstanding after doing an investigation.¡± Tilda shouted icily. ¡°Tie him up! Kill him if he tries to resist!¡± ¡°Kill me?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°You¡¯re making such extreme decisions when the investigations haven¡¯t even begun. Aren¡¯t you going a bit too far?¡± Tilda humphed. ¡°For the good of the Harmon family, I can do anything!¡± ¡°How can you be sure that I¡¯m the spy?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be sure. You are the spy if I say so!¡± Tilda responded domineeringly. Seeing how unreasonable Tilda was being. Dustin¡¯s expression hardened. He had been trying to reason things out peacefully the entire time, yet Tilda used him of being the mole without any proof. She had gone too far! ¡°Tilda, there¡¯s no solid evidence yet. Don¡¯t you dare mess around!¡± Natasha uttered, voice rising. ¡°I¡¯m your head of security, which makes me responsible for your safety. This man is obviously treacherous and evil!¡± shouted Tilda. ¡°Tilda, there must be some misunderstanding. Dustin saved my life. Without him, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the Hummer Vi,¡± exined Ruth from the side. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s just acting. He¡¯s fooled all of you!¡± Tilda retorted. ¡°But-¡± Tilda cut Ruth off sharply before she could say another word. ¡°No buts! When ites to your safety, it¡¯s better to kill wrongly than be sorry afterward!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. We have nothing against each other, so why are you being so aggressive towards me?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Dustin questioned. ¡°Stop acting! You may have fooled them, but you can¡¯t fool me! You better yield if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Tilda snapped. ¡°And if I refuse?¡± questioned Dustin.. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have no choice but to force you!¡± Tilda nced at her subordinate. ¡°Kneel!¡± Two men immediately brought their des to Dustin¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t make me fight you,¡± Dustin warned hostilely. ¡°So what? What are you going to do about it? Get onto your knees. Now!¡± One of the men roared before CS CamScanner sweeping a foot toward Dustin¡¯s knee. Dustin didn¡¯t even budge. Instead, the man was pushed back two steps from the force. ¡°You fucker¡­¡± Embarrassed, the man was about to give another blow when Dustin suddenly shot out his hand and mmed it down on the man¡¯s crown. With a loud noise, the man¡¯s head burst apart, and he died on the spot. ¡°What?¡± Everyone eximed, their expressions changing after seeing the scene unfold before them. No one expected Dustin to be such a ruthless man, killing without a word. He didn¡¯t give a damn about the Harmon family. ¡°Fuck you!¡± Furious, the other man shed his de at Dustin. ¡°He is the spy! Kill him!¡± Tilda immediately ordered, ruthless. At hermand, the rest of the men immediately charged toward Dustin with des in their hands. The look in Dustin¡¯s eyes hardened, and he charged into the awaiting mob and began wiping them out. Within seconds, all of Tilda¡¯s subordinates wereying on the ground, motionless. With clean and decisive moves, he managed to kill all of them with a single blow! ¡°You bastard! How dare you kill the Harmon family¡¯s best men? You¡¯re done for!¡± Going ballistic, Tilda pulled out a sword from her waist and lunged at Dustin with incredible speed. With a nk expression on his face, Dustin tilted his head sideways to avoid Tilda¡¯s attack and in a sh, gave the woman a punch in the abdomen. Tilda screamed in pain as her body soared through the air andnded heavily on one of the MPVs. Instead of standing down, Dustin darted forward, grabbed Tilda by the neck, and lifted her. The woman gasped as breathing became difficult, and she felt her strength draining away. Like a sitting duck, she was nowpletely at Dustin¡¯s mercy. ¡°Dustin, please let her go! She¡¯s family!¡± Ruth cried. ¡°Mr. Rhys, You can kill anyone but Tilda, or the consequences will be dire!¡± Stephan was terrified as well ¡°I¡¯m Natasha¡¯s elder as well as the backbone of the Harmon family. To kill me is to make yourself the number one enemy of the Harmon family!¡± Tilda taunted with a vicious humph. As soon as she said that, Dustin put more pressure, and a crisp crack sounded as Tilda¡¯s head went ck; the woman was now dead. Tilda¡¯s countenance was frozen in a myriad of emotions. Shock, dismay, even disbelief! She never expected Dustin to be unreasonable enough to kill her without caring about the Harmon family. ¡°Wha-¡°Everyone stood motionless, frozen in shock as they stared at the limp body on the ground before exchanging looks of dismay and disbelief with one another. This was Tilda Snider they were talking about! Natasha Harmon¡¯s elder and the most important elder in the Harmon family! And she was gone just like that? CS CamScanner Dustin must be mad! ¡°Rhys! Are you crazy? You killed Tilda? Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?¡± Ruth demanded with wide eyes, dismayed. ¡°She was going to kill me first, so of course, I had to kill her first. Was I supposed to just stand there and let her kill me?¡± Dustin snorted. ¡°You-¡± Ruth was so furious that words caught in her throat. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re in trouble now!¡± Stephan shook his head sympathetically. ¡°Dustin Rhys! You killed our family¡¯s pir! Wait ¡®til the Harmon family hears about this!¡± a bald guard yelled furiously. ¡°This bastard must be out of his mind! Killing Tilda is likeunching an attack on the entire Harmon family!¡± he thought. ¡°Ms. Harmon, what do you think?¡± Dustin turned his attention to Natasha. He wanted to take this opportunity to understand what Natasha was thinking about. ¡°Mr. Rhys was defending himself. I see nothing wrong with that.¡± Natasha quickly regained her composure. Dustin was relieved to hear her reply and decided that Natasha was a friend worth making. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I was not killing carelessly. Take a look at her body,¡± said Dustin, and he yanked at Tilda¡¯s shirt. On her wrist there was a tattoo shaped like a snake. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this the same symbol as the ones on those assassins? Why would Tilda have one too?¡± Stephan was dumbfounded. On the other hand, Ruth had a look of horror as she cried, ¡°No way! Tilda was the spy?¡± Chapter 78 ¡°That can¡¯t be. Tilda was the mole?¡± Everyone was shocked at Ruth¡¯s words. However, the crowd¡¯s expressions hardened when the assassins¡® clothing were peeled off, revealing the same tattoo on their bodies. This was obviously not a coincidence. ¡°You can¡¯t prove anything with just a tattoo, can you?¡± objected the bald guard. ¡°Maybe it would have been less persuasive if there was only one tattoo, but what if everyone had the same tattoo?¡± Dustin walked up to Tilda¡¯s deceased men and yanked off all their clothing. ¡°Soon, everyone realized that each of the men wore the same tattoo as well. This made things so much more apparent. It was safe to say that they¡¯d found the traitor! ¡°No wonder Tilda immediately started kicking up a fuss the moment she arrived. She was the traitor all along!¡± Stephan was disgruntled. As one of the Harmon family¡¯s men himself, he hated nothing more than betrayal like this. ¡°But why? The Harmon family has always trusted her so why did Tilda betray us?¡± Ruth asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Nowadays, not many can resist the temptation of money and power. That¡¯s why betrayals happen easily. Without Mr. Rhys¡® keen observation, we would¡¯ve been in danger!¡± Stephan shivered, thinking about what could have happened. After all, having a mole was like a ticking bomb. No one could tell when they might get stabbed in the back. ¡°What should we do now, sis?¡± asked Ruth, at a loss. ¡°There¡¯s definitely more of them hiding among us. I must let Father know immediately so he can start digging into it.¡± Natasha announced with a grave expression. Having a traitor was no small matter. It was much more serious than being attacked by outsiders. After all, a small leak will sink a great ship. The effects might be devastating if this matter was neglected! ¡°You¡¯re right! We must get to the bottom of this! Traitors are nothing but an abomination!¡± Ruth nodded her head repeatedly. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I don¡¯t believe Tilda would be a careless person, so there should be a couple more of them hiding among our ranks right now.¡± Dustin began surveying the crowd with eyes like a hawk before his gazended on the bald guard. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Do you think I¡¯m the mole?¡± The guard narrowed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll know for sure when you take off your clothes,¡± Dustin replied nonchntly. ¡°Why should I? Who are you to order me around?¡± The guard began to lose his cool. ¡°Do as Mr. Rhys says. Take off your clothes.¡± Natashamanded. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I¡¯ve worked for you for so many years. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re suspecting me,¡± the guard said CS CamScanner incredulously.. ¡°Strip!¡± Natashamanded. ¡°Fine! Since none of you believe me, I¡¯ll just have to prove my innocence!¡± snapped the petnt guard, looking as though he had been wronged. However, when he moved to remove his clothes, his face suddenly twisted into a sneer. He flung out his hand and two ck objects flew out of his sleeve and hurled toward Dustin and Natasha. No one around them reacted in time since everything happened so quickly. Swiftly, Dustin reached out and effortlessly grabbed the objecting toward him with his fingers. Upon closer inspection, the object turned out to be a poisonous ck snake the width of his finger. ¡°Ms. Harmon!¡± someone began shouting. Without anyone realizing it, the second snake had bitten Natasha on the thigh. ¡°Grab that traitor!¡± Pissed, Natasha crushed the snake with a harsh stomp. ¡°Get him!¡± The rest of her men rushed toward the guard and instantly subdued him. ¡°I¡¯ve always treated you well, so why did you betray me?¡± Natasha trudged toward him with a cold re, a murderous aura surrounding her. ¡°Ms. Harmon, you must know that a man would do anything to be rich. What they offered me was too tempting to resist. You can¡¯t me me for epting!¡± the guard sneered. ¡°Who instructed you to do this? Who¡¯s the mastermind behind this?¡± Natasha grilled. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I¡¯ll die alone if I keep my mouth shut. If I answer, my whole family will be doomed!¡± the guard retorted. Natasha was about to say something when a wave of nausea hit her. Suddenly, her body wentx, and she fell backward, but before she hit the ground, Dustin managed to grab her waist. He pulled up her shirt and discovered that the area where the snake had bitten her was turning purplish ck. What a venomous bite the snake had! ¡°Give me the antidote!¡± Dustin mmed his foot onto the guard¡¯s head, scowling. ¡°Only if you let me go. Or else, Ms. Harmon will be going down with me!¡± the guard responded with a sardonic sneer. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± asked Dustin with narrowed eyes. ¡°I know you¡¯re an incredible doctor, Rhys! But this venom was created by an expert and cannot be cured without the antidote!¡± ¡°You bastard! I¡¯ll kill you if you don¡¯t give us the antidote!¡± Furious, Ruth charged forward and began beating the guard up. ¡°Go ahead! Once I¡¯m dead, Ms. Harmon will be following me, too!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! CS CamScanner Ruth instantly halted her attack. ¡°Don¡¯t say I never warned you. She¡¯s been poisoned by a powerful venom. She¡¯ll be dead within half an hour.¡± the guard stated menacingly. ¡°Give me the antidote and I promise to let you live,¡± vowed Dustin with a cold expression. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± The guard frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice. If she dies, I¡¯ll make your life a living hell!¡± Dustin glowered. The guard hesitated and pondered for a moment before suddenly asking. ¡°If I tell you the cure, will you let me go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word,¡± answered Dustin. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll trust you this time!¡± The guard gritted his teeth. ¡°Actually, there isn¡¯t an antidote for this venom. The only way for her to live is if someone sucked out the venom using their mouth. However, the person who does it will most likely lose their life. So, it depends on whether you have the guts to do it.¡± The guard sniggered. 1 ¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± Dustin nodded. Immediately, he mmed his foot onto the guard¡¯s chest, crushing the man¡¯s ribs and caused his internal organs to burst out with a st. Blood burst from the guard¡¯s mouth as his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Y¨CYou said you wouldn¡¯t kill me.¡± ¡°Sorry. I changed my mind,¡± Dustin answered nonchntly. ¡°Y¨Cyou have no honor¡­¡± Before the guard could say anything else, he suffocated and died. ¡°So what?¡± Dustin asked the dead body. Everyone was dumbfounded by his cavalier attitude. Suddenly, they realized that this innocuous person might be quite the barbarian after all. Chapter 79 After killing the traitor, Dustin carried the weakened Natasha to the car. The area where the snake had bitten her had turned ck and purple, and as the venom spread through her body, her entire leg turned numb. ¡°How troublesome.¡± Dustin inspected the wound, his expression turning grave. He could have treated her easily if this was any regr snake venom. However, this venom was particrly potent. Since Dustin lacked his medicinal herbs and acupuncture needles, he had nothing at his disposal but his skills. It would be difficult for him to treat the wound. It seemed the only option left was to suck the venom out. ¡°Roth Harmon, give me a hand!¡± Dustin hollered. ¡°I¡¯m Ruth! Ruth Harmon!¡± Ruth corrected him, quickly getting into the car. She asked, ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°Take off your sister¡¯s pants,¡± he directed. ¡°Hey! What are you trying to do? You better not y around!¡± Ruth sounded like she was speaking to a pervert. ¡°Your sister has been poisoned with a potent venom. I have to suck it out,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°What?¡± Ruth was stunned for a moment before an odd expression took over her face. ¡°B¨Cbut the wound is on her thigh! You aren¡¯t trying to take advantage of her, are you?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you even thinking about right now? Her life is on the line!¡± Dustin snapped. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that gender doesn¡¯t matter when treating patients?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Ruth stood there stunned. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Take off her pants!¡± Dustin rushed. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Ruth quickly pulled off Natasha¡¯s pants, exposing the snake bite. Dustin cleared his mind and got to work. Although it went against proper etiquette, saving Natasha¡¯s life came first. Dustin began sucking out the venom. A momentter, he spat out a mouthful of dark blood and returned his mouth to the wound without hesitation. Slowly, Natasha regained consciousness. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natasha had a confused expression on her face as she gazed at him passionately. ¡°Sucking out the snake venom,¡± Dustin said, keeping his tone calm. ¡°Are you done?¡± Natasha asked softly. ¡°Almost,¡± he answered truthfully. Natasha bit her lip as she frowned, her every gesture alluring. Dustin gulped and lowered his head again. CS CamScanner Dustin finally stopped after some time when the wound had lost its dark purplish bruising. is it over?¡± Natasha asked with a resentful look. Dustin cleared his throat and answered awkwardly, ¡°Um, you should be in the clear for now, but there¡¯s still some leftover venom in your body. It¡¯ll be safer if you visit the hospital.¡± He moved to get up, wanting to leave the car. As he stood up, his vision darkened as he fell into Natasha¡¯s arms, unconscious. ¡°Oustin! What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me!¡± Natasha¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Sis. the traitor said that anyone who sucks out the venom will die instead! Is Dustin going to die?¡± Ruth cried, astonished. ¡°What are you talking about, you idiot? Hurry! Let¡¯s get him to the hospital!¡± Natasha ordered. ¡°Okay!¡°Ruth did not hesitate and gave the order. The convoy pulled out of the parking spot immediately. Unbeknownst to them, shortly after they had left, several cars descended the mountain and swarmed the area where their convoy had been. A car door opened, and Edwin Hummer stepped out. Upon seeing the corpses of Tilda and her men, his jaw cred. ¡°How could this be?¡± Edwin eximed, his eyes wide with disbelief. It was worth noting that Tilda had been nted in the Harmon family to turn the tide during crucial moments like this. But instead, she had gotten caught up in the mess herself. It was a double whammy! ¡°This is bad!¡± Edwin frowned, displeased. Besides the mission failing, he had also lost a valuable line on his enemies. If he did not give the higher¨Cups a satisfactory answer soon, he could kiss his position goodbye! Chapter 80 That evening. Dustin finally woke up after hours of sleeping and found that he was in a hospital room. A shocked voice rang out the moment his eyes opened. ¡°Huh? You aren¡¯t dead, Rhys?¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze followed the source of the voice andnded on Ruth sitting beside him with a dazed expression as she looked at him. ¡°What? Disappointed to see me alive?¡± Dustin snapped. ¡°Ahem. Um, I¡¯m just surprised.¡± Ruth grinned bashfully. ¡°¡°Where¡¯s your sister?¡± Dustin asked, changing the topic. ¡°Oh, she went to get your medicine.¡± Ruth examined him and said, ¡°I heard that the venom is something called the Deadly Slither. It¡¯s extremely poisonous and can kill a person quickly! It¡¯s a miracle that you¡¯re still alive!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The venom is potent. It even managed to knock me out for a few hours. No wonder it¡¯s one of the world¡¯s top ten most poisonous venoms,¡± Dustin marveled. ¡°Why does that sound weird?¡± Ruth was puzzled. Before Ruth coulde out of her daze, two people entered the hospital room. One was Natasha, while the other was a curvaceousdy dressed exquisitely. The two women resembled each other. Not only were they both very well¨Cdressed, but they both had a powerful air to them. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re finally awake! How are you feeling?¡± Natasha¡¯s face lit up as she rushed toward him. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now that I¡¯ve gotten some sleep.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Here, take this. It¡¯s a secret medicine I got you. Take it with some water, and you¡¯ll be fine in no time.¡± Natasha pushed a small white bottle into his hand and poured him a ss of warm water. ¡°Secret medicine? What is it?¡± Dustin asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate it. It¡¯s the result of three years of dedicated research and experiments by Dr. Rowan Cross. It can treat all kinds of venom,¡± Natasha urged. ¡°Rowan Cross?¡± Dustin was surprised. ¡°You know him?¡± asked Natasha, with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve met him once.¡± Dustin did not deny it. He had met Rowan a few years before when Rowan¡¯s enemies were hunting him down and Dustin had saved the poor man. The antidote had been Dustin¡¯s gift to him. ¡°It¡¯s always been difficult getting ahold of Dr. Cross¡® whereabouts and even harder to see him in person. You should take it before anything happens,¡± Natasha urged. ¡°There¡¯s no need. My body¡¯s already free of venom. You can take it back.¡± Dustin declined politely. ¡°It was difficult getting my hands on this baby. Why would I ever return it? Just keep it even if you¡¯re fine now. CS CamScanner It¡¯lle in handy in emergencies,¡± Natasha insisted, stuffing the bottle into Dustin¡¯s pocket. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Dustin epted it. After all, she did it out of kindness. ¡°Oh, right. There¡¯s something else I should mention. I think I saw Dahlia Nicholson at the hospital entrance,¡± Natasha said abruptly. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Dustin was puzzled. ¡°I heard her grandfather is critically ill and receiving emergency treatment.¡± ¡°Critically ill?¡± Dustin immediately became worried. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive. Or Dahlia wouldn¡¯t be downstairs right now,¡± Natasha replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Dustin got up and left the room. Henry Nicholson had treated Dustin like his own, so there was no way he would do nothing while the old man was ill ¡°Natasha, you wasted one of the Harmon family¡¯s favors just for him?¡± The woman beside her finally spoke. She was Natasha¡¯s mother, Jessica Bard. ¡°I¡¯ll pay Dr. Cross back myself. It has nothing to do with you,¡± Natasha replied indifferently. ¡°Do you like that kid?¡± Jessica frowned. ¡°So what if I do?¡± Natasha raised her chin defiantly. ¡°You should remember that the two of you will never end up together. He¡¯s just a nobody while you¡¯re the daughter of a wealthy family and the heiress to the Harmon family. Your statuses are worlds apart!¡± Jessica reminded. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Natasha responded coolly. ¡°But I do!¡± Jessica¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°You can make up your mind about anything except your marriage! Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re already engaged to Tyler!¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not interested in Tyler Grant all¡± Natasha quipped. ¡°You have no say in this matter! You are the eldest daughter of the Harmon family. With wealth and poweres responsibility!¡± Jessica chided. ¡°Responsibility?¡± Natasha scoffed. ¡°Do you mean using marriage to climb the ranks?¡± ¡°This is for your own good and the entire family¡¯s! Tyler is an impressive person. He¡¯s already a Major General despite his young age. He has a bright future ahead of him. He¡¯s the perfect choice for marriage!¡± Jessica lectured. ¡°If you like him so much, you marry him then! I have no intention of doing so,¡± Natasha retorted bluntly. ¡°Why are you so stubborn? If you don¡¯t marry into his family, you will never be the head of the Harmon family! Why don¡¯t you understand this?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since I was never interested in bing the head of the family, to begin with,¡± Natasha CS CamScanner replied matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°Is your entire future worth sacrificing just for that kid?¡± Jessica spat. ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t think Tyler is better than him anyway!¡± ¡°You have that much faith in him?¡± Jessica¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Natasha announced proudly. Jessica paused when she heard her daughter¡¯s answer. Resolute, she inhaled before dering with a cold voice. ¡°Fine! Since you¡¯re not going to give up, I¡¯ll give you one chance. If that punk can pass three tests, I¡¯ll never bring up the topic of your marriage to the Reeves family again!¡± ¡°What kind of tests?¡± asked Natasha with a raised brow. ¡°First, he must defeat Edwin Hummer to prove his strength!¡± Jessica demanded. ¡°Edwin has Boulderthom to back him up! It¡¯s it a bit unreasonable to ask Dustin to defeat him?¡± Natasha frowned. Jessica snorted. ¡°If he can¡¯t even defeat Edwin Hummer, why should I ept him into our family? What right does he have to fight Tyler? Well, I¡¯m giving you both a chance. If he fails, you better return to Millsburg and get married!¡± Jessica turned and left the room. Chapter 81 Meanwhile, in a nearby hospital room, Dahlia¡¯s grandfathery unconscious, his face ashen. Florence and several members of the Nicholson family gathered together as they discussed countermeasures hushedly. ¡°How peculiar. Old Mr. Nicholson has always been fine. Why did he suddenly fall ill?¡± ¡°Exactly! He¡¯s always looked so strong and healthy. Who would¡¯ve guessed that this would happen if he fell ill.¡± Everyone sighed with pity for the old man. ¡°How¡¯s Granddad?¡± Dahlia bolted into the room in her heels. She had been in a meeting when she received the news of her grandfather falling ill and rushed over as fast as possible. ¡°Dahlia, the doctors think that he might not make it,¡± Florence mumbled, shaking her head. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia¡¯s face paled. ¡°How could that be? Wasn¡¯t he fine yesterday?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s weird too! But maybe this is his fate.¡± Florence sighed. ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor? Doctor!¡± Dahlia called, distraught. + ¡°It¡¯s futile. All sorts of doctors have checked him. They say his symptoms are too weird. There¡¯s no way for them to find the root cause of his condition, and the only thing left to do is wait for his death.¡± ¡°I¨Cimpossible!¡± shrieked Dahlia as she began to panic. She couldn¡¯t imagine her grandfather, who loved her so dearly, passing away. ¡°Dahlia, I know a fabulous doctor. He might be able to do something.¡± Matt, who had been standing nearby. finally spoke. ¡°A fabulous doctor? Who? Can they really save my grandfather?¡± Dahlia perked up instantly. ¡°His name is Dr. Ross Leister. He just arrived from Millsburg, and his medical skills are top¨Cnotch. He¡¯s able to cure all sorts of illnesses! He also happens to be Dr. Rowan Cross¡® apprentice,¡± Matt replied. ¡°Dr. Cross¡® apprentice?¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions began to brighten when they heard that. Dr. Cross was well¨Cknown. Even people in South City were familiar with his aplishments. He was on par with Dr. Watkinds and Dr. Peay, who were both already at the top of the pyramid when it came to medicine! His skills were so good they had already reached perfection. As his apprentice, Dr. Leister¡¯s skills must be outstanding! ¡°Can you really get him to examine Granddad?¡± Dahlia asked, her tone hopeful. This doctor was her grandfather¡¯s only shot now. ¡°He¡¯s my friend. He¡¯lle if I ask him to¡± Matt nodded. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news! If Old Mr. Nicholson gets well, the Nicholson family will be in your debt!¡± Everyone agreed. CS CamScanner ¡°This is nothing. Let me ask for him.¡± Matt smiled and left the room. As soon as Matt had left, Dustin entered the ward but was stopped in his tracks by Florence. ¡°What are you doing here, Rhys?¡± she snapped. ¡°I heard that Granddad¡¯s sick. I¡¯m here to visit him.¡± Dustin¡¯s face was sombre. ¡°Visit him? Who do you think you are? You¡¯re no longer my son¨Cinw. We don¡¯t wee you here!¡± hissed Florence as she red at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Mom?¡± Dahlia rushed over when she heard themotion. ¡°This bastard is pretending to care and wants to visit your grandfather. I bet he knows your grandpa¡¯s time is almost up, so he¡¯s here to try to get a piece of the family fortune!¡± Florence mocked. Everyone in the Nicholson family knew that Henry Nicholson had always treated Dustin like his own grandson. It would be no surprise if the old man left Dustin something to take over! ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong. I¡¯m just worried about Granddad¡¯s condition,¡± Dustin exined. Still suspicious, Florence scoffed at him, ¡°Who knows what your true intentions are?¡± ¡°Mom, just let him in. He¡¯s just showing his love for Granddad.¡± Dahlia quipped. ¡°Dahlia, this kid-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility if something happens.¡± Florence was about to say something else but swallowed her words and stepped aside reluctantly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Dustin gave a nod of thanks and walked straight into the ward. The sickly old man was ashen. He looked as though he had just experienced a stroke. Dustin reached out to touch Henry¡¯s hand. He was shocked to discover that, although his limbs were cold, an extreme heat emanated from under the pale skin. 1 ¡°The ming Frost Poison?¡± Dustin pondered as he narrowed his eyes, silentlying up with treatment methods. The ming Frost Poison caused the strangest symptoms. On the outside, the patient would be freezing cold while their insides were actually burning hot. Treating either symptom would be ineffective and could even backfire if the medication used was too strong. This exined why the doctors could not do anything to treat Henry. ¡°Dahlia, bring me some hot water,¡± Dustin ordered. ¡°Whatever for?¡± Dahlia was puzzled. ¡°Granddad¡¯s weak, and he can¡¯t hold on for much longer. I need to treat him now,¡± he exined grimly. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting now? Do you even know anything about medicine?¡± ¡°A little.¡± CS CamScanner ¡°And you dare to show off? What in the world are you thinking?¡± Dahlia asked, visibly annoyed. This was a person¡¯s life they were talking about, not child¡¯s y! ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re saying. Rhys? What makes you think you can cure him? Will you take responsibility if something goes wrong?¡± Florence chastised. ¡°Exactly! Old Mr. Nicholson¡¯s already suffering enough, so why are you causing more trouble? Just stay out of the way!¡± Everyone was unhappy as Dustin was nothing more than a self¨Cabsorbed punk in their eyes. How could he, a mediocre white¨Ccor worker who had been fired and had achieved nothing outstanding in the past three years, know anything about curing diseases and saving lives? ¡°If I¡¯m saying it aloud, it means I have faith in myself that I can cure him. Let me try,¡± Dustin responded in a determined voice. ¡°Dustin, will you stop messing around?¡± Dahlia snapped. ¡°You¡¯re neither a doctor nor are you medically certified. How can you say that you can save him? I let you in to visit grandpa, not to boast!¡± ¡°Can you just trust me this once?¡± Dustin pleaded, upset. If he wasn¡¯t sure he could do it, there was no way he would meddle with Henry¡¯s life. ¡°This has nothing to do with trust. The fact is, you cannot do it. I won¡¯t let you y around with Granddad¡¯s life!¡± Dahlia refused bluntly. After three years of marriage, they both knew each other like the backs of their hands. There was no way Dahlia could know whether Dustin could do it. Chapter 82 ¡°Who said I can¡¯t do it? Fine. Then, who else can save Granddad if not me?¡± Dustin growled. He realized that it was impossible trying to reason with women using logic! ¡°The only one who can save Grandpa now is the incredible Dr. Ross Leister!¡± Dahlia answered with a grim expression. ¡°That¡¯s right! Matt¡¯s already gone to call the doctor. If Dr. Leister agrees to help us, we can save Old Mr. Nicholson. There¡¯ll be no need for a quack like you.¡± ¡°Dr. Ross Leister? Who¡¯s that?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°He¡¯s Dr. Cross¡® apprentice who specializes in treating rare diseases. He¡¯s way better than you are!¡± Florence stated proudly. As soon as the words left her mouth, two people entered the room. The first was Matt. He was followed by a man in his 30s in a white coat and a pair of sses, with a haughty and pretentious expression on his face. ¡°Matt! Did you manage to get Dr. Leister?¡± Florence rushed over. ¡°Of course!¡± With a gentle smile, Matt introduced the man, ¡°This is Dr. Leister.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re Dr. Leister! What an honor!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a talented doctor indeed, Dr. Leister. You managed to be Dr. Cross¡® apprentice at such a young age. How amazing!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°That¡¯s right! With Dr. Leister¡¯s help, Old Mr. Nicholson will recover!¡± Everyone began singing praises at Ross, especially since he was Dr. Rowan Cross¡® apprentice. They had to make a good impression in case they needed his help in the future. ¡°Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have bothereding here if it weren¡¯t for Mr. Laney. After all, everyone who asks me to treat them is either a high¨Cranking official, an aristocrat, or a wealthy person,¡± said the man in sses. He raised his head, peering down at everyone else in the room. ¡°Of course! It¡¯s an honor to have you here!¡± Florence and the others agreed, their faces showing signs of ttery. The man in sses soaked up the attention, pleased. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m a busy man, so let¡¯s not dilly¨Cdally and get this over with. Where¡¯s the patient?¡± ¡°Over here!¡± Florence led the way to Henry¡¯s bed. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The doctor nodded and proceeded to take Henry¡¯s pulse. ¡°So it¡¯s Havaska? Well, this might be slightly troublesome, but no big matter. A bowl of hot medicine will do the trick.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Everyone was overjoyed. As expected, they found the right man for the treatment. ¡°Doctor, aren¡¯t you mistaking something?¡± Dustin asked. CS CamScanner ¡°What?¡± The man in sses frowned and gave Dustin a look over. ¡°And who are you? How dare you question me!¡± ¡°If it was Havaska, a bowl of hot medicine would take care of it. However, what Granddad has Isn¡¯t Havaska but the ming Frost Poison!¡± Dustin asserted. ¡°What do you mean ming Frost Poison? I¡¯ve never even heard of it!¡± The man red at Dustin and asked, Who are you to criticize me?¡± ¡°Dr. Leister, this is a misunderstanding. This piece of trash knows nothing. Please pay him no mind.¡± Florence smiled at the man before turning to Dustin. ¡°You better stop running your mouth, Rhys! You¡¯ll be done for if you offend Dr. Leister!¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯m just stating facts. If he hasn¡¯t even heard of the poison, I have reason to question his skills,¡± Dustin replied, shaking his head. ¡°Boy, do you have any idea who I am? How dare you talk to me like that!¡± the man demanded furiously. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re Rowan Cross¡® apprentice. However, you¡¯ve still got a long way to go. If anyone¡¯s doing the treatment, it should be him,¡± Dustin said calmly. Henry¡¯s condition would only worsen if the man in sses provided treatment meant for Havaska. Naturally. Dustin doubted this man¡¯s skills. ¡°Hey! Are you done yet? Who do you think you are? What makes you think you¡¯re worthy of asking for my mentor¡¯s help, you fucker?¡± the doctor roared. ¡°Dustin, Dr. Cross is away on a retreat and isn¡¯t so easily invited. Even Dr. Leister doesn¡¯t dare disturb him,¡± Matt warned. ¡°Mr. Laney! I came because you asked me personally. Yet instead of thanking me, someone decides to question me. If this is the thanks I get. I¡¯m done treating this patient!¡± The man turned around to leave. causing an instant frenzy in the room. ¡°No! Please, Dr. Leister! This idiot is speaking nonsense. Please don¡¯t get mad!¡± Florence pleaded, pulling him back while she turned to curse at Dustin, ¡°Rhys, shut the fuck up! How dare you criticize Dr. Leister¡¯s way of treating patients. Get out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who the fuck are you to point fingers at Dr. Leister?¡± ¡°Dustin Rhys! How could you be so cruel? Are you going to drive Dr. Leister away so that Old Mr. Nicholson dies?¡± Infuriated, everyone began swearing at Dustin. A man like Dustin, who only cared about showing off and had no regard for the lives of others, was disgusting! ¡°Enough of this nonsense. This punk is pissing me off. Throw him out, or I¡¯m not treating the patient any longer!¡± threatened the man. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Florence apologized profusely. She turned to Dustin and spat, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Dr. Leister said, Rhys? Get out of here!¡± ¡°Yeah! Get out! Don¡¯t worsen Old Mr. Nicholson¡¯s condition any further!¡± chimed the others. CS CamScanner ¡°I¡¯m just acting in Grandpa¡¯s best interest. This person isn¡¯t trustworthy.¡± Dustin tried to defend himself. ¡°Shut up!¡± Dahlia roared. ¡°Dustin, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have the skills, but please don¡¯t make things worse. Get out right now!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me either?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°You¡¯re a pathological liar, so why should I?¡± Pointing at the door, Dahliamanded, ¡°Get out this instant. Don¡¯t bother Dr. Leister!¡± Chapter 83 Dustin was speechless as he faced the cold loo on Dahlia¡¯s face and a rightfully angry crowd. Eventually, after a few minutes of silence, he exited the ward. He knew no one would believe him no matter what he said. ¡°Humph! He should¡¯ve left hours ago! What a nuisance!¡± ¡°I know! He has no awareness at all!¡± The crowd insulted and criticized Dustin as he left the room. Florence smiled and said, ¡°Dr. Leister, that ignorant bastard is gone. Please calm down.¡± ¡°Ross, can you let it go this time, for my sake? Curing the patient is an urgent matter. I¡¯ll repay you greatly for ¡°this!¡± Matt chimed in. ¡°How could I ignore your offer, Mr. Laney? But this will only happen once. I won¡¯t let it go next time!¡± warned. the doctor with sses. ¡°Of course! Most definitely!¡± The crowd nodded and looked at Matt gratefully. ¡°How maddening! That useless bastard Dustin only knows how to make things worse. Mr. Laney is the only person who could save the situation,¡± thought Florence. ¡°Alright, go fetch me some medicine.¡± The sses¨Cd man did not waste another second. He wrote down the prescription and tossed it to Florence. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she rushed to follow his instructions. Luckily, she was in a hospital, and the medicine was easy to find. In less than an hour, the medicine was ready. ¡°Did someone doubt my abilities earlier? I¡¯ll show them how it¡¯s done!¡± The doctor called for the crowd¡¯s attention before he poured the medicine into Henry¡¯s mouth. As the treatment flowed to his stomach, his face quickly regained color. He felt his frozen limbs warm up. Even his previously weak breathing had improved. Seeing this, the crowd praised the doctor. ¡°It¡¯s working! It¡¯s working! His face is getting better!¡± ¡°Dr. Leister, you¡¯re incredible! You were able to cure him with just some medicine. How miraculous!¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s Dr. Cross¡® best apprentice! Those medical skills of yours are superb! You¡¯re probably better than your master at this point!¡± The crowd¡¯s expressions brightened as they started cheering. ¡°Although I¡¯m not on the same level as my master, I¡¯ve probably gained 70% to 80% of his skills. No illness will be able to defeat me!¡± Ross boasted. ¡°That¡¯s right! Dr. Leister¡¯s medical skills are beyond praise!¡± Florenceplimented, smiling at him. ¡°Too bad that guy isn¡¯t here. Otherwise, I¡¯d show him what a great doctor looks like!¡± The doctor smiled proudly. CS CamScanner However, as he finished his sentence, there was a sudden turn of events. Henry¡¯s face flushed red. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. His skin started burning as if he had a high fever. ¡°Ugh!¡± Henry sat up and coughed up blood. He fell backward as he fainted again. The crowd was shocked at the scene. ¡°What happened? Wasn¡¯t he cured? Why did he cough up blood suddenly?¡± thought the onlookers. ¡°Doctor, what¡­ what happened?¡± Dahlia asked as her face turned pale with shock. ¡°Oh heavens! He coughed up so much blood. Could he be dead?¡± The color drained from Florence¡¯s face. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t happen. I followed all the procedures. How could this be?¡± questioned the doctor, also ¡°puzzled. ¡°There was no way the cure could be wrong. Why would the patient cough up blood?¡± he wondered. ¡°Please think of another way, doctor! My grandfather is dying!¡± Dahlia was in a panic. Henry had lost all signs of life. Blood continued to flow from his nose. It was clear that his situation was worse than before.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Let me take a look.¡± Chapter 84 Dr. Ross Leister examined the patient again. However, Henry¡¯s heart was beating rapidly as his body convulsed and trembled out of his control. At that moment, the doctor was at a loss for words. ¡°This does not look good.¡± Ross was puzzled. He sighed and said, ¡°The patient was previously diagnosed with other illnesses. Now that he¡¯s got the Havaska virus, it¡¯s impossible to cure him. It looks like he won¡¯t make it. You should start preparing for the end.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Everyone froze at bie statement. ¡°After treating him for so long, this is the oue? Prepare for the aftermath?!¡± ¡°Dr. Leister! Please, you have to save my grandfather. I¡¯m willing to spend every penny I have!¡± Dahlia begged. ¡°¡­¡± As the doctor opened his mouth to speak, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Dustin entered the room with a gloomy look on his face. Without a word, he swiftly pulled out a silver syringe and stabbed Henry¡¯s chest. The fluids in the needle rushed into the man¡¯s veins with a whoosh. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?!¡± Ross eximed angrily. ¡°Since you can¡¯t cure him, let me do it!¡± Dustin replied coldly. ¡°Who who says I can¡¯t cure him?¡± With a bold look, Ross demanded, ¡°I already thought of a way to cure him. I could save him immediately. But now that you¡¯ve messed around with the patient, his condition has worsened!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that this is my fault?¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Of course it¡¯s your fault! If anything goes wrong, you should take all responsibility for it!¡± Ross barked. He had been worried earlier but never thought this man would appear and be his scapegoat. ¡°Thank the heavens!¡± he thought. He might finally be able to save his reputation. ¡°You¡¯re not good at anything besides shifting me. I don¡¯t understand why Cross took you on as his apprentice!¡± Dustin mocked. ¡°You bastard! What are you bbering on about? I¡¯ll kick your ass!¡± The doctor was losing his patience. ¡°Go ahead and try it if you don¡¯t mind dying.¡± Dustin red at Ross. The stern look on his face managed to instill fear in the doctor¡¯s heart. ¡°Dustin! What on earth are you doing? You don¡¯t have any medical skills, so why do you insist on messing around?!¡± Dahlia insisted, her blood starting to boil. Everything had happened so quickly when Dustin entered the room that she had only just returned to her senses. ¡°Are you guys blind? This person made Granddad cough up blood! You still belleve him?¡± Dustin demanded coldly. CS CamScanner ¡°Dr. Leister said he knows how to treat him!¡± Dahlia replied. ¡°So you just believe everything he says? Would you jump off a building if he told you to?!¡± Dustin insisted. ¡°You¡­¡± Dahlia started, but she was at a loss for words. ¡°Enough talking! Get out of my way!¡± Dustin said. His relentless manner made everyone freeze. Ignoring the crowd¡¯s shocked expression, Dustin grabbed a ss of warm water and slowly mixed in some antidote powder. He fed it to Henry slowly. Although he could cure Henry with his equipment, it would take too much time and effortpared to giving him this antidote. After all, it had taken Dr. Cross three years of hard work. u sure this will work?¡± Dahlia questioned with a frown, clearly still filled with doubt. ¡°Are you ¡°Effective or not, you will see in a minute,¡± Dustin replied hastily. ¡°Humph! How ridiculous! You think you can cure Havaska poisoning with some random powder? Do you think you¡¯re some wizard?!¡± the doctor chastised. How could some random guy cure an illness that he couldn¡¯t? ¡°Rhys! I¡¯m warning you! If anything happens to grandpa, I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡± Dahlia snapped. As she finished her sentence, Henry¡¯s eyes shot open. Chapter 85 ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s awake?!¡± Everyone was stunned. No one would¡¯ve thought that a ss of warm water was all Henry Nicholson needed to wake up. How miraculous! ¡°No way! Did Dustin really cure the old man¡¯s illness?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd. Even Dr. Leister couldn¡¯t cure him. How did he do it?¡± The crowd exchanged looks of surprise as they watched Henry¡¯s breathing stabilize. For a moment, they looked at Dustin in a different light. They never imagined that Dustin, who hade from an unknown background, would have been the one to cure Henry. ¡°Granddad, how do you feel?¡± Dahlia asked hurriedly. ¡°That¡¯s weird. One moment everything felt cold and then hot. It seems that I¡¯m okay now.¡± Henry ran his hands over his body, looking surprised. Earlier, he thought that his life hade to an end. He never imagined that feeling would disappear so quickly! ¡°Dad, you¡­ you¡¯re really okay?¡± Florence could not believe it. ¡°Of course. I feel refreshed and full of energy!¡± Henry smiled. Hearing this, everyone sighed in relief. Despite their surprise, they were still doubtful. ¡°Since when has Dustin known how to cure illnesses?¡± they wondered. ¡°No! No way! The patient was clearly dying. How did you save him?!¡± Ross asked in surprise as he returned to his senses. No one but him knew that Henry¡¯s heartbeat had been palpitating as he had never seen before. It was impossible to treat, even for him. How had this fellow cured the patient? How could this man be more capable than he was? He was the great Dr. Rowan Cross¡® apprentice! ¡°You couldn¡¯t cure him, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t. You should learn more from your mentor so that you don¡¯t keep making a fool of yourself!¡± Dustin remarked coldly. ¡°You bastard! What was that powder that you used? What did you do?!¡± the doctor roared. A ss of warm water couldn¡¯t have cured him, so it must have been the powder Dustin mixed in. ¡°How can you call yourself Dr. Cross¡® apprentice if you don¡¯t even recognise Hexanavir?¡± Dustin mocked. ¡°What? That was Hexanavir?!¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Dr. Ross, what¡¯s Hexanavir? Is it rare?¡± Florence asked. ¡°Rare? It was Dr. Cross¡® life¡¯s work. He spent years producing such an antidote! With just a small sample, you can cure any rare disease. It is invaluable. You can¡¯t get your hands on it no matter how rich you are!¡± the doctor replied. CS CamScanner ¡°Huh? It¡¯s that incredible?¡± Florence said, surprised. ¡°No wonder¡­ no wonder you could cure him instantly. You used Hexanavir!¡± As he spoke, Ross remembered something. He asked, ¡°Wait a second. How did you get your hands on Hexanavir? It was my mentor¡¯s masterpiece! Tell me. Did you steal it?!¡± ¡°Steal?¡± Dustin scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not that despicable.¡± ¡°You still dare to argue! Hexanavir is my mentor¡¯s invaluable life¡¯s work. He wouldn¡¯t even give any to his apprentices. How would you have gotten your hands on it if you didn¡¯t steal it?!¡± snapped the doctor. The entire room went into an uproar. Everyone¡¯s gazended on Dustin. Some were suspicious, while others. looked down on him with disdain. ¡°Rhys! I never thought you could be so despicable. You¡¯d steal someone¡¯s precious medicine just to gain attention!¡± Florence yelled. ¡°That¡¯s right! For a second, I actually thought you were skilled. After all that, you were only trying to outperform Dr. Leister!¡± ¡°You really are a piece of trash. With no skills, you have to resort to stealing!¡± Everyone shook their head in disdain and continued mocking him. ¡°Dustin! Why? Why did you steal it?¡± asked Dahlia with a frown. She had thought that Dustin was capable, but now it appears he stole this Dr. Cross¡® antidote! 2 ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. I did not steal anything. It was given to me as a gift.¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Gifted to you? Who are you? Why would my mentor give his Hexanavir to you? Why don¡¯t you look in the mirror and reflect on your behavior!¡± Ross spat with disdain. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Believe me or don¡¯t believe me. It¡¯s your choice.¡± Dustin did not want to exin any further. ¡°What? Are you guilty? I¡¯m warning you. Return the Hexanavir to me this instant. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to deal with the consequences!¡± the doctor warned. ¡°Dustin! Can you have some dignity? Even if you want to be in the spotlight, you can¡¯t do such a despicable thing. Return it this instant!¡± Dahliamanded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with any of you. Get Dr. Cross to take it back from me!¡± Dustin¡¯s face darkened. He felt anger rising through his body. ¡°Hey! You still think you¡¯re all that after stealing? Give it back to me now!¡± Ross yelled as he reached out to snatch the bottle from Dustin. With a resounding smack, Dustin stopped the doctor with a p across his face. The doctor almost fell from the impact. The crowd was stunned at the scene. They never thought that Dustin was such a wild man. After stealing someone¡¯s medicine, he pped someone in the face. How arrogant! ¡°You¡­ you dare hit me?¡± the doctor sputtered in disbelief as he held his face. ¡°So what if I hit you? Do I need to make an appointment to do it?¡± Dustin smirked. ¡°Bastard! You¡¯ve got the balls doing something like that! It looks like you don¡¯t know what the Crosses are capable of! If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better kneel and beg for my forgiveness!¡± the doctor said fiercely. ¡°Apologize? Are you worthy of an apology?¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Alright! You asked for this!¡± The doctor red at him as he pulled out his phone, dialling a number. ¡°Dustin, if I were you, I would apologize to Dr. Leister immediately.¡± Matt sneered, ¡°You should know that the Crosses helped cure many big shots. If you dare hit Dr. Leister, you¡¯re making yourself the enemy of Dr. Cross and the entire Cross family!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Dustin muttered unfazed. ¡°So what?!¡± Matt looked as if he was talking to an idiot. ¡°Stubborn till the end. When Dr. Cross gets hereyou¡¯re done for!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s done for?¡± a powerful voice bellowed through the door. An older man in a doctor¡¯s outfit appeared. His presence filled the space as he strode into the room. It was Dr. Rowan Cross! Chapter 86 ¡°Sir! You¡¯re here?!¡± Upon seeing Dr. Rowan Cross, Ross was stunned. He rushed to greet the older man with respect. At that moment, he looked very humble. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ this person is the great Dr. Cross?!¡± After learning the identity of the older man, the Nicholson family members were excited. They surrounded him, trying to gain his favor. ¡°Oh my! What an honour to meet the great Dr. Cross in person!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Dr. Cross. I¡¯m so lucky to meet you!¡± Everyone chimed in, praising the doctor. One should know that this doctor was well¨Cknown across the seven seas. Not only was he good at curing others, but he also had a vastwork of connections and was incredibly influential. Just a word from him could change one¡¯s life. ¡°Dr. Cross, aren¡¯t you resting? Why are you here?¡± the doctor asked curiously. ¡°A friend called me saying you were messing around with a patient. Did such a thing happen?¡± replied Rowanross. He was not happy. Earlier that day, he had received a call from his biggest savior. He was so happy that he rushed to the hospital as fast as possible. ¡°A friend?¡± Everyone exchanged nces before looking at Matt. In their eyes, only someone noble could be considered a friend of Dr. Cross. In this room, Matt was the only person noble enough. ¡°Dr. Cross, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you!¡± At that moment, Matt suddenly stepped forward and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Matt Laney, from Millsburg. I believe you¡¯ve met my father.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Rowan replied softly. He scanned the room as if looking for something. He did not even spare Matt a nce. Shot down by the doctor¡¯s cold response, Matt fell silent awkwardly. ¡°Sir! Have you lost something recently?¡± Ross asked. ¡°Lost something?¡± Rowan raised his eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Earlier, someone here stole your antidote. Luckily I noticed in time and stopped him so that you won¡¯t suffer any losses!¡± the doctor said excitedly. Hexanavir was his mentor¡¯s most prized treasure. Now that he had helped return it, he would surely be rewarded. ¡°Stole my antidote? Who?¡± Rowan was puzzled. CS CamScanner ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± eximed the doctor as he pointed to someone behind Rowan. ¡°He¡¯s the one who stole your Hexanavir! He even babbled on about how you gave it to him as a gift. Thankfully I¡¯m smart enough to see through his lies. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve run off with the antidote!¡± ¡°Dr. Cross, Dustin¡¯s actions have nothing to do with us. If you want to get him, just get him! It is none of our business.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Hurry and get rid of him!¡± The Nicholson family was afraid to get in trouble, so they all started pointing fingers at the culprit. However, no one expected the dark cloud that fell across Rowan¡¯s face. ¡°Dustin, what are you still waiting for? Hurry and return the antidote and apologize! If you¡¯re lucky, Dr. Cross might forgive you!¡± Dahlia started sending him signals. Although she hated his actions at times, she still felt bad for him when he found himself in bad situations. ¡°Bastard! You¡¯re done for! You dare steal my mentor¡¯s treasure. No one can save you today!¡± Ross sneered with a smug look as if he had won. One should know that although his mentor was kind and forgiving, he was serious when it came to medicine. There was no way he would let Dustin off easily for stealing his antidote! ¡°Dr. Cross, you¡¯ve done a great job teaching your apprentice. Since this antidote is so precious, I¡¯ll return it to you.¡°Dustin pulled out the bottle of Hexanavir and threw it over to Rowan. Rowan almost copsed in shock. However, Ross still had not grasped the situation and continued mocking Dustin. ¡°Bastard! Now you¡¯re scared? Why didn¡¯t you do this earlier? Even if you return it now, it¡¯s toote! I want you to kneel and apologize. Maybe then I¡¯ll let you go!¡± the doctor with sses exploded, his head held high. ¡°Shut up!¡± At that moment, Rowan¡¯s patience had run out, and he pped Ross across the face with all his might. Ross fell to the ground with a loud smack. He felt like he had dislocated his head. Blood started to flow from his nose. ¡°S¨Csir. Why did you hit me? He¡¯s the one you should hit!¡± Ross asked, stunned as he held his face, not understanding what he did wrong. His master had pped the wrong person. ¡°You dare disrespect Mr. Rhys? You¡¯re the one who should be pped!¡± Rowan bellowed in a fit of rage. He lifted Ross to his feet and pped him several more times. Ross¡® face turned a darker purple with every p. Even his teeth started falling out. Everyone was confused at this scene. ¡°What is going on? Shouldn¡¯t Dr. Cross beshing out at Dustin? Why is he hitting his apprentice?¡± everyone wondered. ¡°You imbecile! Brainless scum! Who gave you the guts to disrespect Mr. Rhys? I¡¯ll beat you till you come to Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! CS CamScanner your senses!¡± Rowan roared as he kept hitting with no mercy. If Dustin hadn¡¯t stepped up to stop Rowan, Ross wouldn¡¯t have survived. After all these years, Rowan had been searching for Dustin so that he could repay him for his kindness. And now that they had finally met in person, it should have been a momentous asion. However, his failure of an apprentice disrespected and openly mocked his greatest savior. He was clearly looking for a beating! After letting out his anger, Rowan presented the bottle of Hexanavir to Dustin and said, ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m terribly sorry. It¡¯s my fault for not training him well enough that you had to go through all that. Please forgive me!¡± He fell to his knees in front of Dustin. Seeing Rowan kneeling before the man, everyone was stunned into silence. Their eyes widened with shock as if they had seen a ghost. ¡°The great Dr. Cross is kneeling and apologizing to a nobody? What in the world is happening?!¡± everyone wondered. Chapter 87 Rowan¡¯s actions had left everyone in the room stunned. ¡°N¨Cno way! Dustin knows Dr. Cross? How is that possible?!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, Dustin is incredible! He can even make Dr. Cross apologize?¡± Everyone in the room exchanged nces of shock as they watched Dustin¡¯s calm, unfazed expression and the respectful look on Dr. Cross¡® face. They had difficulty picturing someone mediocre knowing someone like Dr. Cross. ¡°Are¨Care my eyes ying tricks on me?¡± Florence was in disbelief. *The great Dr. Rowan Cross, the best doctor in the world, was apologizing to Dustin? How unbelievable! ¡°Could it be that Dustin¡¯s Hexanavir really was a gift from Dr. Cross?¡± Dahlia was also shocked to her core. To be honest, ever since the divorce, she noticed that Dustin had be more discreet. ¡°What a nuisance!¡± Matt muttered to himself, looking gloomy. Dr Cross¡± appearance had disrupted his n. ¡°S¨Csir¡­ You really know this guy?¡± Ross asked in disbelief, cradling his face. ¡°Know him? Mr. Rhys is my savior. You¡¯ve got some nerve. How dare you disrespect Mr. Rhys? Hurry up and kneel! Apologize to him!¡± Rowan roared, pping Ross twice more. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry. I was the one who didn¡¯t recognise master¡¯s savior. Please forgive me!¡± Ross gave in and hurriedly kneeled before Dustin. He was no longer as arrogant as he was before. ¡°Mr. Rhys, this failure of an apprentice made a grave mistake not recognizing someone incredible like you. Please don¡¯t pay any mind to what he says. Of course, if you need to vent your dissatisfaction, you may punish him as you see fit. I¡¯ll take responsibility even if you hit him to death!¡± Rowan¡¯s words shocked the injured doctor as he trembled in fear. From the look on his master¡¯s face, he realised he had messed with the wrong person. If Rowan did not go easy on him, he¡¯s dead! ¡°I don¡¯t need to punish him. I just hope you will be stricter with apprentices so they don¡¯t ruin your reputation, Dr. Cross,¡± Dustin said in a gentle voice. ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Rowan agreed, nodding. ¡°I will make this one reflect on his behavior. If he doesn¡¯t change his ways, I¡¯ll kick him out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your decision to make,¡± Dustin added. ¡°Failure! Hurry up and thank Mr. Rhys for being so forgiving!¡± Rowan roared. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys, for your kindness!¡± the doctor kneeled before him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Get up.¡± Dustin waved him away. ¡°Mr. Rhys, it¡¯s been so long since west saw each other after we parted ways. Do you have some time to have a meal with me?¡± Rowan asked. CS CamScanner Upon hearing the invitation, everyone in the room was fired up. What an honor it was to share a meal with Dr. Cross. Even the great elites from Millsburg had to make reservations to meet him. ¡°Dammit! This Dustin guy really hit the jackpot!¡± ¡°I know, right? To get on Dr. Cross¡® good side, he must have a great life ahead of him.¡± They were jealous and filled with envy. The words that left of Dustin¡¯s lips in reply to the esteemed doctor shocked everyone even further. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time right now. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m free,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°H¨Che rejected Dr. Cross? The guy who got kicked out of the Nicholson family rejected an invitation from the great Dr. Cross? Did I hear that correctly?¡± everyone questioned. ¡°Oh, okay. I can always make time for Mr. Rhys.¡± No one expected Rowan¡¯s response. Not only was he not angry, but he was even happier than before. Dustin had not explicitly rejected him. That meant Rowan still stood a chance. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re busy. I won¡¯t waste more of your time. Goodbye,¡± Rowan said tactfully, shaking Dustin¡¯s, hand. He dragged his apprentice by his ear and left the room. After they had left, the ward was in an uproar again. They looked at Dustin in surprise. ¡°Dustin, how do you know Dr. Cross?¡± It was Dahlia who spoke up first. ¡°I helped him once, so he owes me a favor.¡± Dustin said bluntly. ¡°Just like that?¡± Dahlia was shocked. ¡°What else is there?¡± Dustin replied. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I thought.¡± Dahlia trailed off. Everyone else let out a sigh of relief at his reply. They thought that Dustin had curried Rowan¡¯s favor using other mysterious means. It turned out that he was just lucky. ¡°Humph! So what if you helped him once? You just got lucky! What¡¯s so special about that!¡± ¡°He only owes you a favor. He already gifted you a bottle of Hexanavir. And now he¡¯s saved your reputation. The next time you ask him for help, he won¡¯tply!¡± ¡°We should stand on our own two feet. You shouldn¡¯t keep seeking out others for help. After all, it won¡¯t last forever.¡± Now that they knew the truth, the crowd started making sarcasticments. After all, they still couldn¡¯t ept that a nobody like Dustin could be better than them. ¡°Dustin, thank you for what you did earlier,¡± Dahlia mumbled awkwardly. She never thought that Dustin would know Dr. Cross. He even cured her grandfather¡¯s illness. Reflecting on Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. her actions, she couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. Saving Granddad was my decision. It had nothing to do with you,¡± Dustin replied. Dahlia¡¯s gratitude vanished with Dustin¡¯s cold words. She frowned and thought to herself, ¡°I already expressed my gratitude. What else does he want? Should I apologize to him in front of everyone? Does he need to be so particr?¡± Chapter 88 ¡°Rhys! What is your problem? So you got lucky and saved the old man! You don¡¯t have to be so rude about it!¡± Florence cried, clearly upset. How dare he treat her daughter that way? Did he think he was all that? ¡°At least I saved him. What about all of you? He almost lost his life because of you!¡± Dustin retorted coldly. ¡°You¡­ What is this attitude?!¡± Florence sputtered. She had almost reached her limit. ¡°Enough! Stop yelling at each other! What a disgrace!¡± Henry then demanded, ¡°Florence, all of you, go outside. I need to speak to Dustin for a while.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Although Florence was not happy about it, there was no other option but to leave. ¡°As soon as they left the room, the group started muttering. ¡°Say, do you think Old Mr. Nicholson wanted to talk to Dustin about his will or something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That guy is great at getting on Old Mr. Nicholson¡¯s good side. No matter what, we need to be careful!¡± ¡°Ha! I don¡¯t understand. James is his biological grandson, and yet Old Mr. Nicholson favors that guy more. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with him!¡± They murmured to each other, expressing their dissatisfaction. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Where¡¯s James? Why isn¡¯t he here while Old Mr. Nicholson is sick?¡± Dahlia scanned the room and realised her brother was not present. ¡°He went drinking with his friends. We couldn¡¯t get through to his phone. He probably left it on silent mode,¡± Florence said, shaking her head. ¡°Humph! He only knows how to go to bars and drink. No sense of responsibility at all!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression darkened. With behavior like that, it was no surprise that her grandfather favored this other guy more than his biological grandson. ¡°Ms. Nicholson! Something¡¯s wrong!¡± Lyra cried as she arrived in her work attire. She looked like she was in a rush. ¡°What happened?¡± Dahlia asked, confused. ¡°I was notified that your brother started amotion and got into a conflict with some people. They started a fight.¡± Everyone was shocked to hear Lyra¡¯s words. ¡°What? Who¡¯s got the guts to bully my son?!¡± Florence demanded as her blood started to boil upon hearing the news. She had evidently missed the fact that her son was the one who had started the fight. 1 ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but I heard that the other party had many more people. If we don¡¯t get there in time to Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. stop it, James might be in trouble,¡± Lyra added. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go help him!¡± Florence rolled up her sleeves, looking like she was ready to fight. CS CamScanner ¡°He only knows how to get into trouble. How annoying! Lyra, hurry and get more people to the bar!¡± Dahlia instructed. She led the group to the pub. After all, James was her brother. If he got into trouble, she had to clean up his mess. Meanwhile, in the other hospital ward, Dustin received a phone call from Duane. ¡°Hey, Dustin. I found the incredibly rare Panax root that you asked for. Are you free now? We should meet up and have a chat.¡± 1 ¡°Oh? Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at Enchanted Tavern. I¡¯ll wait for you to get here!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there.¡± Dustin hung up the call, said his goodbyes to Henry, and headed to his destination. 500- year¨Cold Panax root was invaluable. Now that Duane had gotten his hands on it, Dustin could not miss the opportunity. Half an hourter, as Dustin arrived at Enchanted Tavern, he noticed Dahlia waiting next to her car. ¡°Why are they here?¡± Dustin wondered. He was confused, but he did not reach out to them. He followed a group of people inside. Chapter 89 There were a lot of people gathered in the bar. Some of them were spectators. Others were involved in the fight. The group that the onlookers were most interested in was a small group led by James. A few of them had bruises covering their faces and blood rushing from their faces. They were forced to kneel on the ground, looking hopeless. ¡°James, how did you end up like this?¡± Dahlia could not help but frown when she noticed James¡® injuries. ¡°Sis! You¡¯re finally here!¡± James staggered as he stood up. It was almost as if he had met an angel. ¡°Oh! My poor son! Who did this to you? Tell me. I¡¯ll give them what they deserve!¡± Florence shrieked at James, heartbroken. Even when her son made a mistake, she could not bring herself to life a finger against him. There was no way she would allow others beat him up like this. ¡°Mom! That¡¯s the bastard who hit me!¡± James pointed behind him, looking vicious. Florence followed his gesture, and her eyes fell on a beautiful woman in a revealing dress sitting calmly at a table. Behind her stood a few burly, strong¨Clooking men. ¡°Bitch! You are all dead meat! My sister is the president of the Quine Group! You will pay for hitting me!¡± James roared. They would pay twice the price of what he had gone through! ¡°The Quine Group? Is it powerful?¡± The woman in the red dress swirled her ss of wine, unfazed by his words. ¡°Humph! You don¡¯t even know the Quine Group! I knew you guys looked uncultured! Let me warn you. Hurry up and apologize to my son and settle for his medical fees. Otherwise, you¡¯ll all pay the price!¡± Florence warned. ¡°Old bitch! You dare disrespect our boss? I¡¯ll rip your tongue apart!¡± shouted one of the men standing behind the woman in red. He pulled out a switchde. ¡°What? Are you threatening me? You think you scare me?¡± Florence scoffed as she stumbled two steps backward with fear. She was stubborn. ¡°What happened?¡± Dahlia had always been the rational one. She started asking about the situation. ¡°What happened? You should ask your brother about that.¡± The woman in the red dress stood up slowly and pointed at James. ¡°He started making amotion at my ce. He even started hitting my men. I was just Original from N?velDrama.Org. teaching him a lesson. I¡¯m not crossing the line, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the damage done. But why did you have to be so cruel to him?¡± Dahlia asked, frowning. ¡°Cruel? Haha! I already went easy on him. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve lost more limbs!¡± The woman sneered. Enough! I won¡¯t waste another second with you. If you want to settle this peacefully, hand over 700 thousand dors! If you don¡¯t, none of you will leave this room!¡± ¡°700 thousand dors? Why not go rob someone?!¡± James roared. ¡°That¡¯s right! I haven¡¯t dealt with you for hurting my son! How dare you ask us for money? Where did you get your guts?!¡± Florence red at her. CS CamScanner ¡°You guys bettere to your senses while I¡¯m still being nice. After my man gets here, it won¡¯t be as simple as handing over money,¡± the woman replied calmly. ¡°So what if you have a man? Tell him toe here this instant if you dare! I want to see how capable he really is!¡± Florence pushed, unafraid. ¡°You¡¯re messing with the wrong guy! Do you know who ourdy¡¯s man is? He¡¯s Sir Draco! Our leader of South City, the Cobra!¡± boasted one of the men. ¡°The Cobra?!¡± The Nicholson family immediately turned pale. Swinton had four main territories: the North, South, East, and West Cities. East City was ruled by the King of the Underworld, Trevor Spanner. Meanwhile, South City was ruled by the infamous Cobra! Compared to the King of the Underworld, the Cobra was said to be even more relentless and vile. ording to legend, the Cobra loved raising alligators. Anyone who dared cross him was fed to his gators. People from West City could not afford to offend the Cobra. They really were in trouble this time! Chapter 90 ¡°No wonder nobody dares to cause trouble here. Who knew Rosaline was Lord Draco¡¯s woman?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that nobody dares to cause trouble; it¡¯s just that anybody who caused trouble is dead! A tycoon with a worth of billions flirted with Rosaline, and Lord Draco ordered that his limbs be chopped off. After the incident, the tycoon didn¡¯t dare lift a finger and even apologized personally.¡± ¡°Fuck! That¡¯s brutal!¡± ¡°No shit. Lord Draco is South City¡¯s biggest bully. No one dares disrespect him!¡± After finding out who the woman, Rosaline, was, the bar erupted in a furor. Some were shocked, some were in awe, and some sat back to watch the show. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble this time!¡± James gulped as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. If he had known that Sir Draco ruled this ce, he would not have dared to cause trouble, even if someone had put a gun to his head. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How did I end up offending the devil himself?¡± Florence shrugged, her face filled with fear. She wasn¡¯t as fiery as before. She could bully some small fry, but when it came to a brutal thug like the Cobra, she knew her ce. ¡°Why so quiet? Weren¡¯t you great at speaking your mind earlier? Why don¡¯t you show us again what you¡¯ve got? *smirked the muscr man. Was there anyone in South City who didn¡¯t know of Sir Draco¡¯s reputation? Almost nobody dared to offend Sir Draco! ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯m here. They wouldn¡¯t dare touch you,¡± Matt spoke up next to them. Florence and James were surprised at his words. They had nearly forgotten they had someone backing them up! Matt was from the Laney family in Millsburg. What did he have to fear in this territory? No matter how mighty the Cobra was, he wouldn¡¯t dare go against the Laney family, would he?! With that realization, Florence and James straightened. ¡°Matt, the Cobra rules over this ce. Is this really okay?¡± James asked tentatively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just some snake in the grass. He¡¯s nothing to me.¡± Matt gave a small smile. He finally had a chance to unt his influence, so he had to show them all he had. ¡°I¡¯m d then.¡± James grinned. He thought he was done for, but now he had another shot. ¡°Hey! What are you mumbling about? Are you going to pay up or not?!¡± Rosaline barked, getting impatient. ¡°What are you going to do if we don¡¯t pay up? You think we¡¯re scared of you?¡± Florence mocked, cing her hands on her hips. With Matt backing her up, she feared nothing. ¡°You won¡¯t pay?¡± Rosalineughed coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t pay up, we¡¯ll do it Sir Draco¡¯s way. Anyone who causes trouble here will have their limbs chopped off!¡± CS CamScanner She raised her hands and made a sign. The muscr men behind her unsheathed their machetes and strode forward. ¡°Wait!¡± Matt hissed and stepped up from behind. His good looks and ssy aura always made women swoon. ¡°And who are you? How dare you meddle in my business?¡± Rosaline looked him up and down. ¡°I¡¯m Matt Laney from the Laney family in Millsburg.¡± ¡°The Laneys from Millsburg?¡± The room was in an uproar. ¡°Even an elite from Millsburg is here. We¡¯re in for a good show!¡± ¡°No wonder those two are so bold. They have Mr. Laney backing them up!¡± ¡°Mr. Laney is so handsome. I wonder if he has a girlfriend.¡± The crowd pointed fingers and gossiped. Their awe made Florence and James feel proud. The Laney family¡¯s reputation was valuable indeed. With the Laney family backing them up, who would dare go against them? ¡°So you¡¯re Mr. Laney. Nice to meet you,¡± Rosaline rasped, forcing a smile. Of course, she had heard of the Laneys. There was a time when they were the aristocrats who led everything in Millsburg. Although they weren¡¯t as glorious anymore, she did not dare provoke them. ¡°Since you know who I am, that makes settling things easier. Tell me, how do you intend to deal with this?¡± Matt asked as he sped his hands behind his back arrogantly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve spoken up, Mr. Laney, I naturally have to show you some respect. I¡¯ll treat what happened here today as a misunderstanding. It¡¯s over.¡± Rosaline conceded. They had a business to run, and she did not want to cause problems for Sir Draco. ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± Matt snorted, ¡°You hit a friend of mine, and you think two words can smooth things over? There are no free lunches here.¡± ¡°What else do you want?¡± Rosaline asked, frowning. ¡°Pay up and apologize, of course!¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± A dark shadow fell across Rosaline¡¯s face. If she was dealing with this herself, she was okay apologizing. However, she was representing Sir Draco. If she apologized to them, wasn¡¯t that an insult to Sir Draco? ¡°Are you deaf? Hurry up and apologize, or I¡¯ll trash this ce!¡± With her hands on her hips, Florence¡¯s arrogant air returned. ¡°You don¡¯t only have to apologize. You have to pay up. Damn it, you¡¯ll have to pay me five million for beating me up like this! James shouted. With Matt backing him up, he had all the confidence in the world. He was milking Matt¡¯s influence as much as he could. ¡°Mr. Laney, this is Sir Draco¡¯s territory. Save me some face. Let¡¯s not make enemies.¡± Rosaline pleaded, feeling awkward. ¡°You want me to save you some face? Who do you think you are?¡± Matt smirked. ¡°Even if the Cobra were here, I¡¯d demand an apology. Much less one from you!¡± ¡°Who thinks he has what it takes to make me apologize?¡± A thundering voice rang out across the bar. A bald man wearing sunsses, with a cigar between his lips, walked in menacingly. His fierce demeanor and intimidating aura frightened the crowd as they stepped aside. A path opened for him. ¡°Sir Draco, what brings you here?¡± Rosaline¡¯s eyes lit up as she rushed to greet him. ¡°Just showing one of the gentlemen around.¡± The Cobra put an arm around her waist and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought I heard someone demanding an apology from me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Rosaline began, recounting everything that had happened with no details spared. ¡°Mr. Laney from Millsburg, is it? So you¡¯re the one who wants me to apologize?¡± The Cobra stepped forward and looked Matt up and down. His expression wasn¡¯t friendly at all. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your people beat my friend up. Apologizing is the natural thing to do,¡± Matt quipped. With his hands behind his back, he was as arrogant as ever. ¡°Apologize? Fuck you!¡± The Cobra was furious. He pped Matt across the face. Matt stumbled and nearly fell over. ¡°Fuck!¡± he yelled. The onlookers in the bar were stunned. Chapter 91 The Cobra was more brutal than they had expected. He even dared to p an elite from Millsburg over a minor misunderstanding. There was no doubt that he was the mighty Cobra! ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± Matt cried as he cradled his burning cheek in disbelief. How dare some random thug hit him? He was from the Laney family! ¡°So what if I hit you? Don¡¯t you deserve it for causing trouble on my turf?¡± The Cobra shot him a cold smile. ¡°Do you know that I¡¯m from the Laney family?!¡± Matt thundered. He had always been a prideful person, so getting pped in public was the greatest humiliation of his life! ¡°The Laney family? So what?¡± snorted the Cobra. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to show respect on someone else¡¯s turf? I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re the king. When you¡¯re on my turf, you bow to me. You understand?!¡± The Laney family had been glorious once. Even his boss had to show them his respect in the past. Now, they were no different from anyone else. Even if they were famous, the Laney family had fallen a few social sses long ago. ¡°Cobra! Are you provoking the Laney family so openly?¡± Matt challenged, with an unkind look on his face. He had thought that using his family name would scare the Cobra. To his surprise, his trick was ineffective. ¡°Stop fucking making a fool of yourself here! What¡¯s so grand about being a Laney? I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯ve got someone backing me up, and it¡¯s Sir Anderson!¡± shouted the Cobra, his eyes bulging. ¡°Sir Anderosn?!¡± Matt looked taken aback. All his rage dissipated instantly. Sir Anderson wasn¡¯t just an aristocrat but one of the Five Big Guns of the Anderson family. He was the true face of the business world and a powerful figure in this city! Even when the Laney family was still in their prime, they had had to bow to Sir Anderson! He never expected a puny thug like the Cobra would have the Anderson family backing him. ¡°Hey, Laney! If you don¡¯t want to get a damn beating, then get lost. Or else, I¡¯m going to beat all of you up together!¡± growled the Cobra fiercely. ¡°You¡ª* Matt trailed off. He was outraged but helpless. He couldn¡¯t afford to offend Sir Anderson. Seeing Matt fall silent, Florence and James¡® confidence wavered. They had thought that they could do anything they wanted with the Laney family backing them up. They never expected the Cobra to be so brutal. He hadn¡¯t just embarrassed the Laney family. He had even pped Matt. If the Laney family wasn¡¯t enough to scare the Cobra, did this mean certain death for them?! ¡°Who were the ones causing trouble just now? Come out and face me!¡± the Cobra bellowed furiously. James was terrified, and he nearly peed his pants. ¡°Sir Draco! Let¡¯s talk things out. My brother is young and ignorant. I¡¯ll apologize on his behalf. I¡¯ll pay double for all the losses incurred!¡± Dahlia spoke up hastily as she watched the situation go awry. CS CamScanner The Cobra was ruthless, and he meant what he said. In this situation, they had no choice but to sacrifice. ¡°Pay double? Do I look like I need the money? If I don¡¯t make an example of you today, won¡¯t any Tom, Dick, or Harry dare cause trouble on my turf next time? Men, chop their hands off!¡± he ordered. The muscr men behind him strode forward, brandishing their machetes. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dahlia! Help me! Help me!¡± James eximed, scared out of his wits, as he hid behind Dahlia. Just as he was about to get caught, a beer bottle flew through the air and smashed into the heads of one of the burly men. With a smash, the man copsed dead on the spot. The crowd was stunned. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who did that?!¡± Chapter 92 The Cobra¡¯s expression darkened, and he swept his piercing gaze around the room. He was greeted by the sight of beer bottle after beer bottle. ¡°Smash, smash, smash, smash!¡± The bottles shot out like cannonballs and sent each man sprawling. Each bottle met its target with deadly uracy! ¡°Who¡¯s being such a fucking coward? Come out and face me if you have the balls!¡± roared the Cobra furiously. No ordinary man could send a dozen men flying with just beer bottles. ¡°Sir Draco, forgiveness is a virtue. Why won¡¯t you show mercy?¡± a voice replied. Dustin strolled out from amongst the crowd, attracting stares across the room. ¡°Who is that? How dare he attack Sir Draco¡¯s men? Does he have a death wish?¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite handsome, but he¡¯s not very smart to offend Sir Draco.¡± ¡°If it were me, I would have run away after hurling the bottles. Why would he fucking show his face? Isn¡¯t he courting death?!¡± The crowd gossiped. Some were surprised, some showed admiration, and some enjoyed the drama. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Dahlia questioned, confused. She never assumed Dustin would show up. ¡°What is this idiot doing here?¡± Florence and James exchanged looks of confusion. ¡°Who are you, boy? How dare you attack my men?¡± the Cobra asked, with a menacing expression that suggested he wanted to bite Dustin¡¯s head off. ¡°Who I am is not important. For the sake of your safety, Let¡¯s just let this incident slide,¡± Dustin replied curtly. ¡°Let it slide? Who the fuck do you think you are? I¡¯ll just let it slide just because you said so? ¡ª Just as he was about to curse, a beer bottle smashed into his head. 1 Blood and beer trickled down his face. Everyone was appalled! The onlookers¡® eyes bulged with looks of utter disbelief. No one had expected Dustin to be so bold. He had hit the Cobra just because of a disagreement. He showed no hesitation. He must be out of his mind! After a brief moment of silence, the whole bar exploded in an uproar. ¡°He¡¯s done for! This young man is dead! No one can save him!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I must say I admire his courage. He even dares to hit Sir Draco! He has the courage of a lion!¡± ¡°He really is a hero. He has my respect!¡± ¡°He sure looks cool, but who can survive Sir Draco¡¯s fury?¡± CS CamScanner The crowd tattled on, but their gazes as they looked toward Dustin was like looking at a prisoner facing the guillotine. The crowd muttered on, but their expressions turned to worry as they watched Dustin, a prisoner facing the guillotine. ¨C ¡°Dustin! Are you crazy?! You you actually¡­¡± Dahlia sputtered. She was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t That was Sir Draco! He lorded over South City and the head honcho of the underground! He did not give a damn about the Laney family! How how dare he?! ¡°This idiot must have hit his head. How could Dustin be brave enough to hit Sir Draco?¡± James was dumbfounded. Although Dustin was standing up for them, what he did was just too crazy! James would never dream of doing something like this. ¡°You like fooling around so much, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m going to watch yourst moments!¡± As the shock passed, Matt couldn¡¯t help but smile coldly. He had felt uneasy since Dustin had shown off at the hospital. He had even dared to fool around on the Cobra¡¯s turf this time. He really didn¡¯t value his life! Chapter 93 ¡°How¡­ how dare you hit me?!¡± The Cobra rubbed his head in disbelief. His hand was covered in blood. In the years since he had taken over South City, no one had dared disrespect him, much less hit him with a bottle. ¡°This fool must have a death wish!¡± he thought. ¡°Sir Draco, take my advice. Let it go,¡± said Dustin calmly. ¡°Fuck you! I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re dead meat! I¡¯m going to rip you apart!¡± the Cobra cursed and swore as he returned to his senses. ¡®As the threat left his mouth, a knife was held to his neck. The sharp de pierced his skin, and drops of blood trickled from the fresh wound. An inch deeper, and the knife would have pierced his artery. Silence. The entire bar fell intoplete silence. The Cobra¡¯s roars stopped, along with the crowd¡¯s prattling. Everyone was utterly shocked as they turned to look at Dustin, who was wielding the knife. Hitting Sir Draco with a bottle could still be excused as an ident. Unfortunately, holding a knife to his neck was undeniably an act of provocation and humiliation. Dustin¡¯s boldness surprised everyone again as he shouted, ¡°You idiot! Do you know what you¡¯re doing right now?¡± The Cobra went stiff and said fiercely. ¡°If you dare touch a hair on my head, I swear you won¡¯t walk out this door alive!¡± ¡°Sir Draco, don¡¯t frighten me. I¡¯m a scaredy cat. You can¡¯t me me if my hand trembles and I slit your neck,¡± Dustin teased. The de went deeper. More blood started flowing from the exposed flesh. The Cobra¡¯s facial muscles twitched in fear. ¡°Stop!¡± Rosaline shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but let Sir Draco go. Otherwise, your friends will die with you!¡± ¡°Dustin! Don¡¯t be a fool! Put down the knife!¡± Dahlia yelled. She was petrified that Dustin would kill the Cobra in a moment of impulse. If that happened, then they were all done for! ¡°Dustin! Are you crazy? Let Lord Draco go! Don¡¯t drag us down with you!¡± Florence shouted, panicked. Of course, she could not care less if Dustin died, but she didn¡¯t want to be next. If Sir Draco died, they would have to face the consequences. ¡°Young man, I admire your courage. So I¡¯m giving you a chance right now. Put down the knife, and I¡¯ll spare your life!¡± said the Cobra icily. ¡°Sir Draco, it seems like you¡¯re still missing the picture. Right now, I hold the power,¡± Dustin stated. ¡°What? You have the guts to kill me? Do you know what will happen if you touch a hair on my head?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. If ites down to it, I¡¯ll just give my life for taking yours.¡± Dustin responded, an CS CamScanner unbothered look on his face. ¡°You¡°..¡± The Cobra was a little speechless. He was fearless, but he feared those who did not fear death. To his dismay, Dustin did not fear death. ¡°Dustin, know your limits. It¡¯s not toote if you stop now!¡± Dahlia persuaded. No matter what, she didn¡¯t want to see Dustin get killed over this. ¡°Young man, I advise you to stop while it¡¯s not toote. Sir Draco already promised to let you off the hook. You¡¯d better not push things too far.¡± *That¡¯s right! Sir Draco is finally showing mercy. Don¡¯t y with fire, or you¡¯ll get burned.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. People shot him advice from the crowd. They recognised Dustin¡¯s courage, but if he was stupid, he was just a typical fool. ¡°Young man! You have no idea who you¡¯ve offended. I work for Sir Anderson. You¡¯re spitting right in Sir Anderson¡¯s face if you dare hurt me! If that happens, not just you, but your friends and family will all die!¡± threatened the Cobra. ¡°Sir Anderson? Is he oh¨Cso¨Cgreat?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°He¡¯s not just great, but the whole of Swinton respects him. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of Mr. Anderson of Swinton Group. He is Sir Anderson¡¯s kin! You should know how to weigh the odds!¡± said the Cobra. ¡°After hearing this, I want to meet Sir Anderson,¡± Dustin eximed, looking interested. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll pee your pants if you meet Sir Anderson!¡± The Cobra smiled wryly. A hubbub arose near the door. A fit, middle¨Caged man wearing a suit walked in with bodyguards nking him. He looked charismatic and intimidating without even trying. ¡°Sir Anderson?!¡± The moment the man appeared, the Cobra¡¯s spirits lifted dramatically. The bar went into an uproar, and the crowd retreated in respect. They knew that the man they were looking at was someone even the Cobra bowed to! ¡°Shit! Sir Anderson¡¯s here!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression changed. She could only imagine how the magnitude of the influence and background of someone in Mr. Anderson¡¯s league. ¡°How foolish! If he had let Sir Draco go earlier. Too bad now that Sir Anderson is here. He dug his own grave!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if he djes, but he¡¯s dragging us down with him. What bad luck!¡± Florence and the others were shocked and terrified at the same time. They couldn¡¯t even afford to offend the Cobra, much less the man behind him, who was none other than Sir Anderson. ¡°You fool! Sir Anderson is here. Aren¡¯t you going to surrender?¡± shouted the Cobra. CS CamScanner Sir Anderson did not only have a strong family background, but he was also extremely powerful. He had seen Sir Anderson get away with killing dozens of men with his own eyes. ¡°Sir Anderson! You came at the perfect time. Someone caused trouble here and is even holding Sir Draco hostage!¡± Rosalineined without hesitation. ¡°Oh? Who is brave enough to touch my men?¡± The middle¨Caged man cocked an eyebrow and looked toward themotion. However, when he saw Dustin, his expression went nk. He was clearly taken aback. In fact, Dustin was also stunned. He never imagined that Sir Anderson was also Duane Welch! ¡°Boy, you¡¯d better put the knife down before Sir Anderson gets mad. Or else you¡¯re never going to walk out of here alive!¡± threatened the Cobra nastily. Dustin obeyed at once and dropped the knife with a ng. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re scared now, aren¡¯t you? But it¡¯s toote!¡± The Cobra distanced himself and stood with a threatening stance, ready to enact his revenge. Before he could give the order, Duane asked, ¡°Dustin, what happened? Did my men offend you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small misunderstanding. I never thought they were your men, Uncle Duane.* Dustin smiled. ¡°Uncle Duane?¡± The Cobra was dumbfounded as he watched the two men talk amicably. Chapter 94 When Sir Anderson showed up, everyone thought Dustin was done for. To their surprise, nothing dramatic happened when Sir Anderson saw Dustin. Instead, they chatted amicably like they were old friends. The Cobra was appalled by this turn of events. Even Florence and the others were stunned. ¡°This can¡¯t be for real, right? Could he really know Sir Anderson?¡± ¡°My goodness, who is that man? How could he and Sir Anderson be talking like buddies?¡± The crowd gossiped in hushed voices, obviously taken aback. *S¨CSir Anderson¨Cyou know him?¡± The Cobra gulped. He was slightly panicked and at a loss. ¡®Dustin is Natasha¡¯s friend. What gave you the nerve to offend him?¡± Duane¡¯s expression grew colder by the second. ¡°Huh? Ms. Harmon¡¯s friend?¡± The Cobra got the fright of his life. Natasha Harmon wasn¡¯t just one of Swinton¡¯s big guns, she had the support of Millburg¡¯s aristocrats. She was as prominent a figure as Sir Anderson himself. What¡¯s more, Natasha was a very protective person. Anyone who dared to offend her friends was doomed to face ruthless revenge! ¡°Sir Anderson, I¨C1- the Cobra stuttered. ¡°Pack it up and stop being a baby. Apologize to Dustin, and whatever happened will be forgotten.¡± Duane waved his hand. ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± The Cobra nodded repeatedly and bowed to Dustin. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m terribly sorry. I didn¡¯t know who you were and offended you. I hope you¡¯ll let this slide and forgive me this once.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. As long as you won¡¯t take revenge,¡± said Dustin inly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± The Cobra kept wiping away his sweat as he said, ¡°From now on, you and your friends will be treated as our VIPs. Everything will be on the house!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. His humble response shocked the crowd. Who would have thought that the Cobra, who was so viinous just a moment before, would apologize so humbly the next? ¡°Dustin, let¡¯s have a chat. This way.¡± Duane wasn¡¯t joking. He stretched out a hand in invitation and led the way to the office on the second floor. The moment they left, the entire bar erupted! *I¡­ I wasn¡¯t just seeing things, was I? Did that fool just talk to Sir Anderson like the best of pals?¡± James asked in disbelief. After all, Sir Anderson was the Cobra¡¯s backer. He could turn Swinton upside down with a lift of his finger. ¡°If I¡¯m guessing right, Ms. Harmon must have something to do with their acquaintance.¡± Dahlia suggested, her senses returning quickly. CS CamScanner She had heard Sir Anderson mention Natasha Harmon. It was undeniable that he had spared Dustin for the sake of the Harmon family¡¯s reputation. ¡°You must be right! It has to be! How else can a small fry like him know such a big shot?¡± James nodded fervently. I ¡°Hmph! I thought he had some real potential, but it turns out that he was just putting on a show by relying on someone else¡¯s influence!¡± Florence huffed, displeased. ¡°A man should have a spine. How can a man always count on a woman to back him up?¡± Dahlia shook her head in disappointment. Climbing the ranks by kissing up to someone looked grand on the surface, but it was just a quick taste of heaven. It would neverst long. ¡°What a lucky bastard!¡± Matt¡¯s expression was stormy, and his gaze stung with disdain. It was already shameful enough getting pped by the Cobra earlier, but now, Dustin¡¯s glory had made him look even more pathetic inparison. He could not ept that a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing like Dustin had outshone him! Meanwhile, in the office on the second floor, Dustin sat across from Duane while the Cobra served them. Chapter 95 ¡°Duane, let¡¯s not beat around the bush, shall we?¡± Dustin sipped his tea and said, ¡°You said you¡¯ve found the Panax root. Where is it?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re so anxious, I won¡¯t tease you any longer.¡± Duane smiled and pped his hands. A bodyguard entered the room carrying a wooden box. cing the box on the table between him and Dustin, Duane opened it slowly. A dark yellow root no bigger than a palm sat inside. It was a Panax root with unusually long roots. *This really is good stuff!¡± Dustin eximed upon examining the root closely. He looked delighted. A 500¨Cyear¨Cold Panax root was an extremely rare treasure! Now that he had another herb, he was another step closer to his goal! ¡°How is it, Dustin? Are you satisfied?¡± Duane smiled expectantly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m satisfied. Thank you so much.¡± Dustin smiled, reaching out to take the root. Suddenly, the lid of the box snapped shut. ¡°Dustin, what¡¯s the hurry? Let¡¯s talk more,¡± Duane asserted. One hand remained wrapped around the box. Evidently, he was not nning on giving its contents to Dustin that easily. ¡°Duane, what¡¯s this about?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your Gemiphen form. Can you sell it to me?¡® Duane smiled faintly. ¡°Duane, this wasn¡¯t what we agreed on. As per our agreement, I cure your ailment, and you give me a 500¨Cyear -old Panax root in return,¡± Dustin reminded him. ¡°Are you sure you remember correctly? Yes, you cured me, but I gave you the Hillview Hotel in return. As for the Panax root, you¡¯ll have to exchange it for your Gemiphen form!¡± ¡°You sound like you want to go back on your word,¡± Dustin warned, his expression gradually growing colder. He had thought that Duane hade to give him the Panax root, but to his surprise, Duane had been eyeing his Gemiphen form all along. ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t put it that way. We just want mutual benefits. If you¡¯re unsatisfied, I can give you another thirty million in cash!¡± Duane stuck out three fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve said this before. My Gemiphen form is not for sale. You can only give me herbs in exchange for it,¡± stressed Dustin. ¡°Haha¡­ am I not doing an exchange with you right now?¡± Duane hinted, tapping on the box between them. ¡°Duane, if people find out you¡¯re not a man of your word, won¡¯t you be aughing stock?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression was as cold as ice. If he negotiated politely, Dustin didn¡¯t mind selling him two packets of Gemiphen. However, Duane¡¯s way of obtaining the form was foolish. CS CamScanner *So what if people find out? Who would believe you?¡± Duane challenged. His nervous smile did not reach his eyes. The Gemiphen form was priceless. If he could get his hands on it, he could take over the entire Anderson family! ¡°Duane, for Ms. Harmon¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t burn bridges between us. So now, you¡¯d best give me the Panax root.¡± Dustin said calmly, suppressing his anger. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± Duane retorted. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for snatching it away.¡± Dustin was very blunt. ¡°Snatch? Haha. If you can take this box from me, I¡¯ll let you have it for free!¡± Duaneughed. He had trained in martial arts for years and had long since reached the highest level of mastery. How dare an amateur like Dustin snatch something out of the hands of a master like him? ¡°Okay! You said it yourself!¡± Dustin wasted no time and reached for the wooden box. Duane was fully prepared. His hand bent into a w and grabbed Dustin¡¯s forcefully. The battle had begun. Chapter 96 Duane was still smiling confidently at the start of the battle. But it was not long before he noticed something was very wrong. Dustin was much stronger than he had expected. He could feel terrifying surges of energy rushing at him like waves in the ocean. They made the bones in his hand tremble. They would break any minute! Duane¡¯s expression darkened, and he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He threw a hard punch at Dustin, trying to make him fall back. However, Dustin did not dodge and faced it head¨Con instead. Their fists collided, and Duane¡¯s chair was smashed into pieces! The force of the punch shoved Duane backward until he hit the wall to catch his bnce. Even so, Dustin remained seated calmly. They both knew who was more powerful! ¡°Damn! I never knew you had tricks up your sleeve. I underestimated you!¡± Duane¡¯s eyes narrowed as a had thrown him off his feet. Although strength couldn¡¯tpletely represent his fighting skills, it was enough to prove his physical strength. ¡°Thanks for the Panax root, Duane.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t waste any time. He picked up the box and got up to leave. Duane was already on his cklist for being untrustworthy. This was thest time they would do business together. *Sir Anderson, do you want me to send some men after him to get it back?¡± asked the Cobra hesitantly. He could tell that Duane and Dustin weren¡¯t actually friends. If so, he had nothing to fear anymore. ¡°He is quite strong. I¡¯m afraid your men won¡¯t be able to take him on.¡± Duane cautiously moved his numb arm. ¡°Are¡­ are you going to let him go just like that?¡± The Cobra was a little disgruntled. After losing face earlier, he was eager to redeem it. ¡°Let him go? Hmph. Not so easily!¡± Duaneughed coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll get my hands on the Gemiphen form. Just wait and see. I have many ways to make him surrender to me!¡± Meanwhile, outside the bar, Lyra arrived with thepany¡¯s bodyguards. When she saw that Dahlia and the others were safe and sound, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, is everything resolved?¡± ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Dahlia nodded. ¡°I heard this is the Cobra¡¯s turf and thought there might be trouble. I didn¡¯t think it would be so easy. I¡¯m sure Mr. Laney is to thank for this?¡± Lyra smiled. CS CamScanner The suggestion caused Matt¡¯s expression to sour immediately. This woman just had to annoy him! ¡°Hmm? Why is he here?¡± Lyra wondered as she spotted Dustin leaving the bar. He questioned, ¡°What are you guys still doing here? Waiting for someone to take revenge on you? I don¡¯t have the energy to save you again.¡± He spoke with a calm voice, grasping the wooden box in his hand. ¡°Who needs saving? You¡¯re so nosy!¡± Florence snapped rudely. ¡°Hpmh! Stop showing off. If it wasn¡¯t for Ms. Harmon, could you have walked out of there alive?¡± James mocked brashly. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Dahlia waved her hands to stop their bickering. She turned to Dustin and said, ¡°Dustin. thanks for saving us, but I don¡¯t condone your behavior.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you have any advice, Ms. Nicholson?¡± Dustin cocked an eyebrow.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re too impulsive! You don¡¯t think before you act. Did you ever consider the consequences your actions might bring?¡± Dahlia asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what consequences my actions would have caused, but I¡¯m certain that your brother¡¯s hands would have been chopped off,¡± Dustin retorted matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. Chapter 97 ¡°I¡¯mjusttryingtoremindyoutothinktwicebeforeyouact.Justbecauseyouhavesupportfromthehigher-upsdoesn¡¯tmeanyoucanrunamok.¡±Withasolemnlook,Dahliaadded,¡°Dustin,youmustrealizethatyourworthhastobebackedbyability.Curryingfavorswithpowerfulpeoplecanpropelyouto greaterheights,butitwon¡¯stunlessyoucanproveyou¡¯reapersonofhighcaliber.Sodon¡¯tthinkyou¡¯reallhighandmighty- considerthisalessonfromme.¡± Dustinsnickereduponhearingthis.¡°HowcanyoubesurethatI¡¯mcurryingfavorswiththepowerful?¡± ¡°Isthatnotthecase?Ifitweren¡¯tforMs.Harmon¡¯sreputation,wouldtheCobrahaveletyougosoeasily?¡±Dahliadidn¡¯tholdbackwithherremark. ¡°Whateveryousay.Iknowthat,whateverIdo,I¡¯mnothingbutauselessprickinyoureyes,¡±Dustinsneeredas he shookhishead. Firstimpressionstrulyweretoughtochange.Evenwiththeevidenceinfrontoftheireyes,somepeoplewouldsimplyrefusetobelieveit.Theypreferredscouringforexcusesinanattempttoconsolidatetheirprejudices.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Oh,Dustin,don¡¯tbedisheartened.Keepyourdignityandutilizeyourcapabilitiestocarveoutyour owncareerandlegacyinsteadofbeingazybumwholeechesoffothers,¡±Dahliaurgedinadeepvoice. ¡°SowhatifI¡¯mabum?Catchingeasyfishisalsoaskill.ItjustmeansIworksmart,¡±Dustinshrugged. ¡°You¡­¡±Dahliawasstartingtogetannoyed.Shehadputsincereeffortintotrying totalksenseintohim,but heradviceseemedtofallondeafears.Nottomentionthefactthathedidnotappearashamedofhisbehavior atall.Itwasapparentthattherewasnosavingsomepeoplefromtheirstubbornness. Asthetwowentbackandforth,afewpatrolcarspulledupandblockedtheintersection. The doorsofthepatrolcarsswungopen,andseveraluniformedpoliceofficerssteppedoutandapproachedthemswiftly. ¡°We¡¯relookingfor DustinRhys,¡±saidoneofthepoliceofficers. ¡°That¡¯sme.¡±Dustinresponded,¡°Issomethingwrong,officer?¡± ¡°Wejustreceivedareportthatyou¡¯vestolensomevaluableobjects.Pleasewithus!¡±shoutedtheofficer. ¡°Stolen?Officer,theremustbeamisunderstanding.¡±Dustindered,squintinghiseyes. ¡°Alright,mayIaskwhat¡¯sinsidethisbox?¡± ¡°Panaxroot.¡± ¡°Thenthatprovesit!Comewithusimmediatelyforfurtherinvestigation!¡±Theofficersaidlittlemoreashe handcuffedDustin. ¡°Officer!Whatexactlyisgoingon?¡±eximedDahlia,assherushedforward,thecolordrainedfromherface. ¡°Whoareyou?¡±askedthepatrolofficer. ¡°I¡¯mhisfriend,¡±shereplied. ¡°Hmph,suspicious!Youcouldbeanaplice.Takeherawayaswell!¡± Inoneswiftmovement,theofficerclickedapairofhandcuffsaroundDahlia¡¯swrists.Thisincidentlefteveryoneatthescenestunned. ¡°Officer,thishasnothingto dowithher.It¡¯sall me,¡±saidDustinwithafrown. ¡°He¡¯sright,he¡¯sright!ThisisallDustin¡¯sdoing.Ithasnothingtodowithmydaughter!Ifyouwanttoarresthim,thendothat!Mydaughterhasdonenothingwrong.She¡¯sinnocent!¡±pleadedFlorence. ¡°That¡¯sright,officer!Mysisterisinnocent.She¡¯sakindsoul!¡±Jameseximed,panicked. ¡°We¡¯llfindoutifshe¡¯sinnocentoncetheinvestigationisover.Takeheraway!¡±barkedthepoliceofficer.Withasinglmandfromthesquadleader,DustinandDahliawereescortedintothepolicecars. ¡°¡°Wait!¡±Mattsteppedoutfromthecrowdandbegan,¡°I¡¯moftheLaneyfamilyofMillsburg.Pleasecutussome ckandlet¡­¡± ¡°Anymorenonsense,andyou¡¯llbingalong!¡±snappedtheofficer.HiscoldresilencedMattinstantly. TherewasnothinganyonecoulddoastheywatchedDahlialeavewiththem. ¡°It¡¯sover!Goddamngood¨Cfor¨CnothingDustin,gettingmydaughterintrouble!¡±criedFlorenceasshestomped thegroundindistress. ¡°Idon¡¯tgiveadamnifhedigshisowngrave,but todragDahliawithhim?Whata bastard!¡±Jamesscowled withresentment. ¡°Now¡¯snotthetimeforthis.Quick,weneedtothink ofawaytosaveMs.Nicholson!¡±saidLyra. ¡°You¡¯reright!Wehavetofindaway.Iknowafriendwhoworksatthepolice station.I¡¯llgivehimacat once!¡± ¡°Iknowartivewhohasconnectionswithsomepoliceofficersof higherranks.I¡¯llfindoutif hecanofferus anyhelp.¡± Suddenly,theairwasfilledwiththeexcitedchatteringofeveryoneinthegroup,gatheringassistancefromanyheycouldthinkof. Chapter 98 Nighttime, in the interrogation room of the police station. Dustin and Dahlia sat with their backs against each other, bound to the chairs in the middle of the room. The air in the room was cool and damp, and darkness shrouded thempletely. They could feel an invisible weight on their shoulders. ¡°My bad, I didn¡¯t mean to drag you into this mess,¡± Dustin spoke first. ¡°They imed you stole some valuables. Is that true?¡± Dahlia asked, cutting to the chase. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look that bold to me, so my guess is someone is trying to frame you. Does this have anything to do with the Cobra?¡± ¡°The Cobra is merely a pawn. The mastermind is none other than Duane Welch.¡± ¡°Duane Welch? Are you talking about Sir Anderson?¡± Dahlia was dumbstruck. ¡°Weren¡¯t you on fairly good terms with him before? Did you strike a nerve? How?¡± ¡°I punched him,¡± Dustin admitted tly. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia choked, struggling to keep her calm, ¡°You You dared hit Sir Anderson! Are you out of your mind?!¡± Sir Anderson wasn¡¯t just anyone¨Che was like a brother to Mr. Anderson. Not to mention being of the prominent Welch family of Millsburg! He was someone even the vicious, unyielding Cobra would kneel to. Yet Dustin dared ce a hand on him, the epitome of digging one¡¯s own grave! ¡°He hit me first. I only hit back in self¨Cdefense.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest. ¡°Y¨Cyou act too rashly!¡± Dahlia fumed, ¡°Who do you think Sir Anderson is? Do you think he¡¯s someone you can afford to offend? One order from him is all it takes to wipe you off the face of the earth!¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve already offended him, there¡¯s nothing else we can do than go with the flow,¡± Dustin said with a Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. shrug. ¡°Easy for you to say, but do you think you can handle this?¡± Dahlia¡¯s patience was running thin. She asserted, You better find an opening to call Natashater. She¡¯s the only one who can save you now!¡± As the words left her tongue, she felt an acrid taste at the back of her throat. Although she wouldn¡¯t admit it if she didn¡¯t have to, there was no denying that there was noparing herself to Natasha when it came to family background. Suddenly, the metal door to the dark room creaked open, Interrupting their conversation. A man with a rotund beer belly appeared in the doorway and stepped into the room. He sat down on a chair and flicked the switch of the brightmp on the desk. The re from themp made the two detainees squeeze their eyes shut Instinctively. CS CamScanner ¡°So, you¡¯re Dustin Rhys or something.¡± hissed the fat man maliciously. ¡°Yes.¡± Dustin continued squinting until his eyes grew ustomed to the intense light. I ¡°Do either of you know who I am?¡± the man asked. ¡°No clue.¡± ¡°Then, allow me to introduce myself. I go by Gardner, the inspector here. I am nicknamed Heinous Hades by many!¡± The fat man lifted his chin with pride. 1 Dahlia¡¯s heart dropped. Having spent a good chunk of her life mingling in this field, it was not her first time hearing that nickname. He was a man of barbarian cruelty, always baying for the blood of his next victim. Any offenders who fell into his hands could only pray for an oue less than horrific. They were in grave trouble this time around! ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Gardner. We¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± While Dahlia anticipated the worst, Dustin seemed rtively calm and breezy. ¡°Great! Given that you¡¯ve heard of my name, I assume you¡¯re familiar with my habits. I rmend that you learn your ce and cooperate. That is your only hope of leaving here alive!¡± The inspector lit a cigar, slid it between his teeth, and took a deep breath. ¡°Mr. Gardner, what do you need my cooperation for?¡± Dustin asked with a calm voice. ¡°The lot of you stole some valuable items, and thew can sentence you to prison. However, I am giving you the chance to straighten out the issue with the original owner. If we reach a mutual agreement, no charges will be pressed.¡± ¡°Mr. Gardner, you must be mistaken. I didn¡¯t steal anything. The Panax root belongs to me,¡± Dustin rebutted politely. ¡°Hey! Kid! Are you sure you know what¡¯s happening?¡± The fat man snorted. ¡°Does it matter whether you stole it or not? Once you step foot in my territory, I make the rules. If I say you stole it, it means you stole it. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Mr. Gardner, isn¡¯t the way you¡¯re approaching this case a little unreasonable?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyebrows creased into a frown. ¡°Unreasonable? Haha. My words could not be more reasonable!¡± snarled the fat man. A sinister smirk stretched across his face. ¡°Now, you both have two options. One, to reach a deal with Sir Anderson. Or two, spend the rest of your lives in jail!¡± ¡°Can I choose neither?¡± Dustin asked.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m trying to engage in a peaceful discussion with you. You¡¯d better be sensible and take the option, or else you won¡¯t have it easy if you cross me!¡± Hostility shed in his eyes. ¡°Are you trying to threaten me?¡± ¡°What if I am?¡± the inspector sneered. The cigar hung from his teeth as he continued with disdain, ¡°I know you have some punch in you, but even superpowers won¡¯t be useful in my territory! Besides, need I remind you that your gorgeous girlfriend will be very popr if she ends up in prison! Even if you could not care less about yourself, you should keep her in mind! That is, if you can bear watching as the other prisoners ravage such a delicate beauty!¡± Dustin¡¯s expression hardened. Murderous intent seeped from his eyes. ¡°If you dare touch her, rest assured that nothing but death will await you!¡± While his aggressive remark stunned Dahlia, she couldn¡¯t help the warmth that filled her chest. ¡°Haha! You can barely stand up for yourself. And to think, you¡¯re trying to threaten me! If you have brains in that head of yours, just hand over the Panax root and call it quits. Otherwise, you can¡¯t me me if I throw your beloved in prison! Give it some thought. You¡¯ll have thirty minutes to think it through. I¡¯ll be back with hopes of an affirmative answer.¡± With a grotesque grin, Gardner turned to leave, leaving nothing but a loud, resonating bang in his wake. The room plunged back into darkness. Chapter 99 The night progressed slowly. Florence. James, and the others waited anxiously outside the police station. Dahlia was the backbone of the Nicholson family. If something were to happen to her, the Nicholsons would undoubtedly fall apart. Therefore, to save themselves, they did everything they could to arrange for her release. which meant pulling every string possible. A policeman appeared out of nowhere. James immediately stepped forward and asked, ¡°Mr. rke, how¡¯s it looking? Can you let my sister go?¡± ¡°James, I dug around and discovered that Gardner is the inspector in charge of this case. A mere policeman like myself won¡¯t be able to do much to help,¡± the man said with a shake of his head. ¡°What else can we do? Do you have any other ideas?¡± Jamesmented with panic. ¡°Mr. rke, we would be eternally grateful for whatever you can do to help us!¡± Florence pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, but I can¡¯t promise anything. Plus, don¡¯t forget the sum of money.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve just forked out two million dors. Take it for now, and I¡¯ll get more if it doesn¡¯t suffice. Please help us out. We can talk about further paymentter!¡± James cried as he pulled out a card and handed it to the policeman. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll give it another shot.¡± The policeman slid the card into his pocket discreetly, turned around, and walked back into the station. ¡°James, two million isn¡¯t a small amount. Are you sure we can trust your friend?¡± Florence asked, her voice uncertain. ¡°No matter what, we still have to give it a go.¡± James muttered through gritted teeth. ¡°By the way, has anyone seen Mr. Laney?¡± someone in the crowd quipped. ¡°Matt said he went to meet a friend who may be able to help get Dahlia out of this pickle,¡± Florence replied. ¡°So that¡¯s where he¡¯s gone. With Mr. Laney¡¯s help, we have double the reassurance. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be alright.¡± With that, the group let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, in a luxurious vi, Matt was having the time of his life with a gorgeous woman in a hot tub. His body intertwined with hers as they blissfully made love to each other. ¡°I doubt you¡¯re here simply to visit. You must have a favor to ask of me, am I right?¡± the woman smirked. ¡°Nothing ever gets past you, does it?¡± he conceded with a slight smile. He began, ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s being held at the police station, and I need your help bailing her out. I¡¯m sure you know that Swinton is not my home ground.¡± ¡°A friend? What¡¯s the name?¡± she asked. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson.¡± CS CamScanner ¡°Oh? A woman? Is there something going on between you and her?¡± The beauty raised an eyebrow suspiciously. ¡°Hehe¡­ she¡¯s just a friend. She helped me out awhile back, so I¡¯m merely returning the favor.¡± Matt maintained a nonchnt expression. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dubious, the woman pressed on. ¡°Matt, don¡¯t im I¡¯ve never reminded you that you are mine and mine only. You best believe you¡¯ll regret being promiscuous out there. If a vixen dares to try to seduce you, I will make her life a living hell!¡± ¡°What are you even talking about, baby girl? You are the one I love most in life. How could I possibly have eyes for other women?¡± Matt quickly pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°Since you say you love me so much, you shall attend my birthday party in two days and meet my father as ¡°my boyfriend,¡± thedy said with a smile stretching from ear to ear. ¡°Are you introducing me to your family already?¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid?¡± ¡°Your father is the one and only Sir Hummer. I bet you won¡¯t be able to name me someone who isn¡¯t afraid of the prospect of meeting him! However, it goes without saying that I would cross the highest mountains and the deepest seas for you!¡± ¡°Aw, aren¡¯t you the sweetest! Alright then, it¡¯s a deal!¡± At the same time, at Java Joys. Natasha was seated on the couch, reading silently, when Ruth barged in. *Sis! Bad news! Dustin¡¯s been arrested!¡± she blurted as soon as her lips parted. ¡°Arrested?¡± Natasha was taken aback. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I just received news that Dustin was arrested and escorted to the police station for the theft of valuable items!¡± Ruth managed between pants. ¡°Theft? Is that it?¡± Natasha¡¯s confusion grew. ¡°The theft is nothing but a coverup. In reality, Dustin is being framed. However, things don¡¯t look good given that he¡¯s fallen into the hands of that fat man Gardner,¡± Ruth continued. A string of protests rang from Natasha¡¯s mouth immediately. ¡°That fat bastard! Such audacity¨Chow dare he touch my man? Gather your men at once and follow me to the police station to get our people back!¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, in Hunter Anderson¡¯s mansion. ¡°Dad! Bad news! Something major happened!¡± Jeff Anderson rushed into the study withrge beads of sweat covering his forehead, startling Hunter as he practiced his brush strokes. CS CamScanner ¡°You idiot! How many times have I told you that you must stay calm when facing problems instead of overreacting? Why don¡¯t you ever heed my advice?!¡± ¡°Dad! I¡¯m not overreacting this time. Something big really did happen!¡± Jeff wiped the sweat from his face. ¡°Pahl You better remember: no matter how big a situation, you must stay calm! That is how a real man should act!¡± After rying his teachings, he finally asked, ¡°Now tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Mr. Rhys. He¡¯s been arrested by Gardner!¡± Jeff exploded. ¡°What?¡± Hunter started trembling in fear. Even the brush in his hand broke in two. ¡°Quick¡­ call someone! We have to go to the police station,¡± he instructed his son. He roared, ¡°That fat fuck ¡°Gardner. If he dares touch a hair on Mr. Rhys¡® head, I¡¯ll skin him alive!¡± ¡°Dad, shouldn¡¯t you remain calm?¡± Jeff¡¯s lips twitched with irony. ¡°To hell with calm!¡± The news struck him like a lightning bolt, so shocking that Hunter broke into a cold sweat. ¡°If Mr. Laney emerges unscathed, all will be well. But if something were to happen to him, everyone in Swinton would suffer. Not to mention Garnder, you, and even myself!¡± ¡°Huh! Is the situation so grave?¡± Jeff winced. He still had zero clue about Dustin¡¯s true identity. ¡°What are you doing still lingering around? We have to get him out of there!¡± ordered Hunter. After pping his son awake, Hunter darted out the door. Deep in his heart, he prayed, ¡°Gardner, Gardner, you fat motherfucker better not mess around! If you do, Swinton will be soaked in blood!¡± Chapter 100 As the chaos unfolded in the outside world, nothing but peace and calm hung in the air of the inspector¡¯s office at the police station. ¡°What¡¯s the situation, Mr. Gardner? Has the kid confessed yet?¡± asked the Cobra impatiently as soon as he sat down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether he has or not. Any prisoner who falls into my hands is sure to give in eventually.¡± The fat inspector took another drag of his cigar with a smug expression. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if you¡¯re on¨Csite, but you can¡¯t guarantee that things won¡¯t take a turn for the worse. I think you ought to get it out of the way while you can,¡± the Cobra suggested. ¡°Why do you say that? Are you trying to teach me how to do my job?¡± Gardner cast a cold re at him. ¡°Of course not. I wouldn¡¯t even dream of it. It¡¯s just that the kid has someone backing him up. If this isn¡¯t resolved soon, trouble may arise,¡± the Cobra exined with a quick apology. ¡°What trouble could possibly arise? I¡¯m just doing my job. Plus, this is my territory. Who would dare disobey me?¡± he reminded the man with certainty. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, Mr. Gardner. You are Mr. Granville¡¯s son¨Cinw after all¨Cwho would dare disrespect you?¡± agreed the Cobra tteringly. ¡°Hmph! At least you¡¯re smart enough to know that!¡± the inspector guffawed. He was perhaps prouder of having the mayor as his father¨Cinw than of his identity as an inspector. The title of mayor denoted the highest position of power in the whole of Swinton. ¡°Mr. Gardner, this is a gift from Sir Anderson. Please ept it,¡± said the Cobra as he held out a gift box with both hands. Gardner opened the box, and the shimmer of the gold essory put a smile on his face. ¡°Hehe¡­ Sir Anderson is simply too generous. Send him my thanks! Also, reassure him that I will handle this with extra care and ensure nothing goes wrong!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gardner!¡± The Cobra bowed in gratitude. While the two spoke, the squad leader who had made the arrest entered the room unannounced. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Gardner instantly mmed the gift box shut. ¡°Sir, the Nicholson family has just sent someone to intercede, and they¡¯ve offered to pay a hefty amount to release Dahlia Nicholson on bail,¡± the officer reported. ¡°Pah! That woman is a wanted criminal. There¡¯s no way she can be released on ball. Send them away!¡± commanded Gardner with a dismissive wave of his hand. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The squad leader turned and left. However, he knocked on the door again in less than a minute. CS CamScanner ¡°What is it this time?!¡± barked the inspector, clearly losing his patience. ¡°Sir, Ms. Harmon called in earlier, iming that we¡¯ve arrested the wrong person. She has asked us to release Dustin Rhys immediately.¡± the officer said. ¡°Ms. Harmon? Do you mean Natasha Harmon?¡± Gardner¡¯s expression froze. ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± The officer nodded. ¡°Cobra, what¡¯s going on? You failed to mention that this kid had anything to do with Natasha!¡± The inspector¡¯s eyes turned feral Natasha was ady of superiority in all aspects; money, power, and influence. Under normal circumstances, she was not someone he would offend for no reason. ¡°Mr. Gardner, he¡¯s just a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing Natasha dotes on. In fact, he has no proper background. With your status, you need not pay him much attention,¡± the Cobra assured the inspector. ¡°Hmph! That better be the case!¡± Slightly flustered, Gardner instructed the squad leader, ¡°Tell Natasha Harmon that we are holding no such person in our patrol room.¡± Since he had already given his word to Duane, there was no going back. For now, the best course of action would be to sweep it under the carpet. However, as soon as the squad leader left, Gardner¡¯s phone started ringing. ¡°Mr. Anderson?¡± He was baffled by the caller ID disyed on the screen. For Mr. Anderson to call at this hour.. could it be for the kid as well? Wasn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?! Brushing the thought from his mind, he decided to pick up the call, still feeling apprehensive. ¡°Hello, Mr. Anderson! Is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°Mr. Gardner! Tell me, did you arrest a young man named Dustin Rhys?¡± Hunter cut right to the chase without wasting a second. ¡°Oh? Did I? Why is it that I¡¯m not aware of this?¡± Mr. Gardner questioned. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn¡¯t let it show. He asked, ¡°Mr. Anderson, did something happen?¡± ¡°Gardner! Don¡¯t you dare pull tricks on me! Heed my order and release Dustin right this instant! Or else, don¡¯t me me for cutting you off for good!¡± Hunter yelled into the phone. ¡°Mr. Anderson, there must have been a misunderstanding! I don¡¯t know a Dustin at all. How about I look into it for you?¡± The officer desperately put on an act. There was no way he would spill the beans on the n. ¡°Alright then, you fat bastard. You have no idea what you¡¯re getting yourself into! Mark my words¨Cif anything happens to Dustin, you and your whole family will go down with him!¡± Hunter hung up the phone with a threatening growl: ¡°Did that old man get up on the wrong side of the bed today?¡± grumbled Gardner, his displeasure written all over his face. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong?¡± the Cobra asked cautiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where did you get the guts to ask me that?¡± Gardner pped a palm onto the table. ¡°Didn¡¯t CS CamScanner you say the kid had no background? Mr. Anderson just called to speak to me about the fellow! Does that sound like someone with no background to you? Are you deliberately trying to set me up, you motherfucker?!¡± Natasha Harmon was already a handful. Now that Hunter Anderson was also in the picture, this was equivalent to stripping him down and tying him to a skewer over an open fire. ¡°No way! There¡¯s no way that he has rtions with Mr. Anderson! I¨CI really didn¡¯t know about this,¡± the Cobra stuttered as the color drained from his face. ¡°Quick, call Duane now. This situation is getting way out of hand. He¡¯ll have to pay me more if he wants this matter settled smoothly,¡± Gardner ordered. ¡°Alright, alright. I will call Sir Anderson immediately!¡± The Cobra did not hesitate as he dialed Duane¡¯s number. Over the phone, he briefly exined Gardner¡¯s request. After confirming an affirmative answer, he reported, ¡°Sir, Sir Anderson has agreed to double the price as long as you can get the job done!¡± Hearing this, the tense muscles on the inspector¡¯s face finally eased. *Sir Anderson is truly generous! In that case, I¡¯ll do my very best!¡± he dered with a smile of contentment. Well, money did do wonders, after all. A middle ground is always more easily reached with a good payout. Chapter 101 Back in the interrogation room, Dustin and Dahlia sat with their backs against each other for warmth. Such peaceful moments were rare from the moment they were married until their divorce. No one spoke anything as they remained silent for a while. ¡°Dustin, do you think we will walk out of here alive?¡± Finally, Dahlia broke the silence. She couldn¡¯t stand the damp and dark surroundings that forced her to think depressive thoughts. Furthermore, Mr. Gardner wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. Her heart thumped with fear at what would happen to them. ¡°Don¡¯t scare yourself. We will definitely leave this ce in one piece,¡± Dustinforted her. ¡°What if we don¡¯t? Do you have anyst wishes?¡± Dahlia murmured glumly. ¡°There¡¯s no possibility of us dying. Let¡¯s talk after we get out,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°Not after we have offended Lord Asmon. With his connections and resources, getting rid of us would be as easy as killing a gnat.¡± Dahlia sighed. Even if she pooled all her resources, it would be nothingpared to the wealth of the nobility. ¡°Dahlia, this doesn¡¯t sound like you. I thought you were a person who would not give up until thest second. With your personality, you would take on any challenge that got in your way. Why are you being so pessimistic?¡± Dustin raised his voice. When she heard this, Dahlia gave a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re right. No one knows what will happen until thest minute. Perhaps we should have hope that things would turn around!¡± The metal door creaked open once again as she finished her sentence. Light streamed into the room as Mr. Gardner stomped in with a few burly, intimidating¨Clooking men. ¡°Kid! Your time is up; have you made your decision?¡± He shot Dustin a fierce look. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided. I will not return the items,¡± Dustin replied firmly. ¡°What?¡± Mr. Gardner frowned. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t you know who these men are? I¡¯ll be honest, they are the worst criminals and bandits I have in prison! They have been deprived of the touch of a woman for a long time! If you refuse to cooperate, you will definitely regret it. These men will have their way with your girlfriend while you shall watch her ravaged and abused in front of your very eyes!¡± ¡°If you dare to touch her, I¡¯ll tear this whole ce down!¡± Dustin warned with a growl. ¡°You piece of shit! How dare you talk back to me! Now, you have no choice but to bear the consequences!¡± Mr. Gardner gestured to his men. ¡°Guys, make sure to put on a good performance for this kid so that he knows his ce! Show him a fate worse than death!¡± CS CamScanner ¡°Of course, sir! We are much obliged!¡± The men cackled with pleasure. They had been locked up in prison for a long time without a woman¡¯s touch. Now that such a beauty was in their presence, they could not hide their evil desires to ravish her body. ¡°Hi, gorgeous! Let¡¯s have a good time!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the girl, you can get the guy!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The men began to strip whileughing maniacally as they stepped menacingly toward Dahlia. ¡°You must be looking for death!¡± Dustin stood up, furious. He tore the shackles around his hands and legs with brute force, and they fell to the ground with a ng. After that, Dustin turned around and untied Dahlia easily. ¡°You!¡± Mr. Gardner was taken aback at the sudden turn of events. The shackles in the interrogation room were specially made to be extra tough. It was impossible for a human to tear the metal apart like butter. How did this scrawny kid do that? ¡°Gardner, you have pushed my limits!¡± Dustin kicked the shackles aside and rushed towards him. ¡°Quick, stop this kid!¡± Mr. Gardner screamed for help. The burly men immediately surrounded Dustin, and all of them attacked him at the same time. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± A surge of energy was released when Dustin stomped his heel on the ground. The sheer force threw the men backward and crash into the walls of the interrogation room. All of them were dead in an instant, bleeding from their internal wounds. ¡°Help, anybody! Please help!¡± Mr. Gardner turned pale and whirled around to escape. Chapter 102 Dustin kicked the limp body of a man lying beside him. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! It flew like a bullet and crashed into Mr. Gardner, who was attempting to escape. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground, unable to run any longer. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you not to touch her.¡± Dustin strolled up to him and hissed murderously, his eyes boring dangerously into Mr. Gardner. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re in the police station! You can¡¯t go too far!¡± Mr. Gardner backed away on all fours. ¡°Too far? What will you do about it?¡± Dustin chuckled as he crushed Mr. Gardner¡¯s arm with his foot. The immense pain from his broken arm caused Mr. Gardner to howl in agony. ¡°Dustin! Stop it!¡± Blood drained from Dahlia¡¯s face. Even though they were innocent, they could be charged with excessive self¨Cdefense if they fought back against the police. It would onlyplicate the situation! ¡°Come back to your senses, kid! Confess and turn yourself in so that you still have a chance to save yourself. If not, there will be no mercy!¡± Mr. Gardner threatened with a grimace. Without a word, Dustin kicked Mr. Gardner in the stomach. Mr. Gardner spurted out the contents of his dinnerst night by reflex as pee flowed out of his dder. A putrid stench filled the air from the mess he created. ¡°You¨CYou!¡± Mr. Gardner¡¯s face turned red from the violent coughing as nausea caused him to vomit bile from his stomach. ¡°Dustin, have you gone crazy? If something untoward happens to Mr. Gardner, we will have to take responsibility!¡± Dahlia called out frantically. ¡°Even if I did not fight back, he wouldn¡¯t have let us go either. Since things havee to this, we should just kill him,¡± Dustin retorted nonchntly. ¡°The situation has not escted to that level. Stop it now, and we can still fix this. If you murdered Mr. Gardner, everyone would have to pay for your mistakes!¡± Dahlia tried to reason with Dustin. What if Dustin really went insane and did something stupid out of anger? ¡°Do you hear that? Another vition from you, I will make sure you and your whole family pay for this!¡± Mr. Gardner roared. ¡°Mr. Gardner, what happened?¡± Draco ran into the room with a group of underlings when they heard the However, they were all stunned at the sight of the bloody scene and Mr. Gardner, who was heavily injured. ¡°Kid, you must be looking for death! Let Mr. Gardner go immediately if you still want to live!¡± Draco warned. CS CamScanner ¡°Let him go? Alright, take him.¡± Dustin kicked Mr. Gardner and sent him flying into the air. He crashed hard on a few of Draco¡¯s underlings, taking down several of them simultaneously. Dahlia was speechless at Dustin¡¯s impudence. She never thought he could be so reckless as to kick Mr. Gardner. Even when he was surrounded by ruthless men on all sides, he did not even think of surrendering! Had Dustin gone mad? Did he not understand the consequences of crossing Mr. Gardner? He was the police inspector, also known as Heinous Hades. Mr. Gardner was the officer in charge of the prison and criminal interrogation. The lives of prisoners were at his mercy. How could Dustin be so bold? ¡°Mr. Gardner, are you alright?¡± Draco quickly helped him up. Mr. Gardner spewed profanities in a blind rage as he ordered his men, ¡°All of you! Kill that kid right now! I want him dead and his body chopped up into pieces!¡± Never had anyone humiliated him in such a manner! ¡°Kill him!¡± Draco shouted as they took out their weapons and charged toward Dustin. Just as the fight was about to break out, a loud voice was heard at the door. ¡°Stop this instant!¡± Chapter 103 ¡°Stop this right now!¡± A loud voice rang out. A group of men in suits and armed to the teeth filed into the room. ¡°Who are you? How dare you enter the interrogation room without permission! Are you starting a riot?¡± Mr. Gardner screamed in fury. At this moment, he was stewing with rage. The only thought in his mind was to rip Dustin up into pieces, and anybody who stood in his path would be his mortal enemy as well! ¡°Mr. Gardner, what an honor to see you!¡± ¡°The crowd of people parted like the Red Sea as a gorgeous, alluring woman stalked into the room in her high heels. ¡°Natasha?¡± When Mr. Gardner saw who it was, the expression on his face fell as the burning rage in his eyes died down. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, Dustin. Your girlfriend is here to save you.¡± Dahlia said sarcastically when she saw Natasha arrive. She felt a little frustrated. Although she was relieved at the thought of being rescued, she felt a twinge of annoyance at receiving Natasha¡¯s help. As she was Dustin¡¯s ex¨Cwife, she didn¡¯t want to feel obligated to another woman. Unfortunately, Natasha was the only one who could save Dustin right now. ¡°Ms. Harmon, why are you here at the police station thiste at night with your men? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Mr. Gardner stepped forward to block their way. ¡°Hmph! Are you seriously questioning me? You were the one who brought people in without a fair trial. Is this how the police investigate crimes?¡± Natasha scoffed. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± Mr. Gardner said sheepishly. ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Alright then, I¡¯ll be straightforward. I¡¯m here to request the release of my man. Let Dustin go immediately before I make you regret it!¡± Natasha demanded. ¡°Let him go? This man is a wanted criminal with definitive evidence. Are you going to make me release him? Aren¡¯t you going above thew?¡± Mr. Gardner dered righteously. Just now, Dustin had beat him up into a pulp. There was no way he could live this down. Offending Natasha was a small price to pay for him to get his revenge on Dustin! ¡°How dare you talk about thew to me! Aren¡¯t you aware of how contradictory your words are? It is as easy as pie for me to reveal all your dirty underhanded tricks. Let him go immediately if you want to keep things swept under the rug!¡± Natasha threatened. ¡°Natasha, don¡¯t push my buttons!¡± Mr. Gardner warned, his expression darkened. CS CamScanner ¡°I know that the Harmon family is influential, however, I have my rights! This is my territory and that guy is a criminal. Moreover, he is under my jurisdiction. You have no right to Interfere in what I do with him!¡± ¡°If Ms. Harmon doesn¡¯t have the right, how about me Instead?¡± Hunter walked into the interrogation room with his men in tow. His noble aura caused the men to move away from him involuntarily. ¡°What? This kid knows Mr. Anderson?¡± Draco turned pale with shock. He didn¡¯t believe it when Mr. Gardner told him about this. Now that he had witnessed the situation with his own eyes, only then did he realize the gravity of the situation. ¡°Wow, even Mr. Anderson is here. Natasha must have asked for his help to save you. Seems like she really can¡¯t live without you, huh?¡± Sarcasm dripped from Dahlia¡¯s voice as she spoke. ¡°Mr. Anderson, why are you here as well?¡± Mr. Gardner frowned. Natasha alone was tough enough to handle. If Hunter joined in the fray, things might get out of hand. ¡°If I didn¡¯t show up, would you listen to reason?¡± Hunter retorted angrily. ¡°Mr. Anderson, I informed you in the callst time. Give me some time so I can look into it. If there¡¯s a mistake. I will let him go immediately.¡± Mr. Gardner tried to wriggle his way out. ¡°I have no time to waste yapping with you. Let Dustin go this instant!¡± Hunter ordered impatiently. The corrupted ways of the police inspector were well known. If they had waited for the investigation to end, Dustin would have been dead and gone. ¡°As an inspector, my duty is to capture wanted criminals and protect the peace of the city. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with my actions,¡± Mr. Gardner defended himself. ¡°Mr. Gardner, I¡¯m giving you onest chance. I¡¯m warning you; let him go immediately. If not, you shall die an unseemly death!¡± Hunter wasn¡¯t taking it. ¡°Mr. Anderson, are you threatening me? Don¡¯t you know the consequences of going against the police?¡± Mr. Gardner narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the consequences are. If you won¡¯t let Dustin go, I will tear down this building!¡± Hunter retorted. Mr. Gardner¡¯s face twisted with rage. He never expected Natasha and Hunter to be so obstinate. Why would they go to such lengths for a nobody like Dustin? Didn¡¯t they know that Mr. Granville was his father¨Cinw? What¡¯s wrong with the two of them? They wouldn¡¯t even budge an inchi ¡°Mr. Anderson, don¡¯t me me for not warning you. It is an offense that you have barged into the Interrogation room without permission. If Mr. Granville wants to find fault. It would be a nightmare for you to handle!¡± Mr. CS CamScanner Gardner quickly name¨Cdropped his father¨Cinw. ¡°What the hell!¡± Hunter lost his patience and swung a heavy blow to Mr. Gardner¡¯s face. ¡°I asked you to release him immediately. What¡¯s with all the excuses?¡± ¡°You¨CHow dare you p me?¡± Mr. Gardner held his burning cheek in disbelief. He was Mr. Granville¡¯s son¨Cinw and a police inspector. On ount of Mr. Granville, they should know better than to provoke him! Were they going to rebel against Mr. Granville? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with pping you? Another word from you, and I¡¯m going to put a bullet through your skull!¡± Hunter drew his pistol and ced the barrel on Mr. Gardner¡¯s forehead. ¡°Wh¨CWhat are you trying to do? Stop messing around!¡± Cold sweat ran down Mr. Gardner¡¯s forehead. He never expected Hunter to pull out his gun in the police station, nheless. Had he gone crazy as well? Wasn¡¯t this tant disrespect toward thew? ¡°What the hell, when did Mr. Anderson be so rash?¡± Natasha thought when she saw the gun. She knew Hunter as a calm, collected man. He was always good¨Cnatured andposed in any situation. What was wrong with him today? He lost his temper, pped, and threatened a man at gunpoint. If it were his son who was kidnapped, Hunter might not even have overreacted in this manner. ¡°I¡¯m going to count to five. You will bear the consequences if you still refuse to release Dustin!¡± Hunter warned, his face nonchnt. ¡°Mr. Anderson! I¡¯m Mr. Granville¡¯s son¨Cinw! Are you going to defy him?¡± Mr. Gardner screamed in shock. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Five, four.¡± Hunter started counting. ¡°Hunter! What¡¯s wrong with you? If you dare to touch a hair on my head, Mr. Granville will never forgive you!¡± Mr. Gardner¡¯s legs were shaking like a leaf ¡°Three, two, one!¡± Chapter 104 Hunter pulled the trigger immediately after his countdown. With a loud bang, a bullet went through Mr. Gardner¡¯s ear. He let out a bone¨Cchilling cry and hold on to his bleeding ear, staggering backward. ¡°Are you crazy? How dare you shoot me!¡± Mr. Gardner shouted hysterically. He thought Hunter was just all talk. Who knew that Hunter would really pull the trigger? ¡°The next time, I won¡¯t miss my aim.¡± Hunter cocked the gun and aimed it toward Mr. Gardner¡¯s face.. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Will you release Dustin, or will I?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Mr. Gardner shivered in fright. At this rate, it was highly possible that Hunter would go crazy and murder him in cold blood. As Mr. Gardner was stuck in a dilemma, a ruckus was heard at the door of the interrogation room again. An elderly man with snowy white hair rushed in with his men. ¡°Mr. Granville?¡± At his arrival, the whole interrogation room went silent. The elderly man standing before them was the mayor of Swinton, the highest¨Cranking official in the city. He was truly the most powerful man in Swinton! ¡°Finally, Mr. Granville is here! Rhys, you¡¯re dead meat! What¡¯s the use of getting Ms. Harmon¡¯s and Mr. Anderson¡¯s help? As long as Mr. Granville is on our side, no one will be able to save you today!¡± With the appearance of Mr. Granville, the expression on Draco¡¯s face changed from fear to arrogance. Heughed mockingly, knowing that Mr. Granville was here to back them up. He was their savior! When Natasha and Hunter came to save Dustin, Draco thought that they were doomed. Fortunately, Mr. Granville arrived just in time, which gave him peace of mind. ¡°Mr. Anderson! You pped and shot me in the ear for that punk¡¯s sake! You have gone too far! Now that my father¨Cinw is here, let¡¯s see how you will exin this to him!¡± Mr. Gardner snickered with a resentful expression on his face. Weren¡¯t they so brazen a minute ago? He couldn¡¯t wait to see how impudent they would be now that the mayor of Swinton was here! ¡°What a coincidence; his timing was perfect. Mr. Granville knows how to make an entrance!¡± Natasha frowned slightly. Mr. Granville¡¯s position as mayor was not to be trifled with. CS CamScanner Even with Natasha and Hunter¡¯s influence, Mr. Granville¡¯s decision would be final. More importantly, Mr. Granville and Mr. Gardner are rted by marriage. Were they going to open a can of worms? ¡°Mr. Granville, your son¨Cinw is guilty of distorting the truth, taking bribes, and using the innocent. You must properly exin the situation to us today!¡± Defying everyone¡¯s expectations, Hunter did not back down. He raised his voice and demanded an exnation from Mr. Granville. Even if Hunter was the president of the Chamber of Commerce, he was still under the jurisdiction of Mr. Granville. His actions were no less than rebellion against his superiors! 1 ¡°You¡¯re lying! I¡¯ve always been righteous and impartial in my duties!¡± Regaining hisposure, Mr. Gardner rushed towards Mr. Granville and started using them. ¡°Father, they were the ones who broke into the interrogation room without permission. Furthermore, Mr. Anderson shot me in the ear! Look at this; my ear is in a mess! Father, you have to bring them to justice!¡± He revealed his wounded ear to Mr. Granville. It was a shocking sight to behold as the wound was still bleeding profusely. ¡°Right! There¡¯s that kid!¡± Ignoring Mr. Granville¡¯s dark expression, Mr. Gardner pointed toward Dustin. ¡°He¡¯s the main cause of all this. Father, you must teach him a lesson. He even hit me in the stomach just now!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. Granville roared in anger and pped Mr. Gardner¡¯s cheek. The force of his p was so strong that Mr. Gardner was thrown a few feet away, stars circling above his head. ¡°What?¡± Everyone was dumbstruck at the sudden bombshell. Who would have expected Mr. Granville to reprimand Mr. Gardner instead of backing him up? What¡¯s going on? Natasha¡¯s jaw dropped. Dahlia was equally as shocked. Draco and his men couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. They were all stunned at the astonishing turn of events. ¡°Father? Why did you hit me?¡± Mr. Gardner asked, bewildered, as he rubbed his burning cheek. He had never seen his father¨Cinw so furious. Mr. Gardner was confused as to what he had done wrong. ¡°Bastard! You lock up the innocent and let the guilty walk free. How dare you try to defend yourself? I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson!¡± Mr. Granville dered righteously. ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m your son¨Cinw, aren¡¯t I?¡± Mr. Gardner was close to tears. Wasn¡¯t Mr. Granville here to save him? Why was he getting beaten up instead? ¡°Don¡¯t call me your father¨Cinw! I don¡¯t have a despicable son¨Cinw like you!¡± Mr. Granville scoffed and continued, ¡°You epted bribes and corrupted thew. In addition, you took liberties with your authority as a police inspector. As of now, you are fired from your position!¡± ¡°What?¡± When Mr. Granville announced this, Mr. Gardner shuddered in fear. His body was drenched in a cold sweat. Although he didn¡¯t know what caused the rift, Mr. Gardner knew that his father¨Cinw had decided to cut all ties with him. Furthermore, Mr. Granville was going to investigate and expose his past deeds! They had a good rtionship before this. What could have happened for Mr. Granville to change so abruptly? Without any hesitation, Mr. Granville gave hisst orders to the men standing behind him, ¡°Come and arrest Mr. Gardner immediately! Once the investigation into his crimes isplete, throw him in jail!¡± Mr. Gardner fell on his knees in dismay, his face ashen with despair. The only reason his father¨Cinw would be so harsh on him must be due to pressure from a superior who had intervened. That was why Mr. Granville had no choice but to toe the line as well How could this happen? He had only detained Dustin, a punk with no background. How could this disaster have befallen him? Could it be? Could it be that the Rhys kid had some powerful people backing him up? That must be it! At this thought, Mr. Gardner was filled with regret that he had gone up against Dustin. Never in his dreams would he have imagined that a young punk had such formidable support. Even his father- inw had to kowtow to him! All of it was Duane¡¯s fault! He was doomed because of Duane! CS CamScanner Chapter 105 ¡°We are finished!¡± When Draco saw that Mr. Gardner had been apprehended, his face paled in shock. From Mr. Granville¡¯s appearance until the arrest of Mr. Gardner, Draco couldn¡¯t make sense of what was going on as everything had happened in a sh. The only thing he could be sure of was that Mr. Granville did not let his son¨Cinw off the hook. This meant that he was going to be in trouble as well. Draco thought that Mr. Granville was their savior. Who knew that he was here to bring them to justice? This world could be so unpredictable! Draco turned back and nced at Dustin, who had remained silent all this while. He had an expression of indifference on his face, as if he had known this would happen all along. Who was this man, and why was Mr. Granville treating him with such respect? Why would Lord Asmon have a grudge against such a monster? ¡°Arrest all the other men as well!¡± Mr. Granville barked an order. Draco and Mr. Gardner¡¯s men were all apprehended. Mr. Gardner and Draco stared at each other in despair. It was obvious that they would have to pay for their crimes. ¡°What¨CWhat¡¯s happening?¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the plot twist. She expected trouble when Mr. Granville appeared. Unexpectedly Mr. Granville did not find fault with them. Furthermore, he fired Mr. Gardner and threw him into prison. Who could have expected Mr. Granville to do such a thing to his own son¨Cinw? ¡°Am I dreaming? Is Mr. Granville on our side?¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes were wide with shock. She was also taken aback at Mr. Granville¡¯s actions. When she knew of his rtionship to Mr. Gardner, she was already prepared for the worst. At one point, Dahlia even thought that Dustin and her were doomed. However, the oue was beyond belief. Could Mr. Granville truly be a righteous and upright official? ¡°Are you Dustin? I can tell that you are a capable young man.¡± After he had tied up the loose ends, Mr. Granville walked up to Dustin with a rare smile on his stern face. CS CamScanner ¡°Greetings, Mr. Granville.¡± Dustin nodded politely. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for the inconvenience. Because of my ipetence, you had to go through such trouble. I humbly request for your understanding and forgiveness.¡± Mr. Granville apologized. ¡°It is said that there will be rotten apples in every bunch. I find it very admirable for you to even bring your son- inw to justice.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, young man. Now, I can finally stop worrying.¡± Mr. Granville secretly breathed a sigh of relief. No one knew that he received a call from the Governor of Millsburg not long ago. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. The only message given was to protect Dustin Rhys at any cost! Dustin¡¯s background and influence must be unimaginable if the governor personally made a call to ensure his safety. In a city like Swinton, a person with such connections was untouchable! Mr. Granville and his men left in a hurry after greeting Dustin. ¡°Mr. Rhys, Ms. Nicholson. Are the both of you alright?¡± Hunter asked anxiously after everyone left. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Thanks for your help, Mr. Anderson.¡± Dahlia nodded her thanks. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Hunter nodded in return. ¡°Dustin, it seems you¡¯re having a good time!¡± Natasha came over, her heels cking on the ground. She stared at Dustin with resentment, as if he had cheated on her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dustin said, puzzled. ¡°Am I mistaken?¡± Natasha crossed her arms and countered sarcastically. ¡°When I heard that you were locked up, I was so worried that I went everywhere looking for help to get you released. On the other hand, you are here chatting with another woman. Why wouldn¡¯t you be having a good time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misread the situation. She was arrested because of me,¡± Dustin replied awkwardly. ¡°Is that true?¡± Natasha wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°If that was the case, why are your hands sped together so tightly?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin and Dahlia looked down simultaneously. They hadn¡¯t realized that their fingers were intertwined. Startled, they let go of each other immediately. ¡°I never thought a simple man like you would be a yboy. I¡¯m so disappointed in you, Dustin! My devotion is wasted on you!¡± Natasha gave an exasperated sigh, turned around and left. ¡°Ms. Harmon!¡± Dustin took a few steps toward Natasha before giving Dahlia a nce, as if he had something to say to her. CS CamScanner ¡°Why are you looking at me? Go after her. It¡¯s none of my business!¡± Dahlia faked a nonchnt tone and avoided his gaze. ¡°Alright. Use a cab to get home.¡± With that, Dustin ran after Natasha. Did Dustin really chase after Natasha? Dahlia gritted her teeth in annoyance. Did he not know that it was just a test to see whether he would prioritize her or Natasha? What a dolt! She was being sulky to get his attention, that¡¯s why she asked him to chase after Natasha. If she asked him to jump off a building, would he just obey like an idiot? The thought of Dustin spending time with Natasha irked her immensely. ¡°Ms. Harmon, please listen to my exnation!¡± Dustin caught up to Natasha at the entrance. ¡°Due to the dangerous circumstances, I had to protect Dahlia. I¡¯m not thinking of getting back together with her.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Natasha stared at him suspiciously. ¡°Of course! Why would I lie to you?¡± Dustin replied with a serious expression. ¡°Alright then, since you rushed out to exin to me, I¡¯ll forgive you on ount of your sincerity!¡± Natasha suddenly grinned from ear to ear.. The disappointment and resentment on her face disappeared in a sh. Dustin was stunned at how quick a woman¡¯s mood could change. Their emotions were as unpredictable as the weather. He couldn¡¯t help but suspect Natasha had just pulled a fast one on him. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯re still a notch below me!¡± Natasha thought as she gave Dahlia a smug nce. From Dustin¡¯s actions, it was obvious that he was more concerned about her than Dahlia. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll send you home,¡± Natasha said with a bright smile. ¡°Not right now. I have to meet someone.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Meet someone? Who?¡± Chapter 106 At this moment, in a beautiful vi. Duane was talking to a young man dressed in luxurious clothes. Behind that man, two female bodyguards stood at attention. They were armed with swords and emitted an unapproachable aura. ¡°Duane, what¡¯s this gemiphen that you are talking about? Is it really that powerful?¡± Oliver Williams took a sip of his coffee. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Williams, I can assure you of its effects. I have personally tried the pill myself!¡± Duane boasted ¡°confidently. ¡°A gemiphen pill saved my life when I was close to death from internal injuries. I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say this medicine could heal almost anything!¡± ¡°Talk is cheap. Where¡¯s the pill? Let me have a look.¡± Oliver stretched out his palm. ¡°Due to the rarity of gemiphen, I do not have one with me right now.¡± ¡°Are you joking? You called me here in the dead of the night for a deal. How could you not be prepared with the goods?¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes glinted coldly. ¡°Mr. Williams, please calm down. I would never dare to offend you. One of my men is on the way to obtain the prescription. I¡¯m sure he will be here soon.¡± Duane tried to appease him. ¡°For your sake, I hope he does. Don¡¯t you know the consequences of toying with a member of the Boulderthorn guild?¡± Oliver rapped impatiently on the table. ¡°Of course, Mr. Williams. Once I receive the prescription, I will start production immediately and present the first batch of gemiphen to you,¡± Duane answered. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Oliver nodded with satisfaction. ¡°On my end, I will say a few good words about you to my father. Who knows? He might extend his support to you if he is in a good mood!¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Williams! I will not let you down!¡± Duane¡¯s face broke into smiles. ording to his research, not only could gemiphen heal severe internal injuries, but it could also elerate the effects of training in martial artists. If the pill was properly marketed, martial artists all over the world would be interested in getting this pill for themselves! That was why Duane contacted Boulderthorn guild in the first ce. As one of the top guilds in the South, Boulderthorn¡¯s influence was spread far and wide. Their guild members were in the hundreds of thousands, having top positions in politics, the military, and the business world. If he was able to get an exclusive contract to supply gemiphen to the Boulderthorn guild, his wealth would be multiplied numerous folds. CS CamScanner Being the top dog in Millsburg wouldn¡¯t be a farfetched dream. ¡°Duane, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. If you want my father¡¯s support, first, you would have to supply us with gemiphen continuously. Secondly, loyalty is paramount. Do you understand?¡± Oliver said sternly. ¡°I will remember your advice, Mr. Williams!¡± Duane nodded. While talking, they were interrupted by amotion from the gardens. The noise sounded like a cacophony of curses and cries of pain. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Duane frowned. At this moment, a bodyguard rushed into the room, his face pale as a sheet. ¡°Boss, someone trespassed into your vi!¡± ¡°What?¡± Duane¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Who¡¯s the punk who dared to trespass on my property?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dark to identify the intruder. However, it is confirmed that he came alone,¡± the bodyguard mumbled. ¡°Geez! What¡¯s wrong with the lot of you? Can¡¯t you handle even one person?¡± Duane roared in anger. ¡°Boss, that person was too powerful! Our men could not hold him down!¡± the bodyguard cried out helplessly. The man had infiltrated the vi as inconspicuously as a shadow. His movements were agile and his attacks ruthless. No number of bodyguards could stand up against him. With a flick of his finger, they were all blown away like leaves in the wind! ¡°ording to your description, he must be a martial artist?¡± Duane scratched his chin in confusion. ¡°There are many martial artists in Swinton, however, few are on my level. Besides, they have started guilds of their own and rarely appear except for important asions. They wouldn¡¯t trespass on my property without reason.¡± ¡°Boss, now is not the time to contemte these things. For your safety, it is better for you to flee!¡± the bodyguard advised Duane. ¡°Flee?¡± Duane scoffed. ¡°How can I ever show my face in public if any simpleton could chase me away from my own vi?¡± ¡°But¨CBut that man is too powerful! What if¡± the bodyguard trailed off. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I am curious to see the man¡¯s abilities for myself!¡± Duane was not intimidated at all. He had been well¨Ctrained in martial arts since childhood. How could he back down from a challenge? ¡°Duane, it seems you have met with some trouble. Do you need my help?¡± Oliver asked knowingly. ¡°It¡¯s just a small inconvenience, Mr. Williams. Don¡¯t trouble yourself.¡± Duane chuckled. ¡°Please wait for a moment, I¡¯ll be back shortly after I settle this matter.¡± He stood up with a slight bow and left the room. CS CamScanner Since someone came with a direct challenge, he had to ept it. Otherwise, it would be an insult to his training all these years. Outside, a silhouette dressed in white could be seen in the garden. It was Dustin, walking up the driveway to the vi. Numerous armed bodyguards surrounded him, trying tond an attack. However, it was pointless. They were like moths flying into a me. With every step Dustin took, the swirling energy around him blew the guards away if they got close enough. Howls and cries of pain rang out as he walked past the sea of bodyguards nonchntly. ¡°If they were lucky, they only sustained broken arms and limbs. The unlucky ones died instantly on impact. None were strong enough to withstand his aura. In the end, Duane¡¯s men could only look on from a distance. They did not have the courage to even go up to him. They could only stare at him with the eyes of looking upon a monster. Being fully trained bodyguards, they assumed that this would be a walk in the park. Who would have expected them to bepletely defeated by a punk? Dustin made his way up to the vi¡¯s main doors, leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Taking a deep breath, he roared, ¡°Duane,e out and meet your maker!¡± Chapter 107 Duane,e out and meet your maker!¡± Dustin¡¯s roar of anger echoed through the vi like a p of thunder. When Duane heard this contemptuous challenge, he was furious. ¡°Which idiot is dumb enough to cause trouble on my property?¡± Duane thought as he rushed out in a hurry. However, when he saw Dustin in a distance, he couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s you, Dustin! Weren¡¯t you arrested? How did you escape?¡± He had bribed Mr. Gardner to arrest Dustin and detain him in the Interrogation room. Even if Natasha were to intervene, she couldn¡¯t have helped him escape. ¡°Was it you who framed me for the crime?¡± Dustin demanded coldly. ¡°Since you are already here, it means that you know the answer to your question. You¡¯re right, I am the one who framed you! However, you only have yourself to me. I had to go to such lengths because you did not appreciate the chances that I have given you.¡± Duane smirked. ¡°At the very least, you confessed to your crime. Now, I¡¯ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. If you cripple yourself voluntarily and leave Swinton for good, I will not exact my vengeance against you.¡± Dustin sald indifferently. ¡°Cripple myself? Leave Swinton?¡± Duane was initially stunned when he heard this. After a moment, he roared withughter. ¡°Punk, have you gone crazy? Who do you think you are? If it weren¡¯t for Natasha, do you think you could stand there and threaten me with your words?¡± Duane assumed that somehow, Natasha must have found a way to sa save Dustin. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re not going toply?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression grew stern. *Kid, it seems like you don¡¯t understand the situation. You were the one who trespassed into my property. If I killed you here right now, no one would say anything! Of course, I¡¯m not one to hold grudges. As long as you give me the prescription for the gemiphen, I¡¯ll consider letting you go.¡± Duane narrowed his eyes meaningfully. ¡°It¡¯s you who are unaware of your precarious state.¡± Dustin shook his head and gave Duane a pitiful look. ¡°I know you have great strength, punk. However, brute strength is not everything!¡± Duane smriked and drew his sword. ¡°I wasn¡¯t fully prepared during ourst duel. The reason I lost that time was that my forte is in sword fighting and not bare¨Chanded martial arts!¡± ¡°Well then,e at me with all you¡¯ve got!¡± Dustin gestured for Duane to make the first move. ¡°Arrogant prick! Let¡¯s see if you can withstand my attack after training for 20 years!¡± With that, Duane struck a pose.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. CS CamScanner Extending his arm, he aimed his glittering sword at Dustin¡¯s chest as he flew towards him at the speed of light. However, Dustin did not dodge. Without a word, he intercepted the attack by gripping the de with merely two fingers. Vibrations from the rebounding force caused the de to bend in on itself. ¡°What?¡± Duane was utterly shocked at the sight. Never in his dreams could he imagine that a full¨Cblown attack could be stopped with bare hands! Furthermore, Dustin only used two fingers! What could be happening? Before Duane could regain hisposure, Dustin flicked his fingers. The bent sword broke into a thousand pieces. Duane was thrown back from the impact, and he staggered backward, his face stricken with fear. His prowess in sword fighting seemed like child¡¯s y aspared to Dustin¡¯s abilities. With just a single move, Duane waspletely defeated! ¡°Wh¨CWho are you? How could you have such immense powers?¡± Chapter 108 Duane eximed in terror, cold sweat pouring down his back. As a martial artist, Duane was well¨Cknown for his agile and deadly attacks. At his peak performance, the massive energy from his sword could move mountains! How was Dustin able to intercept his attack? What kind of monster could shatter swords with his bare hands? Dustin could not be human! ¡°Don¡¯t you already know who I am?¡± Dustin closed the distance menacingly and red at him with icy¨C cold eyes. ¡°Stay¨CStay away!¡± Duane backed away in a panic. ¡°I don¡¯t need the gemiphen¡¯s prescription any longer. Please let me go!¡± ¡°I have given you a chance to redeem yourself, but you didn¡¯t take it. It¡¯s toote to regret now!¡± Dustin pped his hands on Duane¡¯s shoulders and squeezed tightly. With a loud crack, Duane¡¯s arms were dislocated from their joints. An agonizing howl escaped Duane¡¯s lips as intense pain spread throughout his body. Without hesitation, Dustin added a punch to his abdomen. The force of Dustin¡¯s attack was concentrated on his organs, which caused Duane to bleed profusely from his internal injuries. He fell to the ground in a heap, unable to move. ¡°You¨CYou made me a cripple!¡± Duane gritted his teeth, his eyes were red with fury. ¡°On ount of Mr. Anderson, I will not kill you. However, you must pay for your crimes!¡± Dustin grabbed Duane by the cor and threw him carelessly into the air. His limp body flew backward and smashed into the main doors of his vi. At this moment, Hunter walked in with his men. He had a stern look on his face. ¡°Hunter! Save me, quick!¡± When Duane saw who it was, he clung onto Hunter like a lifeline. ¡°Save you? You ought to be thankful that your life Is spared!¡± Hunter scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy though. You will be locked up in Azkaban for the rest of your life to pay for your crimes!¡± ¡°Azkaban?¡± Duane was visibly shaken. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? I am a direct descendant of the Welch family, one of the most important families in Swinton. Even your position pales inparison to my status. How dare you threaten to throw me into Azkaban?¡± CS CamScanner Azkaban was a prison for criminals on death row. Once admitted, it was impossible for anyone to get out. The prisoners locked up there were as good as dead. ¡°This was decided by the Welch family¡¯s patriarch. Your father had agreed to it as well.¡± Hunter replied calmly. ¡°No! You are lying to me! Why would my father turn against me?¡± Duane shook his head violently. ¡°That¡¯s because you have offended Mr. Rhys. The only way to protect the Welch family was to sacrifice you,¡± Hunter said bluntly. ¡°Mr. Rhys? Do you mean Dustin?¡± Duane¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How could it be possible? Why would the Welch family be afraid of a young punk like him? What is his identity?¡± ¡°Dustin Rhys is just an alias. Ten years ago, he went by the name of Logan.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Logan, Rhys.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Logan Rhys?¡± When Duane heard Dustin¡¯s real name, the blood drained from his face. No wonder the Welch family was shaken to the core. Logan Rhys, also known as the kirin, was a legendary martial artist. His skills were in a league of their own, unsurpassable to this day. The mere mention of his name struck fear into all of Stonia! How could he have provoked such a formidable person by mistake? Chapter 109 After Dustin¡¯s Identity was revealed, Duane gave up resistance. His eyes were lifeless as if his soul had left his body. Duane knew that he was a goner. No one would save him, nor did they dare to. ¡°Take him away!¡± Hunter ordered his men to bind Duane up. Despite knowing the truth, Duane could never leave Azkaban. There was only one way to leave. That is, being carried out for cremation after death. ¡°Stop right there! What are you doing? Leave that man alone!¡± At that moment, Oliver appeared with his two female bodyguards and approached them aggressively. Initially, he hadn¡¯t nned on getting involved. However, Duane was such an ipetent Idiot! How could he lose the fight? Oliver was forced to intervene before that knucklehead got himself locked up. At any rate, Duane was still of some use to him. He had to ensure Duane¡¯s safety before he got his hands on the precious gemiphen. ¡°You have nothing to do with this. Don¡¯t poke your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡± Hunter warned in a cold tone. ¡°Too bad, I insist. What are you going to do about it?¡± Oliver stuck his hands in his pockets and walked up to Dustin with a swagger. ¡°Are you one of Duane¡¯s men?¡± Dustin asked nonchntly. ¡°Duane? With his ability, he could only be my underling! However, I have a business deal with him. Without my permission, no one can take him away. While I am still being nice, release him immediately!¡± Oliver retorted proudly with his nose in the air. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°You refuse? Punk, don¡¯t you know who I am? Don¡¯t you know who my father is? How dare you talk back to me? Are you looking for death?¡± Oliver red at him contemptuously. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about who you are, or who your father is. It¡¯s best for you to stay out of this and let us deal with Duane,¡± Dustin replied nonchntly. ¡°Have you gone crazy? Emma, Anna! Break this punk¡¯s legs. Let¡¯s see if he could continue speaking in such a condescending tone while kneeling on the ground!¡± Oliver smirked. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The two female bodyguards behind him rushed toward Dustin simultaneously. CS CamScanner nking him on both sides, they poised to strike Dustin¡¯s knees with the intention of incapacitating him. There was no hesitation in carrying out Oliver¡¯s orders. With that, Dustin did not hold back. He made the first move and pped both of them on the cheek. They staggered backward, stunned by the force of the heavy blow. ¡°You!¡± Cradling their swollen cheeks, they tried to draw their swords in retaliation. Before they could do that, Dustin kicked them in the stomach and pped them on the other cheek as well. The two bodyguards teetered as stars circled above their heads. ¡°Punk, you need to be taught a lesson! How dare you engage in a sneak attack?¡± Oliver was burning with anger. He rushed forward tond a punch on Dustin¡¯s face. It was obvious that he was a martial artist. His fists were fast, sure, and urate. However, Dustin wasn¡¯t impressed. He caught Oliver¡¯s fist and twisted it. Oliver¡¯s arm was disced from its joint as he screamed in misery. Before Oliver could catch his breath, Dustin followed up with a punch to his abdomen. Oliver was thrown back a few feet away andnded heavily on his back. The impact caused Oliver to throw up, and he vomited all over himself. ¡°Sir!¡± When they saw Oliver injured, the female bodyguards anxiously ran up to defend him. ¡°Kill him! I order you to kill him right now!¡± Oliver held his stomach and roared with a ferocious expression on his face. ¡°There is no mercy for those who hurt our boss!¡± The female bodyguards drew their swords and prepared to light. ¡°Nobody moves!¡± Suddenly, Hunter shouted and pulled out his gun. The bodyguards were startled by Hunter¡¯s threat and froze in ce. They did not dare to move a muscle. ¡°Bastard! Don¡¯t you know who I am? How dare you point a gun at me?¡± Oliver stood up; his face livid. ¡°I¡¯m Oliver Williams, a member of the Boulderthorn guild. Moreover, my father is the second¨Cin¨C command!¡± ¡°Boulderthorn guild?¡± When Oliver revealed his identity, Hunter¡¯s expression grew serious. As the best guild in the South, Boulderthorn has significant influence in Swinton. Even Edwin, the wealthiest man in Swinton, was only a normal member of the Boulderthorn guild. This showed how strong and powerful the guild was! CS CamScanner ¡°What, are you scared?¡± Oliver cackled mockingly as everyone remained silent. ¡°Now that you know who you are up against, kneel down and beg for forgiveness Immediately. Otherwise, I will ughter you and your entire family!¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. What was the use of having guns or being a good fighter? These were all pointless aspared to the support of the Boulderthorn gulld. With a single word, he could destroy them all like ants. This was the power of influence and authority! ¡°Boulderthorn, is it?¡± Dustin was still unfazed after hearing Oliver¡¯s threat. ¡°What if I kill all three of you right now? Then no one would know what had happened here.¡± ¡°Kill me? How dare you!¡± Oliver widened his eyes. ¡°If you touch even a strand of hair on my head, I assure you that your body would be blown up into pieces.¡± ¡°Since you threatened my family, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.¡± Dustin shrugged nonchntly. Dustin¡¯s words made Oliver step back in fear, as he was unprepared for a fight. It would be troublesome if Dustin decided to follow through with what he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to remember this, punk! I¡¯m not done with you!¡± Seeing as the situation was unfavorable, Oliver and his bodyguards left in a hurry with their tails between their legs. A wise man knew better than to fight when the odds were against him. With his noble status, it wasn¡¯t worth it to put his life on the line. ¡°Mr. Anderson, what do you know about Boulderthorn?¡± Dustin asked as his gaze trailed after them. ¡°Boulderthorn guild has been expanding rapidly. With their reputation in the world of martial arts, they were set to be the best guild in the South. Their members are widespread in every possible field, which allows the guild to spread its influence far and wide. In addition, I heard that Boulderthorn is nning to open a branch in Swinton. That man¡¯s father, Mr. Williams was sent here as a representative for the new branch,¡± Hunter reported in a low voice. Dustin nodded in acknowledgment and turned around to leave. That person must have had something to do with the Boulderthorn guild, right? Chapter 110 At the Nicholson vi. Everyone was amazed to see Dahlia return home safely. ¡°Dahlia, you are finally home! I was so worried about you!¡± ¡°Sis! Are you alright? Have you been bullied in the interrogation room?¡± Florence and James fawned over her eagerly. Since they received news of Dahlia being detained by Mr. Gardner, they had been extremely worried for her safety. They¡¯ve used up all their connections and spent a ton of money trying to get Dahlia out. However, there was no reply. They were at a loss for what to do. Just when they had given up, Dahlia unexpectedly returned home on her own. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. Sorry for making you worry.¡± Dahlia smiled. She was a little spooked by everything that had happened today. Fortunately, she managed to return home safe and sound. ¡°It¡¯s all Dustin¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for him, you wouldn¡¯t have been captured as well!¡± Florence muttered angrily. ¡°Mother¡¯s right! That shameless man is always doing sneaky things! Sis, you should stay away from him to avoid getting caught up in his crimes!¡± James chimed in. ¡°Actually, this incident has nothing to do with him. He was framed by someone else.¡± Dahlia tried to defend Dustin. ¡°How is it possible? If he is truly innocent, why was he arrested?¡± ¡°Yeah, why would they frame him instead of anyone else? This could only mean that he has bad character!¡± Florence and Jamesined one after another with disdain. Dahlia could only sigh in resignation. ¡°If it were up to me, I would choose Matt. When he heard that you were detained, he went around looking for help to bail you out. A gentleman like him is rare nowadays!¡± Florence changed the topic. ¡°That¡¯s right! Sis, if it weren¡¯t for Matt¡¯s help, you might still be stuck in jail!¡± James agreed enthusiastically. ¡°Matt? Are you sure that it was his doing?¡± Dahlia said, surprised. ¡°Who else could it be? He and the Hummer family go way back. He must have asked for Sir Hummer¡¯s help to get you out,¡± James mused. ¡°I see, I thought¡­¡± Dahlia trailed off. CS CamScanner She was a bit puzzled regarding Mr. Granville¡¯s appearance. From Natasha¡¯s expression, she seemed just as surprised as Dahlia to see Mr. Granville there. By the looks of it, it must be Matt who had requested help from the Hummers family. Sir Hummers was one of the Mighty Three. It would not be surprising if he had connections with Mr. Granville. ¡°Dahlia,st time Matt managed to retrieve therge sum of money we had lost; now he got you out of the interrogation room. You need to show some appreciation. Your cousin, Julie, will be here tomorrow, why don¡¯t you invite Matt along and spend the day together?¡± Florence asked expectantly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we have the time.¡± Dahlia squeezed out a forced smile. Whenever Matt¡¯s name was mentioned, she was reminded of another person. ¡­¡­ The next morning, at the Peaceful Medical Center. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Dustin shouted from the ground floor while setting up the table for breakfast. ¡°I¡¯ming! Why are you in such a hurry?¡± After a moment, a one¨Ceyed old man limped down the stairs with a walking stick. ¡°Hey, punk! Where¡¯s the alcohol?¡± He demanded angrily. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No alcohol for breakfast. Have some soup.¡± Dustin gave him a bowl of chicken soup. ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat if there¡¯s no alcohol!¡± The old man threw a tantrum. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Dustin paid him no mind. He sat down and started eating his breakfast. The old man couldn¡¯t hold back any longer as Dustin was about to finish the food. ¡°Geez, what a rude young man!¡± Lifting the bowl, he swallowed the soup inrge gulps. ¡°Here, this is the Panax root you asked for. Keep it safe.¡± After breakfast, Dustin ced a box made from cedar wood on the table. ¡°Oh, did you manage to obtain another precious herb? You are really efficient!¡± the one¨Ceyed man eximed in surprise. ¡°I need another four herbs; hopefully, I can collect them all in time.¡± Dustin muttered. ¡°These things can¡¯t be forced. Leave it up to fate,¡± the old man said casually. For an elderly person like him, each day was like a gift. A silver Bentley stopped at the entrance of the medical center, interrupting the conversation. CS CamScanner A gorgeous, alluring woman got out of the car and walked up to them. ¡°Wow, what a beauty! She has curves in all the right ces! Punk, aren¡¯t you divorced? Don¡¯t you want to take her as your wife?¡± The old man cackled gleefully. ¡°Shut up, old man!¡± Dustin red at him and stood up to greet Natasha. ¡°Ms. Harmon, why are you here?¡± ¡°What? Am I not wee?¡± Natasha smirked. ¡°Of course not. Have a seat.¡± Dustin pulled out a chair for her. ¡°You must be Old Mr. Whiskey? I¡¯ve heard that you love alcohol; that¡¯s why I brought some homebrewed ale as a gift.¡± With a smile, Natasha ced two bottles on the table. ¡°I¡¯m satisfied as long as I have some alcohol! A ss of well¨Cbrewed ale is as valuable as liquid gold!¡± The one¨Ceyed man beamed with joy. He was justining about theck of alcohol. This was exactly what he needed. ¡°If you like, I can send alcohol to you every day.¡± Natasha chuckled. ¡°You are such a thoughtful and considerate youngdy, much better than that Dahlia girl!¡± The one¨Ceyed man grinned from ear to ear. ¨C ¡°Punk, you are so fortunate to have met such a wonderful woman like Ms. Harmon. You have to cherish her!¡± ¡°Take your alcohol and go away!¡± Dustinined in annoyance. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m going upstairs to drink on my own. I don¡¯t want to be a third wheel here.¡± The old man carried both bottles and went up the stairs. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I apologize on behalf of that old man. He could be rude and ignorant.¡± Dustin smiled sheepishly. ¡°I don¡¯t think he said anything wrong. Are you offended?¡± Natasha raised her eyebrows. ¡°No.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s alright, then.¡± Natasha chuckled. ¡°That reminds me, I¡¯ve gone through so much trouble to help you escape from the interrogation room. How are you going to repay me?¡± ¡°Can I treat you to dinner?¡± Dustin asked hesitantly. ¡°That¡¯s too predictable.¡± Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, what do you want in return?¡± Dustin asked in confusion. Without a word, Natasha closed her eyes. She pointed to her pouty red lips and motioned for Dustin to kiss her. Chapter 111 Looking at Natasha¡¯s closed eyes and puckered lips, she exuded a seductive aura that left Dustin stunned. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your mouth? Does it hurt or something?¡± Dustin was oblivious. ¡°What are you on about? I¡¯m letting you kiss me.¡± Natasha exined with frustration. ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes twitched in disbelief as he gasped audibly. ¡°This can¡¯t be a good thing, can it?¡± He thought to himself. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want it so badly, then this will be thest time you¡¯ll ever get it,¡± Natasha teased yfully. ¡°You idiot! If you don¡¯t grab this opportunity now, when would you ever get another chance like this!¡± The one- eyed old man peeping from the second floor hollered. He sighed deeply, shaking his head in disbelief at Dustin. ¡°You¡¯d better shut it!¡± Dustin turned around and shouted back, his eyes shooting daggers. However, when he turned his head back again, his attention was drawn to Natasha¡¯s wless complexion and cherry¨Cred lips, making him suddenly realize what he might be missing out on. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m done teasing you. Let¡¯s get down to business,¡± Natasha interrupted his line of thought and continued. ¡°Recently, Edwin headhunted the bulk of the main workforce behind Harmon Pharmaceuticals, so now we¡¯re currently looking for leaders to reorganize the team. Given your exceptional medical skills, how about working for me as an honorary chief physician?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a good fit for the job,¡± Dustin grumbled. He was great when it came to healing and saving lives, but leadership was not his strong suit, and he had absolutely zero experience in that aspect. ¡°To be honest, you don¡¯t need to do anything for the job. You just need to help me keep an eye on things once in a while. But if you ever decide that it¡¯s not for you, then you just need to hold on to that title until I find another good fit for the position.¡± Sensing his skepticism, Natasha put on a pitiful look for him again. ¡°If you don¡¯t help me out here, I¡¯m afraid the only thing I can do at this point is to just sit and watch as Edwin obliterates Harmon Pharmaceuticals into dust.¡± Feeling defeated and unsure of how to refuse her, he finally relented. ¡°Fine¡­I suppose I can try.¡± ¡°I just knew that you¡¯d help me! Let¡¯s go! Come to my ce first, then I can walk you through your duties and responsibilities!¡± Natasha eximed, immediately all eyes and smiles. With that, she grabbed him and ushered him into her car. Half an hourter over at Java Joys, Ruth sat at a table with her mother, Jessica. The two of them were busy entertaining a few guests. One of them was a well¨Cdressed, handsome young man, while the other was an old man who had ab coat on. The young man spoke first, cutting straight to the point. ¡°I won¡¯t mince words this time, Ms. Bard. The reason I¡¯m here today is that I¡¯m Investigating the traitor. On a rted note, I¡¯m also here to assist my cousin CS CamScanner in taking down Swinton¡¯s pharmaceutical market as soon as possible, mainly to pave the way for future developments in my family.¡± ¡°Natasha can definitely rest well with you helping around, Quentin. But you know how bad that temper of hers can get. She doesn¡¯t like anyone meddling in her affairs, after all,¡± Jessica replied with a small grin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing else I can do, not when this is the oue of my family¡¯s deliberations. As long as my cousin does not do anything that conflicts with the family¡¯s interests, I will do the same for any of the decisions she makes,¡± Quentin said as he sipped his tea. ¡°Hmph, the way I see it, you¡¯re obviously just here to spy on my sister!¡± Ruth, with a scowl on her face, muttered under her breath. With her sister¡¯s engagement with Tyler Granting up, the heads of the family wanted to take every precaution to make sure nothing happened, which was why they sent a spy over to keep watch on her at all times. ¡°Oh, and another thing, are the rumors about Edwin Hummer poaching the bulk of the workforce of the company and stealing Eternumax¡¯s research documents true?¡± Quentin brought up the subject out of nowhere. ¡°Such rumors did surface, but I firmly believe that Natasha has the capacity to resolve everything well.¡°. Jessica¡¯s expression was unwavering. ¡°Eternumax is the fruit of the Harmons¡® research for many years now, which could have been used as a trump card to dominate the pharmaceutical market in Swinton, but now that this incident has urred, the guys over at HQ are furious, which is why they had to send an expert over.¡± Quentin exined before stretching out a hand to introduce the white¨Chaired old man sitting next to him. ¡°This man here is Mr. Wangley. His medical research skills are second to none. So, from now on, he will be the next chief physician for Harmon Pharmaceuticals.¡± But the moment Quentin finished his sentence, a cold voice suddenly boomed from outside the cafe. ¡°I¡¯ve already found the right guy for the job, Quentin. So no need to bother Mr. Wangley or whatever his name is anymore!¡± Natasha eximed with Dustin, arm in arm, as the two of them stepped through the front doors boldly. ¡°What!¡± Quentin gasped with a frown. His expression darkened as he witnessed the lovey¨Cdovey disy between the two of them. Before this, he¡¯d caught wind of Natasha securing herself a boy toy, but he didn¡¯t expect the rumors to be true. If the Grant family heard about this, then the marriage between the two families would obviously be greatly affected. Chapter 112 ¡°Why¡¯d you bring him here for, Natasha?¡± Jessica frowned as she probed. Natasha replied calmly. ¡°This is my turf, I can bring over whoever I like. Anyways, I¡¯ve already found a good fit for the position of chief physician, and it¡¯s Mr. Dustin!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Everyone eximed in shock when she announced that. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Natasha! Is he even qualified to serve as chief physician for the Harmons?¡± Jessica voiced her displeasure. ¡°Dustin¡¯s medical skills are top of the line, and he knows the ins and outs of medicine. I believe he won¡¯t face any problems while serving as chief!¡± Natasha assured Jessica. ¡°W¨Cwhat kind of nonsense are you talking about?!¡± Jessica hollered, obviously agitated by her response. Ruth interrupted and mored to her feet to de¨Cescte the situation. ¡°Calm down, there¡¯s no need to make a fuss. Let¡¯s just sit down and talk it out. Dustin, let me introduce you to everyone. This is my mom, I believe you¡¯ve met her before. And this man here is my cousin, Quentin Harmon.¡± ¡°A pleasure to meet the both of you,¡± Dustin responded politely with a few nods, with no hint of being condescending at all. ¡°So you¡¯re the pretty boy who keeps clinging on to Natasha like a leech?¡± Quentin sneered after looking Dustin up and down. His gaze was full of disdain toward him. It was as if he was looking at ants crawling beneath his feet. Quentin¡¯s holler¨Cthan¨Cthou attitude caused Dustin to raise an eyebrow, but he quickly returned to his normal resting face. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask a question? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Quentin taunted and lifted his chin as if to Intimidate Dustin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t quite catch that, Mr. Harmon,¡± Dustin replied in the calmest manner he could muster. ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t catch that, or are you trying to y dumb with me right now?¡± Quentin egged him on before letting out a sharp sigh. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll reword my question then. Did you kill Tilda Snider?¡± ¡°I did, but-¡± Before Dustin could exin himself, he was interrupted by Quentin¡¯s booming voice, ¡°Great! Since you¡¯ve already admitted to the crime, that makes my job a whole lot easier now. I¡¯ll see to it that Tilda, one of the pirs in the Harmon household, doesn¡¯t die in vain!¡± he proimed. Immediately after that, he brought out an urn and mmed it on the table. ¡°Now, I want you to look at her ashes and bow your fucking head down as an apology to her!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin frowned in confusion. Quentin had shown his disdain before this, but now, it was obvious that he was nning to outright humiliate him in front of everyone. ¡°Do you have a few screws loose or something? Are you sure that the Tilda Snider you¡¯re referring to is the CS CamScanner same one who betrayed the Harmons and also plotted to assassinate Ms. Harmon here? Are you saying that I should¡¯ve spared her?¡± Dustin questioned. ¡°Who are you to decide if she gets killed or not! Even if she¡¯s a traitor, she still belongs to the Harmons. Her mess should be ours to clean up, not yours! Shouldn¡¯t you choose your targets properly before disposing of them? Who are you to meddle in the Harmons¡± family business anyways?!¡± Quentin barked out. Dustin merely let out an exasperated chuckle after hearing his bullshit speech. Not only did he not receive any thanks for helping the Harmons dispose of their traitors, but now he was even about to get punished for it? What an eye¨Copening way to show one¡¯s gratitude! ¡°Enough talk. As long as you bow down to Tilda to make amends for my cousin¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll consider letting you off the hook,¡± Quentin ordered in an overbearing manner. After all, he was but a tiny ant to him, he could step on it as much as he wanted. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Dustin shrugged indifferently. ¡°What if you refuse? Then I¡¯ll make sure to break your fucking legs!¡± Quentin sneered. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try,¡± Dustin replied as he narrowed his eyes. He had a wicked glint in his eyes. ¡°Tsk! Now you¡¯re just asking for it!¡± Quentin exploded in rage and mmed his fists on the table and the sound of a teacup shattering beneath his feet could be heard. ¡°Quentin Harmon! If you dare so much as to touch even a single hair on Dustin, I¡¯ll be the one to break your legs instead!¡± Natasha screamed in fury as she marched toward them. Chapter 113 ¡°What?¡± Natasha¡¯s sudden outburst of anger caused Quentin to furrow his brows. ¡°Are you seriously going to turn on me just to protect this boy toy of yours?¡± One reason he wanted to humiliate Dustin so much was that he hated his guts, while the other was because he wanted to gauge Natasha¡¯s reaction to the situation. ¡°Dustin saved my life, so if you dare so much asy a finger on him, don¡¯t me me if I flip out on you!¡± Natasha warned Quentin sternly. If not for the fact that he was her cousin, she would have pped the shit out of him already. ¡°Is that so!¡± Quentin snorted as his expression twisted into a scowl. ¡°While I can put Tilda Snider¡¯s case aside for now, I¡¯m still very opposed to the fact that you n to elect him as the chief physician when he doesn¡¯t even have the right qualifications for the job!¡± Quentin argued back. Since this was one way of securing power in thepany, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t going to let this opportunity slip away so easily. 1 ¡°Whether he¡¯s qualified or not, it¡¯s not up to you to decide, but me!¡± Natasha growled with authority. ¡°Everything you own now was given to you by the family, so if you insist on getting in the way of the family¡¯s interests, you¡¯re not allowed to me me if I report you to the board when the timees!¡± Quentin threatened. ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± Natasha spat. She wasn¡¯t afraid of him in the slightest. ¡°Wait!¡± Jessica suddenly spoke up. ¡°Eternumax¡¯s research document leak isn¡¯t a trivial matter, so the next chief physician must be capable enough to mitigate this. I feel Dustin¡¯s still too young for this, so that would make Mr. Wangley the most suitable candidate, no?¡± She refused to let a naive child like himself hold such a key position in Harmon Pharmaceuticals. ¡°Dustin¡¯s medical skills are superb, so I doubt if he¡¯d lose to some dusty old man,¡± Natasha justified confidently. ¡°Fine, since you keep insisting that he has great medical skills, then I propose that he beat Mr. Wangley in a medical showdown. Then, we shall see who¡¯s the best among them,¡± Quentin suggested, stoking the mes. Natasha couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows as he finished his sentence. Suddenly, she realized that she might have fallen into his trap. ¡°How are we supposed topete then?¡± Dustin suddenly spoke up. Although he wasn¡¯t too interested in bing chief, Quentin¡¯s arrogance had rubbed him the wrong way, so he decided to roll along with his n just to prove him wrong. CS CamScanner ¡°Competing between medical prowess is just too boring, don¡¯t you think, younguns? Why don¡¯t we y with poison instead?¡± Mr. Wangley changed the topic out of the blue. ¡°Sure, how do you n to do that?¡± Dustin remained poker faced. ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s simple actually. Each of us will concoct a bottle of poison on the spot and exchange it with one another to ingest. Whoever manages toe up with an antidote to save themselves first will be dered the winner. Sound good?¡± Mr. Wangley proposed. ¡°Wait a minute! But what if you can¡¯t cure yourself from the poison?¡± Ruth quickly asked. ¡°Well, if you fail, then I guess you can either get lucky and survive being a cripple or die a violent death instead!¡± Mr. Wangley guffawed, his eyes gleamed with excitement as he said that. ¡°No way! Who the hell goes so far for a duel? What if something goes wrong?¡± Ruth eximed in shock. One wrong step, and one could easily get killed! ¡°Since we¡¯re going topete with one another anyways, why don¡¯t we raise the stakes a little? So, up for the challenge, young man?¡± Mr. Wangley nudged amusedly. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for his tricks, Dustin! He¡¯s obviously doing this just to back you into a corner,¡± Natasha warned in a low whisper. She now suspected that Mr. Wangley wasn¡¯t a physician at all but a master of poison! Unlike physicians, who cure diseases and save lives, polson masters do research on theplete opposite spectrum of medicine. For them, they specialized in witchcraft, voodoo, and poison. They had ruthless tactics and strange tricks up their sleeves. If they settled on apetition to battle out their medical skills, then Dustin would stand a pretty good chance of winning. But if they opted to go with a poison¨Cconcoctingpetition with a master of poison instead, then it was like they were begging to be killed! ¡°I¡¯m giving you one more chance to back out of this, Mr. Boy Toy. If you admit defeat now, you¡¯ll be giving up your title of chief physician and I¡¯ll still need you to bow down and apologize to Tilda Snider¡¯s ashes!¡± Quentin spat. Who was this pale¨Cskinned wimp who was bold enough to pick a fight with the great Mr. Wangley anyway? ¡°Aren¡¯t we just dabbling with some poison? Fine, It¡¯s on,¡± Dustin proimed. He was not the least bit afraid. ¡°Ha, you asked for it!¡± Quentin let out a maniacalugh as he gazed at the soon¨Cto¨Cbe¨Cdead man in front of him. To think he had the gall topete with a polson master at making polson. He certainly had a death wish! ¡°Are you out of your mind. Dustin? You could diel¡± Ruth said anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s not like they have any rivalry between them either, so why does he Insist on putting his life on the line like CS CamScanner this?¡± She thought to herself. ¡°I know full well what I¡¯m doing.¡± Dustin answered nonchntly. ¡°Dustin, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Natasha frowned. He could see the slight worry in those beautiful eyes of hers. She was aware that Quentin was deliberately making things difficult for him, but it wasn¡¯t like she could outright stop him either. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. You should be worried about them instead.¡± Dustin grinned. In fact, he was not only proficient in medicine but very much a specialist in voodoo magic and poison as well. ¡°Less talk, more poison¨Cmaking. Mr. Boy Toy!¡± Quentin urged hurriedly, afraid that he¡¯d chicken out and go back on his word. ¡°Wait!¡± Dustin voiced out and raised his hands all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯m all for making poisons, but my only condition is that I need you to be involved in this as well.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Quentin asked in shock, feeling a little uneasy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted this to be exciting? Later when we¡¯re done, why don¡¯t you and I test it with our bodies, then leave our lives at the mercy of the Lord?¡± Dustin suggested coolly. ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Quentin hollered, and his expression immediately changed. ¡°How are youpare your Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. peasant life with mine? Why don¡¯t you look at yourself in the mirror for once?¡° ¡°Admitting defeat so quickly? If you don¡¯t have the balls to take up this challenge, then kneel down in front of me and admit defeat right now. Oh, and I¡¯ll need an apology too, then I can pretend none of this ever happened in the first ce.¡± Dustin taunted. ¡°You-¡± Quentin stumbled over his words as a burst of anger overtook him in an instant. Would he even have any face left after this if he backed down now? Then again, he was the one with the money and status, so it wasn¡¯t like he stood to gain anything from putting his life on the line with a filthy peasant like him. I won¡¯t ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Harmon. With my skills, I¡¯ll make sure that any kind of poison this punk conjures up even hurt you in the slightest,¡± Mr. Wangley announced with conviction. If he were to scan the entirety of South City, he was confident that the only person who was able to top him was Dr. Linden Watkins when it came to making poisons. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Quentin probed, his brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Of course! Just take the bet, Mr. Harmon, and I¡¯ll make sure to keep you safe from harm,¡± Mr. Wangley dered confidently. ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Quentin shouted and pped his hands on the table before getting up to his feet. ¡°If it¡¯s my life on the line you want, Mr. Boy Toy, then it¡¯s what you¡¯ll get! I¡¯ll make sure to apany you to yourst dying breath!¡± Chapter 114 After reaching an agreement on both sides, the atmosphere instantly became tense. Dustin and Mr. Wangley had their subordinates purchase some medicine for them. The n was that the two of them would concoct poisons on the spot and down them together at the same time. As for who would win, that would have to depend on their respective skills. ¡°Do you think Dustin¡¯s going to make it, Sis? What if he gets poisoned to death instead?¡± Ruth voiced out anxiously. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, since he agreed to it in the first ce, I suppose this means he¡¯s confident that he can win. Have some faith in the guy.¡± Natasha assured with a straight face. Although she looked calm on the outside, she felt uneasy on the inside. If it were possible, she¡¯d rather Dustin straight¨Cup admit defeat. ¡°You can say that, but Dustin¡¯s only proficient in medicine. Surely he can¡¯t beat Mr. Wangley in terms of his experience in the field of poison research,¡± Ruth murmured while shaking her head. There were many subfields in the field of medicine, with each subfield being vastly different from one to the other. So, how can an amateurpete with a professional? Compared to the two sisters¡® worries, Jessica felt secondhand embarrassment for Dustin as she sat at the side. She wasn¡¯t sure if she shouldbel Dustin as arrogant or stupid to agree topete with a master of poison at making poisons. Then again, she was still amused that things managed to get to this point. If Dustin loses, he¡¯ll either be dead or crippled, which would mean that she wouldn¡¯t need to expend so much energy thinking about her daughter¡¯s marriage anymore. ¡°I would advise you to drop out of thepetition while you can, Mr. Boy Toy; else, when the poison kicks in your system, you might not even get the chance to regret your decision anymore!¡± Quentin pressed. ¡°To be frank, I have tomend you for your bravery as well. To think that you¡¯re willing to put your life in someone else¡¯s hands. I don¡¯t suppose you ever thought that if ever the old man loses, the one who might kick the bucket is you?¡± Dustin pointed out tly. ¡°Ridiculous! Mr. Wangley has been researching poisons for many years now, so how could he possibly lose? You¡¯ll see how great he ister!¡± Quentin gave a bark ofughter. Dustin merely let out a short chuckle and said nothing more in response. A few momentster, the subordinates the two of them sent to purchase medicine for them entered through the front doors hurriedly. CS CamScanner Immediately after retrieving the goods, Mr. Wangley started concocting his polson at lightning speed. His movements were so fast that it was enough to make one¡¯s head spin. In the meantime, Dustin took his time with it and did everything at his own pace. After a long while, Mr. Wangley had finished concocting his polson, which appeared to be a bottle of viscous, ck liquid. One could even smell a faint scent of dead fish watting out of it. ¡°I¡¯m done with my poisons, Mr. Boy Toy. Dare to put it down the hatch?¡± Quentin taunted as he ced the bottle on the table and provocatively red at him. Anyone with a discerning eye could definitely see that the ck potion in front of them was highly poisonous. This meant that anyone who ingested it would surely be in danger! ¡°What say we just forget about this whole thing. Dustin? It¡¯s obvious that anyone who drinks this will surely die!¡± Ruth pleaded, clearly upset. Natasha, who was standing beside her, also couldn¡¯t help but ball up her fists. ¡°It¡¯s just polson. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Dustin grinned before picking up the bottle and downing the entire thing in one swig. His swift but confident motion caused Quentin to freeze. ¡°Was this punk actually not afraid of death?¡± He thought to himself. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Natasha hurriedly probed. ¡°Well, my mouth feels bitter from the aftertaste, but all in all, the taste is fine.¡± Dustin evaluated. Natasha was speechless at his reply. The corners of her mouth started twitching. ¡°Did you think that I was asking you about the taste?¡± She thought to herself incredulously. ¡°You don¡¯t have to put up a front if it¡¯s too much for you to bear, young man. You just need to bow down to Mr. Harmon and admit your mistakes if you want me to save you,¡± Mr. Wangley said amusedly. ¡°Your ¡®poison¡± is mildly toxic at best,¡± Dustin replied while smacking his lips a few times. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, what you just conjured up is the Devil¡¯s Elixir, right? It¡¯s a good poison of choice, but it¡¯s a shame you used the wrong ingredients for it. What you should¡¯ve used was aconite instead of epiphyllum. Although both of their medical properties are simr, there are still a few minor differences between them. This is one determining factor of what makes a poison so potent,¡± he exined. ¡°Huh? How did you know? Did you peek at me while I was concocting the mix just now?¡± Mr. Wangley gasped as his expression warped into pure shock. He was absolutely correct in deducing that the poison he made was the Devil¡¯s Elixir, and that he had added epiphyllum as one of the ingredients. ¡°Was it even necessary to peek? I could tell the moment I smelled it in the air.¡± Dustin retorted. CS CamScanner ¡°You used a total of five ingredients, namely strychnine, Zeus¡® Vine, oranges, phynthus, and a sliver of Devil¡¯s grass. It¡¯s such a shame that you were this close to making the perfect poison though.¡± The moment Dustin finished speaking, Mr. Wangley couldn¡¯t help but break out in a shudder. To think that this punk could list out every single one of the ingredients he¡¯d used to make his poison. He¡¯d be fine if he had just told him that he peeked, but it was terrifying to think that he could deduce everything just by smell alone! Even he felt that it would take him light years to even get to this level! ¡°What the hell happened, Mr. Wangley? A few minutes have already passed, and yet he hasn¡¯t reacted at all¡± Quentin thought to himself with some unease. *Rest assured, Mr. Harmon. Anyone can tell that he¡¯s just putting on a bold front right now. Without an antidote, I can guarantee you that he¡¯ll kick the bucket in no time t!¡± Mr. Wangley hollered with confidence after reeling from his shock. Even if Dustin found a way to make a cure, it would still be impossible topletely get rid of the poison from his system. And that was because Mr. Wangley had added something extra inside. ¡°Now that¡¯s music to my ears.¡± Quentin secretly sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯m also done making my poison,¡± Dustin dered as he presented a bottle with a yellow¨Ccolored liquid inside. A lot of steam emanated from the foul¨Csmelling, hot liquid. It looked absolutely disgusting. ¡°W¨Cwhat the fuck is that? It reeks!¡± Quentin sneered. He immediately covered his scrunched¨Cup nose with his hands. ¡°While it might stink a bit, I promise you it tastes pretty good. Feel free to give it a go,¡± Dustin said casually as he pushed the bottle toward them. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be thinking of chickening out now, right, oh great Quentin Harmon?¡± Natasha pressed. Quentin remained silent but turned to look at Mr. Wangley standing beside him, clearly hesitating. ¡°Rx, Mr. Harmon. I saw every ingredient this kid used clearly, so even if you ingest the poison, I can whip out an antidote for you in under three minutes!¡± Mr. Wangley assured confidently. *Sounds great. Here we go!¡± Quentin eximed with his newfound courage. He then proceeded to pick up the bottle, pinch his nose, and down the whole bottle. ¡°Eugh!¡± Quentin gagged just as he downed the poison. It felt like it was about toe back out again. Not only did it reek, but it also tasted bitter, rancid, and disgusting all at the same time. It felt as if he had just eaten a pile of shit. It was an extremely unpleasant experience. ¡°Uh uh, it won¡¯t count if you spit it out!¡± Dustin reminded. CS CamScanner ¡°You-¡°Quentin gritted his teeth. He had no other choice but to swallow everything back down with a flushed face. It¡¯d be a waste to spit everything out after all that effort of drinking it in the first ce. ¡°What exactly did you add inside? Howe it stinks so much?¡± There was a ¡°lingering¡® taste in his mouth and teeth that refused to go away. ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just some golden juice,¡± Dustin said tly. The moment he revealed it, Mr. Wangley¡¯s face contorted with shock. Even Jessica, who had been sitting at the side all this while, raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. ¡°¡°Golden juice¡°? What the fuck is that?¡± Quentin probed, feeling uneasy. ¡°¡°Golden juice¡°, or ¡°golden liquid¡® or ¡®fecal fluid¡®, it basically just means ¡°human excrement¡± inyman¡¯s terms,¡± Dustin exined with a small grin. Chapter 115 ¡°WHAT? HUMAN EXCREMENT?¡± As soon as Quentin heard this, he immediately started dry heaving next to Dustin. But since the poison was already in his stomach, he couldn¡¯t spit it out even if he wanted to, his face flushed red instead. Before this, the phrase ¡®eat shit¡® had only been a suggestion, but he couldn¡¯t believe that it had actually happened to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Dustin to be so heartless by forcing our cousin to eat shit. How is he going to eat anything else from now on?¡± Ruthmented as she covered her nose with her hands. She then started to move away from them with a look of disgust. ¡°For all the shit he spews out from his mouth, I think this is a most fitting punishment.¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t help but add fuel to the fire too. ¡°How dare you trick me, you little bastard!¡± Quentin roared as he raised his head. His expression darkened and his gaze was murderous. He had never been humiliated this badly in all his life. ¡°Since we were tasked with making poison, I had the freedom to choose my own recipe, so I was allowed to add any ingredient I saw fit inside, no?¡± Dustin stated matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°Good, good! You¡¯ve got some nerve, don¡¯t you?¡± Quentin shouted, his face contorted with anger. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you begging at my feetter once the poison kicks into your system!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll certainly see who will be the one who gets down on their kneester. Now, you¡¯d better ask the people around you whether they can cure the poison I made or not.¡± Dustin grinned. ¡°Give me the antidote now, Mr. Wangley!¡± Quentin urged. He certainly didn¡¯t want his high¨Css body to suffer any more damage. ¡°Calm down, Mr. Harmon. Let me take a look at you first,¡± Mr. Wangley picked up the bottle with the rest of the poison and brought it close to his nose to smell it. Then, he dipped his finger into the remaining liquid and ced a drop on the tip of his tongue to taste it. ¡°Here I was beginning to think it was some kind of potent poison. Who would¡¯ve guessed that it was Venenum Insectum all along?¡± Mr. Wangley chuckled. It seemed he had found his answer. ¡°¡°Venenum Insectum¡®? What¡¯s that?¡± Quentin asked. ¡°Venenum Insectum¡® is a poison that¡¯s made from seven types of venomous organisms. They¡¯re first ground into a fine powder, then mixed together. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the organisms in question are snakes, scorpions, toads, centipedes, spiders, poisonous bees, and fire ants,¡± Mr. Wangley exined with confidence. ¡°Are you for real? You got all that from tasting one small droplet?¡± Ruth asked incredulously. CS CamScanner If he had the skills to figure out Dustin¡¯s recipe like that, that would mean that he was pretty much an expert as well. ¡°As expected of a poison master, you clearly are an expert in your field,¡± Dustin remarked with a smile. He had to admit that Mr. Wangley was indeed talented, but it was a shame that he was so close yet so far once again, mistaking his concoction for Venenum Insectum instead of Venenum Insectim. The golden juice was merely added in for extra vor. ¡°Will you stop spewing nonsense to yourself already, Mr. Wangley? Hurry up and make me an antidote. My stomach is starting to hurt again.¡± Quentin whined as he clutched his abdomen with a strained look. His stomach had begun to churn again two minutester. ¡°Wait for me while I whip up an antidote for you, Mr. Harmon.¡± Mr. Wangley swiftly started preparing an antidote with the ingredients that remained. ¡°H¨CHurry up! It¡¯s getting more and more painful by the second!¡± Quentin howled in pain. The longer time went on, he felt as if there was a knife inside his abdomen that kept stabbing his insides. He started to break out in a cold sweat. In the meantime, Dustin looked absolutely fine and showed no abnormal symptoms, so much so that he managed to sip his tea leisurely. ¡°H¨Chow are you not affected?¡± Quentin stuttered, visibly taken aback. Dustin had drunk the poison first, so why was it that he seemed like he wasn¡¯t affected by it in the slightest? ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten rid of the poison in my system. So, how could I still be affected?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already concocted an antidote? But how? You didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Quentin spat in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about. Why don¡¯t you focus on your case first? Like what you¡¯re going to do if the person standing next to you can¡¯t cure the poison,¡± Dustin suggested with mock concern. ¡°The poison I conjured up was a rough one, by the way. It¡¯ll induce searing pain first, and if you fail to obtain the antidote within three hours, then it¡¯ll tear through your guts and intestines and cause you to die a horrible death!¡± ¡°What!¡± Quentin gasped and panicked. His stomach was already hurting badly before this, but after receiving a scare from Dustin, it seemed to hurt even more. ¡°I¡¯ve got the antidote for you, Mr. Harthon!¡± Mr. Wangley announced as he brought a vial of white liquid over to him in the nick of time. Without any hesitation, Quentin downed the whole thing in one gulp.. As soon as the antidotended in his stomach, he immediately felt better. However, after enduring the pain for a few seconds, he vomited all the white liquid out of his system. CS CamScanner ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Harmon? You just threw up the antidote!¡± Mr. Wangley eximed in surprise. ¡°I¨CI couldn¡¯t help it. I really couldn¡¯t hold it in!¡± Quentin whined helplessly. ¡°You could even stomach eating shit, so why can¡¯t you do the same for the antidote?¡± Mr. Wangley scolded, bbergasted. ¡°Cut the crap! Hurry up and prepare another dose, I¡¯ll make sure to hold it in this time round,¡± Quentin shouted Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. as his face twitched. Mr. Wangley had no choice but to do as he was told. Soon, he¡¯d finished whipping up another dose, and Quentin wasted no time ingesting it. This time, he managed to hold it in. ¡°My stomach still hurts like hell, Mr. Wangley. Why haven¡¯t the effects kicked in yet?¡± Quentin comined with a strained look on his face. ¡°It can¡¯t be, the main ingredients to make an antidote for Venenum Insectum are forsythia, lotus root, and white creepers. Then, it just needs to be supplemented with a few herbs and heated up, to be able to detoxify the poison. Perhaps the effects of the antidote haven¡¯t kicked in yet, so I¡¯ll need you to wait a little while longer,¡± Mr. Wangleyforted. Quentin nodded and forced himself to endure the severe pain for a few more minutes. His face even started contorting to reflect the indescribable pain he was feeling as time went on. ¡°Mr. Wangley! I don¡¯t think this was the right antidote! Not only did it do nothing to ease the pain, but it also hurts even more now!¡± Quentin shouted through gritted teeth and continued to be drenched in sweat. ¡°How could this be?¡± Mr. Wangley stepped forward to check Quentin¡¯s pulse. ¡°D¨Cdon¡¯t tell me this isn¡¯t Venenum Insectum?¡± Mr. Wangley eximed. ¡°Huh? Then what about the antidote that you gave me just now?¡± Quentin roared in anger. ¡°What else did you put in your poison, you bastard? I clearly saw you add venomous creepy crawlies inside!¡± Mr. Wangley turned around and questioned. ¡°The kind of ingredients I used isn¡¯t the main focus here. The real question should be whether you can get rid of the poison or not,¡± Dustin said indifferently. ¡°You yed dirty, didn¡¯t you? So be it! Even if this ends up in a tie, as long as you hand me the antidote. I¡¯ll give you the antidote for the Devil¡¯s Elixir!¡± Mr. Wangley proposed as he made the decision to be the bigger person. If he¡¯d concocted the poison using a different recipe, then he would need to take the time to analyze it properly. But now that Quentin was writhing in pain, he didn¡¯t have the luxury to take his time. It would be bad for him too if his source of ie were to disappear just like that. ¡°You want the antidote, don¡¯t you? Fine.¡± A cocky grin spread on Dustin¡¯s face. ¡°ording to what you said to me earlier, I want the same back from you. I want you to kneel down before me and admit defeat. After that, I¡¯ll give you the antidote.¡± The second he finished his sentence, Quentin and Mr. Wangley¡¯s expressions changed. Chapter 116 ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself yet, you bastard!¡± Mr. Wangley shouted in anger. ¡°You have to remember that Mr. Harmon isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯s poisoned here. Without my antidote, you won¡¯t be able to live past tomorrow with my poison in your system!¡± ¡°Is that so? Wanna bet on who kicks the bucket first?¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°Why you-!¡± Mr. Wangley had been rendered speechless. Looking at the current state of affairs, it was obvious that Quentin was the one who would lose first. And it was exactly for this reason that Mr. Wangley proposed to call it a draw. Unfortunately, the other party was having none of it. ¡°Hurry up and give me the antidote already, Dustin! We¡¯ll count this as a loss on our side!¡± Quentin yielded grudgingly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he really couldn¡¯t bear the pain anymore, he would never concede to a puny ant like him. ¡°You can¡¯t just ¡®say¡® that you¡¯ve lost. Where¡¯s the sincerity in that, Mr. Harmon?¡± Dustin teased while shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you test me, Rhys!¡± Quentin roared. ¡°When you make mistakes, it¡¯s only logical that you admit your wrongdoings, no? Are you telling me that you can¡¯t even do that much?¡± Dustin urged on, devoid of the slightest bit of fear. ¡°Oh, so you want me to get down on my knees and admit my mistakes to you? What makes you think you¡¯re fucking worthy of that?¡± Quentin sneered as his expression turned cold. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not worthy. I guess you¡¯ll just have to get rid of the poison by yourselves then,¡± Dustin replied with a shrug. ¡°Are you threatening me right now?¡± Quentin scowled. ¡°Goodness, no. I¡¯m just returning the favor,¡± Dustin replied, unperturbed. ¡°Enough, everyone stops this farce at once!¡± Jessica suddenly screamed. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry and pass the antidote to Quentin right now, Dustin. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to take responsibility if anything happens to him after this!¡± ¡°With all due respect, ma¡¯am, every man considers his promises like gold. So since I made a promise just now, naturally I would need to fulfill that promise,¡± Dustin replied inly. ¡°What are you on about? And why do you insist on making yourself an enemy of the Harmons today?¡± Jessica snapped, her pretty face now stone cold. She initially thought that Dustin would back down and be the bigger man in this situation, but didn¡¯t expect him to be so insensitive instead. CS CamScanner ¡°Can you cut the act already? You didn¡¯t say anything when Quentin was bullying Dustin before, so why are you jumping to Quentin¡¯s aid when he¡¯s in a difficult situation now? Do you even have a shred of dignity left?¡± Natasha suddenly voiced out. ¡°Why are you speaking for an outsider when Quentin is your own cousin?¡± Jessica frowned. ¡°I only speak for the truth, not blood rtions!¡± Natasha proimed, righteously. ¡°Quentin was the one who started this whole thing in the first ce, so now he¡¯s getting what he deserves. Since we¡¯re outsiders in theirpetition, we should just sit and watch and not interfere!¡± ¡°Why you-!¡± Jessica growled, obviously angry at her daughter¡¯s outburst. Although she let Natasha have her way outside, she really could not do anything about her in private. All of her nagging and lectures failed to get to her. She was such a thorn in her side! ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m going to ask, Rhys! Are you giving me the antidote or not?¡± Quentin demanded while gritting his teeth. ¡°And I¡¯ll reply with the same answer. Kneel down and apologize first,¡± Dustin stated tly. ¡°Fine! Fine!¡± Quentin finally gave in with a sinister look on his face. ¡°I can kneel down, for sure, but are you sure you want to take responsibility for the consequences that ensue?¡± Quentin growled, his expression was murderous now.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll need to see it for myself first.¡± Dustin smiled mockingly. ¡°Fine! I hope you don¡¯t regret this!¡± Quentin shouted through clenched teeth. After hesitating for two seconds, he finally dropped down to the floor on his knees with a heavy ¡°thud¡°. But as he knelt, his death re was firmly nted on Dustin, and his expression extremely fierce. Humiliating him in public like this was equal to asking for death! ¡°The man has already knelt before you. Are you satisfied now, Dustin? Hurry up and hand him the antidote then!¡± Jessica snapped. Humiliating Quentin Harmon was equal to humiliating the entirety of the Harmon family. How dare a measly doctor humiliated a Harmon like that. He was really asking to be killed! ¡°Here. Bottoms up.¡± Dustin said as he fished out a small, white vial and poured out the powdery contents into a cup of tea. ¡°Is that Hexanavir? Mr. Wangley thought to himself. Chapter 117 When Mr. Wangleyid his eyes on the small, white¨Ccolored vial, his expression immediately turned into shock, but a look of greed reced it soon after. That was legendary Dr. Rowan Cross¡® Miracle Cure! Why does a punk like him have such a treasure on him in the first ce? Anyone could see that this antidote was incredibly precious and worth a lot of money! Even the tiniest amount of powder could already fetch sky¨Chigh prices. It was no wonder that the punk could act so cocky, and that was all because he was in possession of Hexanavir. Today shall be the day of his downfall! ¡°Hmph!¡± Quentin snorted and said nothing before downing the whole cup of tea in one gulp. Almost immediately after he gulped down the tea, the ongoing sharp pains in his stomach gradually started to disappear. The painpletely disappeared a few minutester. This caused Quentin to feel like he¡¯d just survived a huge ordeal. ¡°I won¡¯t forget the shame you inflicted on me today, Rhys! You had better not fall into my clutches anymore in the future!¡± Quentin barked before turning to Natasha Harmon. ¡°And as for you, Natasha, you¡¯d better solve the crisis surrounding Eternumax soon. Else, don¡¯t me me if I report you to the board!¡± The moment he finished barking, Quentin left the room in a haggard state. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely regret everything you did today, young man!¡± Mr. Wangley grunted before turning to chase after Quentin. Did he know who Quentin was? How could a puny doctor like him humiliate him like that? If ever he decided to seek revenge eventually, he bet that his bones wouldn¡¯t be spared even after he was brutally murdered! ¡°So you came prepared, Dustin. You really scared me just now.¡± Ruth heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It was all thanks to the Hexanavir your sister sent me. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have won so easily,¡± Dustin let out a small chuckle. But of course, the antidote merely made things slightly easier for him. ¡°Hmph! It was all a trick then!¡± Jessica snorted and looked at Dustin in disdain. She initially thought that he¡¯d used his skills for this, but who knew that he had just utilized Hexanavir which was made by the legendary Dr. Rowan Cross. ¡°You can stay unconvinced as long as you like, but the fact remains that Dustin won¡± Natasha argued with a CS CamScanner hard re. ¡°So what if he won by a fluke? What makes you think this kid can research Eternumax without Mr. Wangley here?¡± Jessica questioned. Eternumax was the heart and soul of Harmon Pharmaceuticals for many years now and was an equally important part of the family¡¯s development ns. This was why she refused to believe that such an unknown figure like Dustin would have any ability to save the day. ¡°Who says? To me, Dustin is way more knowledgeable than whoever this Wangley guy is.¡± Natasha stood her ground firmly. ¡°Fine, since you keep insisting that he¡¯s the superior choice, then why don¡¯t we make a bet? If he can develop Eternumax from scratch, I¡¯ll take it as he¡¯s passed the test. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have him resign from his post immediately to make way for the others!¡± Jessica roared, clearly enraged. ¡°I have no qualms with that,¡± Natasha said, refusing to give way. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Whether he would be able to do it or not was a separate matter. She couldn¡¯t back down now. ¡°Rhys, you punk! You¡¯d better not let my daughter down!¡± Jessica spat after getting a clearer look at Dustin. She then folded up her sleeves and up and left. ¡°What did mom mean by ¡®test¡® just now?¡± Ruth asked, out of curiosity. ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t butt into adult matters.¡± Natasha rolled her eyes at her in response. ¡°Hmph! Well, I¡¯m sorry for asking. Who died and made you queen?¡± Ruth pouted. ¡°You all keep mentioning Eternumax, but what is it exactly. Ms. Harmon?¡± Dustin asked while feigning ignorance. Natasha Harmon forced a smile and started exining. ¡°Although the Harmons have a firm grip over many industries, the main focus is still medicine. This was why the decision behind the selection of business partners and benefit¨Csharing were all made in hopes of dominating the pharmaceutical market of the entirety of Swinton. Thus, that was how we began researching and developing a new kind of drug, which we n to use to capture all of that market share, ¡°Everything was going to n in the beginning, but no one had expected that there would be a traitor who had been nted among us. Thus, Tilda Snider¡¯s assassination presented an opportunity to us, while serving as a warning to all traitors. But the moment they realized that they were about to be exposed, they employed methods of coercion and enticing benefits to lure our employees to other companies instead, which was how they took away a big chunk of our workforce. Not only that, they even stole our research findings! And the research findings in question were for the new drug we¡¯re developing, Eternumax!¡± Chapter 118 ¡°I see.¡± Dustin nodded. Dustin recalled something and asked, ¡°Following what you said, between you and Edwin, whoever first creates Eternumax would dominate the market in Swinton?¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Natasha confirmed his thoughts. ¡°However, the documents of my researchers have been robbed. We have to start all over again. It would be too difficult.¡± ¡°Humph! That Hummer is too despicable! Him and his dirty tricks!¡± Ruth was indignant. ¡°¡°What kind of medicine is Eternumax?¡± Dustin asked once again. ¡°Eternumax is a medicine that not only increases your lifespan but also retains beauty. It was said to be derived from an ancient antidote recipe. However, because the recipe was crafted such a long time ago, half of it was lost. We could only keep researching to restore the full recipe.¡± Natasha exined. ¡°An ancient antidote recipe?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m following correctly, I do know about a type of secret medicine that has a simr effect to Eternumax.¡± Dustin rubbed his chin ¡°Oh? And what medicine is that?¡± Natasha¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. ¡°This medicine is called Immortunol. I read about it from a medical book archive. It also increases one¡¯s lifespan and retains beauty. Its effects should be on par with Eternumax.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. The archives that he read contained all valuable antidotes that had been lost in time. Whatever was listed in there was definitely no ordinary medicine. ¡°Hah! I don¡¯t believe you for one second! Eternumax is a secret ancient recipe. How could this ¡®Immortunol¡® evenpare to it? I¡¯ve never even heard of such a thing!¡± Ruth pouted. ¡°Just because you never heard of it, doesn¡¯t mean it does not exist. There could even possibly be a surprise discovery.¡± Dustin suggested. ¡°No matter if it works, we should give it a try. Let me know what ingredients you need. I¡¯ll prepare them right. away.¡± Natasha offered without any hesitation. That was because there was no other way to go about this. They were in a bind. ¡°Rue, bring me a pen and paper.¡± Dustin tumed around andmanded. ¡°Hey! I told you a thousand times already. My name is Ruth! Ruth!¡± Ruth clenched her teeth. Ruth gave Dustin a kick before bringing him the pen and paper. After taking the pen and a few scribbles, Dustin finished writing Immortunol¡¯s recipe in an instant. Natasha scanned through the list and nodded. ¡°These ingredients are quitemon and easy to find. The CS CamScanner only tricky ingredient would be Luminianth Root.¡± *Sis, there are a few sellers in the medicine market. Perhaps we could find some there.¡± Ruth suggested. ¡°Yeah. Bring Dustin along to check it out. I still have some stuff to do.¡± Natasha replied. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Ruth pouted. Although she was a little disappointed, she agreed to her sister¡¯s request. Her sister had a lot of stuff to do. She knew that she had to help her out. After setting their destination, Ruth drove Dustin to the market. A Mercedes¨CBenz parked in front of a shop named Emporium. Dahlia and the others stepped out of the car which stopped abruptly. Other than Florence and James, there was also a pretty, well¨Cdresseddy beside them. This woman was Florence¡¯s niece, Julie Amberson. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Julie, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to get a present? Why are we at a ce like this?¡± Florence was confused. ¡°Aunt Florence, I just got the news that this shop has a very rare ingredient called the Luminianth Root!¡± Julie whispered. ¡°Luminianth Root? What¡¯s it for?¡± The name piqued Florence¡¯s curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s great as a gift, of course! Tomorrow is the Hummers¡® birthday party. I¡¯m nning to gift this to Miss Hummer!¡± ¡°Why are you gifting this instead of gems or jewelry like everyone else?¡± Chapter 119 ¡°Hehe¡­You wouldn¡¯t know, would you? Miss Hummer is a nobledy. She doesn¡¯t need gems or jewelry. If you truly want to impress her, you should give her a one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind gift. Luminth Root has the ability to retain one¡¯s beauty. No woman could ever resist it. I believe that Miss Hummer would like it!¡± Julie uttered confidently. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but this Luminianth Root costs a fortune, right?¡± Florence asked. ¡°Of course! This is an extremely rare item. You won¡¯t be able to buy it without three to five million dors.¡± Julie nodded. ¡°What! It¡¯s that expensive?¡± Florence was shocked. ¡°Julie, do you even have that much money?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t. But you do! So, lend me a few million dors, I¡¯ll return it to you next time.¡± Julie requested without hesitation. Her words stunned Florence. Dahlia and James also frowned at her words. This cousin of theirs would always borrow money every time she visits. Last year she ¡°borrowed¡± a Mercedez¨CBenz from them for two days. Until now, she still hadn¡¯t returned the car. It seemed like they will not be getting it back. If they gave her a few million dors now, there would definitely be no return as well. ¡°Julie, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to lend you the money. A few million dors is really too much.¡± After thinking for some time, Florence still refused. ¡°Aunt Florence, your family owns a business! There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t have that kind of money. Or is it that you guys don¡¯t want to lend me the money?¡± Julie was getting upset. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°No, I really don¡¯t have that much money.¡± Florenceughed awkwardly. ¡°If you don¡¯t, then Dahlia should have that money, right? She¡¯s the president of Quine Group! I don¡¯t believe for a second that she doesn¡¯t have a few million dors to spare!¡± Julle turned to Dahlia as she uttered those words. ¡°Thepany¡¯s finances are a bit tight at the moment. Every penny counts. I wouldn¡¯t rmend spending the money on such birthday gifts.¡± Dahlia shook her head lightly. If it was an emergency, she would definitely spend money without hesitation. But for her situation, she really could not help her even if she wanted to. ¡°Dahlia! You can¡¯t be that stingy? It¡¯s just a few million dors! It¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t return it to you!¡± Julie crossed her arms and said confidently. ¡°After I send Miss Hummer this gift, I¡¯ll be her friend. Then, CS CamScanner I¡¯ll get a high¨Crank position in Hummer Pharmaceuticals. I¡¯ll be earning a few million dors every year, easy peasy!¡± ¡°Julie, you must not get ahead of yourself. It¡¯s not that easy to get into Hummer Pharmaceuticals. Never mind a high¨Crank position, with your experience, it would be best for you to get some training in mypany.¡± Dahlia tried to reason with her calmly. ¡°Dahlia, let me get straight to the point. I¡¯m a valuable graduate of the Ivy League. Everyone wants me. A smallpany like Quine Group is not worth my time.¡± Julie mocked. Dahlia was speechless at her remarks. This cousin of hers was a ssic narcissist. No experience and no skill, and yet she still dreamed about bing a rich supervisor. She looked down on almost everyone, and yet she doesn¡¯t even have the basics down. ¡°Alright! Back to the point! Are you lending me the money or not?¡± Julie¡¯s arms were still crossed in front of her body arrogantly. She really had no shame as the one who was borrowing money. ¡°No!¡± James answered. ¡°Fine! Today I finally get to see what kind of people you guys really are! Rtives, my ass! You all just abandoned me when I¡¯m in need. Tomorrow, I will make you pay!¡± With that, Julie turned around and stomped away. Chapter 120 ¡°Julie! Don¡¯t be mad, calm down!¡± Florence quickly stopped Julie and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a few million dors? I¡¯ll lend it to you! We¡¯re all family after all. There¡¯s no need to fight.¡± ¡°Mom! Why are you ying along with her?¡± James frowned. ¡°Julie is my only niece. Now that she¡¯s in a pinch, who would help her if not me?¡± Florence stated the facts. ¡°Are you sure this is someone who needs help?¡± James was displeased. ¡°Shut it!¡± Florence red at her son. ¡°I¡¯m not using your money. Can¡¯t I use my own money?¡± ¡°You-!¡± James was shocked. ¡°Is she still my mother?¡± James wondered. She treated a niece better than her own son. ¡°Aunt Florence treats me the best!¡± Julie chirped with a smile on her face. This was not her first time acting like this. It was effective every single time. ¡°Of course, who¡¯d treat you well other than me? Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll buy you the Lumianth Root.¡± Florence grabbed Juile¡¯s hand and entered Emporium. ¡°Sis! You¡¯re not going to stop mom?¡± James was worried.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°What¡¯s the use of stopping her? This isn¡¯t her first time doing such a thing.¡± Dahlia already gave up. Her mother had been treating her sister¡¯s family like this for a long time. The only problem was their despicable attitude, exploiting her mother¡¯s kindness. ¡°Hey, boss!¡± Julie immediately called out confidently while entering the shop. ¡°Wee! What can I get for my distinguished guests?¡± A middle¨Caged man with a big belly walked forward to greet his customers. ¡°A little bird told me that you sell Luminianth Root here. Is that true?¡± Julie sat down on one of the chairs in the shop. ¡°Miss, this bird of yours must be very efficient at its job! We do sell them here. In fact, it just arrived yesterday.¡± The shop owner spoke truthfully. ¡°Really? How do you n to sell them?¡± Julie continued asking. ¡°This Luminianth Root is not that cheap. We¡¯re nning to hold an auction for it.¡± The shop owner replied. ¡°Auctions are too much of a hassle. Why don¡¯t you just sell it to me? It saves you the money to hold an auction.¡± Julie tried to convince the shop owner. CS CamScanner ¡°But The shop owner was troubled. ¡°What? Do you think I can¡¯t afford it? Say it. How much are you nning to sell this for?¡± Julle asked. ¡°If miss truly wants to buy it, I wouldn¡¯t try to stop you. I just need this much.¡± The plump shop owner held up five of his fingers. ¡°Five million? That¡¯s expensive?!¡± Florence immediately froze in ce. Although she expected it, she was still shocked when she heard the price. ¡°Five million already includes a discount for our friendship. If I were to auction this, I probably would earn five to six times this price. This is also an early price, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be so low.¡± The shop owner shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t you lower the price a bit? This amount is too high.¡± Florence tried to negotiate with him. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. This precious gem cost me a lot of fortune. To be honest, if I encounter someone who needs this, it wouldn¡¯t even be a problem to sell it for a hundred million dors.¡± The shop owner said with a serious face. ¡°But¡± Before Florence could finish her sentence, Julie interrupted her. ¡°Alright, alright! Aunt Florence, we shouldn¡¯t be too sensitive! Isn¡¯t it just five million dors? We¡¯re buying it!¡± ¡°Miss, I love your attitude! I will get someone to bring over the Luminiath Root right away!¡± The shop owner smiled from ear to ear as he signaled the man behind him. The man immediately understood and ran upstairs. After a while, he came back and presented a big wooden box. ¡°Inside is the Luminianth Root. Miss, will you be paying by card or cash?¡± The shop owner grinned, pleased with the transaction. ¡°Card.¡± Julie said without any remorse, ¡°Go ahead, Aunt Florence.¡± The corner of Florence¡¯s lips twitched as she painfully reached into her bag for a card. As they were finishing up the transaction, a woman¡¯s voice yelled from outside. ¡°Wait! That Luminianth Root is ours!¡± Everyone looked towards the voice, and immediately, a man and woman walked into the shop. It was Dustin and Ruth. Chapter 121 ¡°Why are you here?¡± Dahlia was surprised to see Dustin. When she saw the prettydy standing beside him, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. Her heart clenched in jealousy. ¡°Was Natasha not enough for him? He still wanted more women?¡± Dahlia wondered to herself. ¡°Men are all yboys after all!¡± She concluded in her mind. ¡°Dustin, you guys know each other?¡± Ruth looked between the two of them, feeling a little awkward. ¡°We do. She¡¯s the president of Quine Group, Miss Dahlia.¡± Dustin exined. ¡°So it¡¯s her!¡± Ruth¡¯s gaze immediately turned hostile. This woman in front of her was her sister¡¯s greatest love rival. She certainly has to keep an eye on her. She must not let the two of them rekindle their love! ¡°Humph! How do we keep running into each other? How unlucky of us!¡± Florence¡¯s face was full of contempt.¡± ¡°Dustin! How impressive! I can¡¯t believe you got another girl with you so soon! You really are a gigolo!¡± James mocked. At the same time, he was envious of him. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m much more incredible and yet I still don¡¯t have a girlfriend. And yet, this piece of trash changes his girls every time I meet him. First, it was the queen of business, Natasha. Now he has this new pretty girl! The world is so unfair!¡± James thought to himself. ¡°Oi! Was it the two of you making a ruckus?!¡± Julie scanned Dustin and Ruth, looking annoyed. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°It was me.¡± Ruth stepped forward and chirped, ¡°Boss, This Lumianth Root is ours. Name a price.¡± ¡°Humph! Do you think it¡¯s yours if you say so? Who do you think you are?¡± Julie said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°Let me tell you, I already paid five million dors for this Lumianth Root!¡± ¡°Prettydy, we need this Luminianth Root urgently. I hope you can do us a favor.¡± Ruth asked kindly. ¡°Who are you to be asking me for a favor? Scram!¡± Julie was stubborn and ruthless. ¡°Hm? Boss, she offered five million dors, right? I¡¯ll give you eight million dors!¡± Ruth frowned and dered boldly. ¡°Eight million dors?!¡± Everyone was shocked at the number. Especially the shop owner. His eyes were sparkling with excitement. The other customers were also watching the scene, amused. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? You¡¯re picking a fight on purpose, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Julie¡¯s face darkened. ¡°This precious treasure deserves such a high price. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Ruth was only doing what she thought was right. CS CamScanner ¡°Bitch! You want to y this game? Fine! I¡¯ll pay ten million dors!¡± Julie yelled. Florence¡¯s face turned as pale as a ghost as she heard that. Five million dors was already her limit. Ten million dors would cost more than her fortune. Without hesitation, Ruth replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pay 12 million dors then.¡± ¡°15 million dors! End this deal now! Boss! You know the firste first serve policy. This Luminianth Root is already mine. If you dare to sell it to someone else, I¡¯ll destroy this shop of yours!¡± Julie roared and snatched the wooden box before everyone could say a word. ¡°Alright, alright. Luminianth Root is yours!¡± The shop owner agreed reluctantly. But the truth was, he was extremely happy. ¡°Boss, why are you selling it to her? I can give you 12 million dors!¡± Ruth was not pleased with the oue. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money. Business is about credibility. Thisdy ordered the Luminianth Root first, so it should be hers.¡± The shop owner yed along with Julie. ¡°Did you hear that? So what if you have money? What¡¯s mine is mine, you can¡¯t take it from me!¡°Julie smiled joyfully as if she had won a battle. On the other hand, Florence who was standing behind Julie was devastated. 15 million dors! She was going to be broke! Chapter 122 Seeing Julie¡¯s joyful face, Ruth clenched her teeth and held back her anger. ¡°Prettydy, I really need this Luminianth Root. Can¡¯t you just sell it to me? I¡¯ll pay you 20 million!¡± Ruth tried her best to rein in her emotions. ¡°So what if you have money? You want my Luminianth Root? Dream on!¡± Julle hugged the wooden box closer to her body, looking proud of herself. ¡°You-!¡± Ruth was at her limit. She had never been treated like this before ever since a young age. In the end, she gave up. ¡°Dustin! I don¡¯t care anymore! You handle it yourself!¡± Looking at the situation, Dustin could only ask, ¡°Julie, what are you nning to use the Luminianth Root for?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your damn business!¡± Julie red at him and dered firmly. ¡°Listen up you guys, I will never sell the Luminianth Root to you guys no matter what you say!¡± ¡°That is a huge Luminianth Root. You won¡¯t be able to finish it if you¡¯re nning to use it as a medicine-¡± Before Dustin could finish, Julie interrupted rudely. ¡°Shut up! So what if I can¡¯t finish using it? Even if I waste it and have no use for it, I will never sell it to you guys!¡± Dustin frowned at her words. He never imagined her to be so unreasonable and petty. ¡°Boss! Card!¡± Julie snatched the card from Florence¡¯s hand and passed it to the shop owner swiftly. No matter what, she wouldn¡¯t go back on her words! ¡°Julie! Well, 15 million dors is too much, don¡¯t you think?¡± Florence¡¯s legs almost gave away. That was her entire fortune! ¡°Aunt Florence, it¡¯s just 15 million dors. It¡¯s nothing. When I earn money, I¡¯ll double it and give it back to you!¡± Julie promised confidently. The corner of Florence¡¯s lips twitched as she heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t know how many blue moons it would take for you to earn that huge amount of money.¡± Florence thought to herself. After the transaction was done, Julie was in high spirits. She mocked Ruth and Dustin, ¡°You guys haven¡¯t seen anything precious like this, have you? I¡¯ll be kind and let you guys see it for the first time!¡± After finishing her sentence, she immediately opened the wooden box. Everyone peeked into the box, and the only thing they could see was a Luminianth Root that was the size of a palm. Original from N?velDrama.Org. CS CamScanner The Luminianth Root was dark greyish. Its flesh was scrawny and wilted. It looked dry and had no signs of life. Upon contact, the root crumbles into powder. A piece of its surface falls out. ¡°Huh?¡± Julie frowned and asked, ¡°Boss, are you sure this is Luminianth Root? Why does it look so suspicious?¡± The item in front of her was way different from what she had expected. ¡°Of course! I harvested this Luminianth Root myself yesterday! It¡¯s definitely the real thing!¡± The shop owner grinned. ¡°Why does it look like it¡¯s dead?¡± Julie was suspicious. ¡°Boss! Did you just scam us by selling us a fake Luminianth Root?¡± Florence was shocked and worried. ¡°How could I?¡± The shop owner smiled meekly. ¡°This Luminianth Root is definitely real. It¡¯s just a little ugly, but it is still the real deal¡± ¡°Boss, that isn¡¯t ethical of you.¡± Dahlia looked at the Luminianth Root and pointed out ¡°It is a Luminianth Root, but this one is obviously wilted. There¡¯s no sign of life at all. It¡¯s the same as a piece of wood. How could you sell it for such a high price? ¡°What? A piece of wood?!¡± Florence and Julie were shocked to the core when they heard this. No wonder it didn¡¯t look right. It was a defective product. ¡°Damn you fatty! You lied to us! Hurry and give our money back!¡± Florence roared, her face red from anger. ¡°That¡¯s right! Hurry up and give us a refund!¡± Aftering back to her senses, Julie chimed in. Did he really think he could scam her 15 million dors for a piece of trash?! Chapter 123 ¡°Look here, we¡¯veid out our terms clearly. You were the ones who insisted on buying it. I didn¡¯t force you guys at all.¡± The shop owner said indifferently. ¡°Stop the crap! I don¡¯t want this Luminianth Root anymore. Hurry up and give me a refund!¡± Julle grabbed the man by his cor and roared. ¡°What? Are you trying to stir up trouble in my shop?¡± The shop owner¡¯s expression did not falter, and he quickly pped his hands once. Soon, a group of brawny men came out from the room behind. Seeing the fierce looks on their face, Julie and the rest were immediately stunned and silent. ¡°Are you guys tired of living? How dare you stir up trouble in Mr. Walter¡¯s shop?¡± ¡°Anyone could tell that they¡¯re brainless, they have no clue about the rules here.¡± ¡°Exactly! They don¡¯t even check the item before raising their bid. Doesn¡¯t that say something about their stupidity?¡± The crowd started gossiping. ¡°What? You think that I¡¯m scared because you have a few men?¡± Florence red at him, putting up a brave front as she threatened, ¡°You son of a bitch! I¡¯m warning you, you better give me a refund right now or I¡¯ll sue you for fraud!¡± ¡°Go ahead, sue me as you please.¡± Mr. Walter remained unfazed by her threats. ¡°I really did sell you a Luminianth Root. No matter where you ask, this is what you get. As for the price, you were the ones who added it. It has nothing to do with me. There¡¯s no use in suing me!¡± ¡°You-!¡± Florence clenched her teeth. She didn¡¯t dare to lift a finger because of the men. ¡°You fat bastard! Why didn¡¯t you mention anything about the Luminianth Root being defective?¡± Julie said, pissed at the turn of events. ¡°Before you paid, I already passed the Luminianth Root to you. Now, you¡¯re ming me because you didn¡¯t open and check it yourself?¡± Mr. Walter retorted assertively. Julie¡¯s blood started to boil at his statement. However, there was nothing she could do. Although she wasn¡¯t the one who paid for it, the feeling of being scammed was still frustrating. ¡°Hahaha! 15 million for a piece of wood! That¡¯s hrious!¡± Ruth mocked without remorse. Now she finally had the chance to pay them back for making fun of her. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Julie barked. ¡°Actually, now that I think about it, I should thank you for not selling it to me. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve been the CS CamScanner one who¡¯s scammed!¡± Ruthughed. ¡°You¨Cyou!!¡± Julie was fuming, steam wasing out of her ears and her face flushed red in anger. One could almost see the daggers in her eyes. ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t you say you want to buy Luminianth Root? We¡¯ll sell it to you. Just give us 20 million dors.¡± Florence looked as if she¡¯d seen an angel She immediately brought the Luminianth Root to Ruth. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Are you really asking 20 million for a piece of trash?¡± Ruth mocked. Although she was rich, she wasn¡¯t stupid. Original from N?velDrama.Org. A wilted Luminianth Root had no use for medicine. ¡°If you think that¡¯s expensive, then I¡¯ll lower the price for you. Is 15 million okay?¡± Florence begged once again. Right now, she only hoped to sell it out as fast as possible. Otherwise¡­ ¡°No.¡± Ruth refused firmly. ¡°10 million! 10 million is good, right? We¡¯re already making a loss here!¡± Florence begged frantically, and sweat started to form on her face. ¡°Do you think this thing is still worth 10 million dors?¡± Ruth asked, looking at Florence as if she was crazy. ¡°Five million! Just five million dors!¡± Florence was on the verge of tears. Her eyes darted around the room. ¡°Anyone, please! Will someone be generous enough to buy it for five million dors?!¡± Right now, she could not ask for the original price. She could only hope for minimizing her loss. ¡°Stop wasting your energy. Only an idiot would buy this piece of trash!¡± Ruth pursed her lips. Right after she finished her sentence, a voice rang from behind. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for five million dors.¡± Chapter 124 ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for five million dors.¡± Dustin¡¯s voice captured several customers¡® attention. They all looked at himasifhehadgrownanotherhead. Anyonewho¡¯sintherightmindwouldbeabletotellthatthisLuminianthRootwasdefective.Only an idiotwould buyaLuminianthRootinthatcondition. ¡°Dustin,haveyoulostyourmind?Whyareyouspendingfivemillionforapieceoftrash?¡±Ruthwasshocked. Althoughitwasn¡¯talotofmoneyforher,itwasstidumbdecision.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°You,youreallywanttobuyit?¡±Florencecouldnotbelieveit. ¡°What?Doyounotwantto sellit?¡±Dustinasked. ¡°I¡¯llsellit!Of course,I¡¯llsellit!¡± Florencenoddedherheadrepeatedlyasasmilebloomedonherface. Althoughshestillmadealossforsellingitforfivemilliondors,itwasstillbetterthannothing. ¡°Dustin,thisLuminianthRootisobviouslyuseless.Areyousureyouwanttobuyit?¡±Dahliaaskedinsurprise. ¡°Oh,silly!Whatareyoutalkingabout?ThisLuminianthRootisapreciousgem!¡±Florencewastakenaback. Shefinallygotachancetosellitout.HowcouldDahliasuddenlysabotageher? ¡°Whatifhechangedhismind?¡±Florencewasworried. Dustinnodded.¡°Ofcourse,I¡¯llbuyit.AtleastIthinkit¡¯sveryuseful.¡± ¡°Yes,ofcourse!ThisisapreciousLuminianthRoot,therarestyoucanfindintheworld!You¡¯redefinitelygettingallyourmoney¡¯sworthforfivemilliondors!¡±Florencepitchedfrantically.Itwasasifshe¡¯dmether savinggrace ¡°Dustin!Fivemilliondorsisnotasmamount!Doyouevenhavethatmuchmoney?¡±Jamesquestioned. ¡°Idon¡¯t,butshedoes.¡± DustinpointedtowardsRuthwhowasstandingbesidehim. ¡°Me?¡±Ruthwasstunned.Sherolledhereyes. ¡°Iwon¡¯tdosuchadumbthing!¡± ¡°Canyoutakeitasmeborrowingyourmoney?Thisisextremelyimportanttome.¡±Dustinaskedearnestly. ¡°Alright,alright!Igivein.Here,takeyourfivemilliondors.Youbetterrememberthisasalesson.¡±Ruth couldn¡¯trefuse. Afterall,fivemilliondorswasnotalotforher. Intheend,theymanagedtosecureatrade. Afterreceivingthemoney.Juliecouldn¡¯thelpbuugh.¡°Dustin!YoureallyaredumberthanIthought!The LuminianthRootwasobviouslydefectiveandyetyoustillinsistedonbuyingit!Ipraiseyouforyour courage!¡± ¡°Thankfullythere¡¯sanidiottofallforit,otherwisewe¡¯dmakesuchagreatloss!¡±Florencegloated. ¡°Fivemillionforapieceoftrash,howamazing!¡±Jameughedmockinglyasheshookhishead,enjoyingthe show. ¡°Howwouldyouguysknowthatthisisapieceoftrash?¡±Dustinremainedunfazed. ¡°Areyoublind?Can¡¯tyousee?It¡¯swilted!Ifit¡¯snottrashthenwhatisit?¡±Juliemocked. ¡°That¡¯sonlywhatyouthink.Inmyeyes,it¡¯sapricelesstreasure.¡±Dustinsmiled. ¡°Pricelesstreasure?Lookslikeyou¡¯renotjustblind,you¡¯rebrain¨Cdead!Youthinkapieceoftrashisapricelesstreasure!Ican¡¯tbelievethosewordsjustcameoutofyourmouth!¡±Juliestarteughing uncontrobly. ¡°Howdumbandcluelesscanyoube!¡±Jamespursedhislips. ¡°HaveyouguysthoughtaboutwhythisLuminianthRootwilted?¡±Dustinsaidwithasmirk. ¡°What?¡± Everyonewasshocked. ¡°Why?¡± Ruthwascurious. Dustin smiled.Insteadofreplying,hetooktheLuminianthRootinhishandandmmeditontotheground. Withaloud¡°Thunk!¡°,theLuminianthRootshatteredtopieces. ¡°Dustin!Haveyoulostyourmind?!¡±Ruthwasshockedtothecore. Dustinjustshatteredthethingthattheyboughtforfivemilliondors! ¡°Hashereallylosthismind?¡±Shewondered,clearlyindisbelief. ¡°Evenifyou¡¯rerich,youshouldn¡¯ttrashlikethat!¡±Shethought. ¡°He¡¯sbrain¨Cdeadafterall!¡±Jullughedlouder. Chapter 125 ¡°You¡¯re hopeless.¡± James thought he was looking at an idiot. ¡°What on earth are you up to?¡± Dahlia also frowned at the scene. She really could not understand his outrageous behavior. Ignoring the crowd¡¯s gazes, Dustin reached down to the shattered Luminianth Root and started to search for something. Soon, a crimson red, finger¨Csized Luminianth Root appeared. This small and delicate Luminianth Root was red as blood. It was even emanating an odd smell. One could tell that it was no ordinary item. ¡°That¡¯s odd, how could there be a smaller Luminianth Root?¡± Ruth was confused. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is it possible for Luminianth Root to give birth?¡± At that moment, Mr. Walter seemed to realize something and eximed. ¡°No¨Cno way! Could it be¡ª that¡¯s a Blood Luminianth Root?!¡± Everyone in the room went wild at his statement. ¡°What? Blood Luminianth Root? Mr. Walter, you¡¯re not kidding, are you?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve seen it in a book, this is truly a Blood Luminianth Root!¡± ¡°Oh my God! I can¡¯t believe that I get to see a Blood Luminianth Root with my own eyes! How exciting!¡± The crowd broke into a discussion. Some were surprised, others were envious. ¡°Wait! What¡¯s a Blood Luminianth Root?¡± Ruth looked around, not understanding what was going on. ¡°Blood Luminianth Root is also one of the Luminianth Root variants. However, it is more precious and rarer than a normal Luminianth Root! You could say that it¡¯s the King of Luminianth Roots! It is an invaluable treasure!¡± Mr. Walter gulped, looking ted. ¡°Invaluable treasure? Then how much would it cost?¡± Ruth asked out of curiosity. ¡°Blood Lurninianth Root is extremely valuable. If I were to auction it, it would cost more than ten billion dors!¡± The words from Mr. Walter¡¯s mouth shocked everyone in the room. ¡°What? Ten billion?!¡± Everyone could not believe what he just said. This was an amount that none of them could afford even if they had sold all their possessions! ¡°How¨Chow could it be? This tiny thing is worth ten billion dors?¡± Florence¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Ten billion is just the reserve price. If it were really to be auctioned, it might even be higher!¡± Mr. Walter eximed. His words drained thest bit of color from Florence¡¯s face. This Blood Luminianth Root was hers. Yet, she sold it out for five million dors. From ten billion to five million. dors¡­ The difference was just too big! ¡°How could this happen? No! This can¡¯t be!¡± At that moment, Julie and the rest were in shock, unable to ept the situation. Who would¡¯ve thought that a Blood Luminianth Root could be found inside a wilted Luminianth Root? ¡°Dustin, my man! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so lucky! You managed to discover a Blood Luminianth Root. These five million dors were well spent!¡± Ruth burst outughing. Even for someone like her, she had never seen anything that was worth ten billion dors. ¡°You! Thanks for your sacrifice, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get our hands on such a valuable treasure. To be fair, this was supposed to be yours. What a shame, you guys weren¡¯t able to recognize the value of it. Thanks to your losses, we¡¯re able to get it for such a cheap price! Ten billion dors! How wonderful!¡± Ruth shook her head and sighed. Her words pierced into their hearts. Julie and Florence turned red in anger, looking as if they had fallen into a pool of mud. That was a treasure worth ten billion dors! Because of a small mistake, they gave it away to them. They were really down on their luck! Chapter 126 ¡°This fellow really hit the jackpot! I can¡¯t believe he really found a Blood Luminianth Root!¡± ¡°I know right? With a treasure like that, he won¡¯t have to worry for the rest of his life!¡± ¡°Damn it! If I knew there was a treasure hiding in that piece of wood, I would¡¯ve bought it myself!¡± With the Blood Luminianth Root¡¯s debut, the onlookers immediately started talking. All of them looked at Dustin with a gaze full of envy. ¡°Fuck! This guy really struck gold!¡± James clenched his teeth, eyes filled with rage. ¡°That¡¯s odd, how did he know that there was a treasure hiding inside? Dahlia was more puzzled than shocked. Everyone had no clue, even Mr. Walter. And yet, Dustin managed to notice. ¡°Is it really luck? Or was there another reason?¡± She wondered. ¡°Dustin, we really won big this time! But, how did you guess that a Blood Luminianth Root was hiding in there?¡± Ruth asked the question that was on everyone¡¯s minds. ¡°To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure as well. It was purely a guess.¡± Dustin said humbly. ¡°A guess? You¡¯re saying that you had no idea there was a Blood Luminianth Root inside? And you still used five million dors to gamble?¡± Ruth was a little stunned. ¡°You can put it that way.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°I really don¡¯t know whether to call you stupid or lucky.¡± Ruth gave him an incredulous look. ¡°I admit that it was indeed a big gamble, but my bet was right. When something goes wrong, there is usually a good reason behind it. There must be a reason for a long¨Cliving Luminianth Root to wilt. I read about something simr from a book before.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re a genius! You really enlightened me today!¡± Ruth gave him a thumbs up. Her respect for him immediately grew tenfold. ¡°Wait! This Blood Luminianth Root is mine!¡± Florence suddenly eximed. She reached out to snatch the root but luckily was stopped by Ruth. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not selling it! I¡¯ll return your five million dors. I¡¯m not selling this Blood Luminianth Root anymore!¡± Florence was in a panic. This was worth ten billion dors. How could she give it to someone else so easily? ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re not selling it anymore! Give it back to us!¡± Aftering back to her senses, Julle chimed in. Everyone could not help but frown at their unreasonable behavior. ¡°Oi! Are you guys that shameless? The deal is done. Now you want to back out? No way!¡± Ruth blocked them from the Blood Luminianth Root, her expression fierce. She had never seen such shameless people. They wereughing when they thought they had scammed Dustin. Now that they know they made a loss, they¡¯re using all kinds of methods to get it back. How disgusting! ¡°I don¡¯t care! This Blood Luminianth Root is mine. You must return it to me today!¡± Florence exploded in anger. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It was like a child throwing a tantrum, ¡°Dustin! I¡¯m warning you, you better give us back the Blood Luminianth Root! Otherwise, I won¡¯t hold back on you!¡± Julie red at him with daggers in her eyes. An invaluable treasure like this was enough to make them lose their minds. ¡°You were the ones who sold it voluntarily. We also handed over the money. Now that I discovered a treasure inside, you¡¯re backing out? Do you think we¡¯d really give it back to you?¡± Dustin brushed them off coldly. ¡°Stop the nonsense! If you weren¡¯t so despicable and scammed us our Blood Luminianth Root, did you think we¡¯d sell it to you?¡± Florence roared in anger. ¡°Exactly! You clearly knew there was a Blood Luminianth Root inside. Why didn¡¯t you tell us? You purposely scammed us!¡± Julie said. Hearing this, Dustin could onlyugh. He was looking at two clowns. ¡°First of all, I didn¡¯t know there was a Blood Luminianth Root in there. It was just a guess. Secondly. So what if I know there was a treasure inside? Why do I need to tell you guys? Also, you guys were the ones who harbored bad intentions and tried to scam someone else. Otherwise, why would you sell it to me? So, all in all, you guys brought this upon yourself!¡± Dustin said calmly. Everyone nodded and agreed with what he said. ¡°Well said! This guy earned the treasure fair and square. He earned it with his talent!¡± ¡°When you scammed them, why didn¡¯t you back out then? Now that you know you made a loss, you¡¯re being shameless!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If you were to follow their dumb logic, wouldn¡¯t the Blood Luminianth Root belong to Mr. Walter?¡± The onlookers started to express their disdain. ¡°You¨Cyou all are ganging up on us, aren¡¯t you? You scoundrels, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Florence yelled, ready to strike a hit. ¡°Enough! You¡¯ve made a loss! What¡¯s the point of spilling your guts here? Are you not shameful enough?!¡± Dahlia yelled at Florence. ¡°Dahlia, you¡­¡± Florence was stunned. ¡°What are you standing there for? Go!¡± Dahlia sald angrily, her face contorted in frustration, Lcier ¡°Mom, we¡¯re definitely not getting back the treasure now. Let¡¯s go home and figure out another way.¡± Before the situation turned sour, James hurriedly convinced his mom. His sister rarely gets angry, but once she does, no one will be spared. ¡°Dustin! I¡¯m not done with you!¡± Florence also didn¡¯t dare to act out. After giving Dustin a fierce re, she left the room unwillingly. ¡°Humph! So what if you guys got a Blood Luminianth Root? A guy like you wouldn¡¯t live long enough to use it!¡± Knowing that they lost, Julie left him a curse before leaving. ¡°Bleh, bleh, bleh!¡± Ruth mocked as they left. ¡°Dustin, those who possess treasures will attract the attention of robbers. Having a treasure like this is not an easy job. You should be careful¡± Dahlia¡¯s gaze lingered on him for a few moments before leaving. Because of that, Ruth¡¯s senses were tingling. ¡°Dustin, that gaze of hers was a bit weird. Are you guys still not over each other?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you on about?¡± Dustin rolled his eyes. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t warn you, but you must keep yourself together. Don¡¯t give in to her temptations!¡± Ruth warned with narrowed eyes. She clenched her teeth, showing her two canines that seemed threatening. ¡°Rue, what on earth is going on in that little head of yours? Now that we¡¯ve got the Luminianth Root, let¡¯s head home!¡± Dustin lightly knocked on her head. Chapter 127 The night passed by peacefully. Natasha enjoyed her cup of coffee at Java Joys as she flipped through pages of documents. She looked worn out after staying up the entire night. ¡°Natasha!¡± Just then, Quentin and Mr. Wangley stormed in through the door. ¡°What is it?¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t even be bothered to spare them a nce. She continued to flip through the documents. Bang! A wooden box was rudely mmed on the table. It opened up to reveal a single white pill in it. ¡°Check this out. Natasha. Do you know what it is?¡± Quentin pointed at the pill, and his tone was unmistakably demanding ¡°How would I know? You tell me.¡± She sat upzily. ¡°Hah! You can¡¯t even recognize the Eternumax?¡± Quentin looked unimpressed. ¡°So this is Eternumax. Well, what about it?¡± Natasha asked, not too concerned. ¡°What about it?! You have the gall to ask me what about it? I bought this Eternumax from the Hummers! They¡¯ve managed to manufacture it! Are you aware of that?¡± Quentin raised his voice. ¡°Oh? So what? Isn¡¯t it only a matter of time?¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t be any calmer. ¡°What is this attitude you¡¯re showing? Do you not see the severity of the issue at hand? The Eternumax that the Hummers produced have shown phenomenal results, and many of the rich and powerful have already put in their orders. Its price has sky¨Crocketed, and they¡¯re now worth a whopping 500 grand per pill!¡± Quentin looked exasperated. ¡°Oh? So?¡± Still Natasha was unfazed. ¡°An object is valued in proportion to its rarity. Eternumax is monopolizing the market right now because there are no other medications that canpete with it yet. But once the Hummers start producing it, we will be severely affected!¡± Quentin rapped sharply on the table. ¡°What exactly are you saying?¡± Natasha countered. ¡°You are now left with two choices. You either develop the Eternumax as soon as possible, or you will have to coborate with Edwin Hummer!¡± Quentin announced decisively. ¡°Our research findings on the Eternumax have been stolen. It¡¯s toote to start over from scratch. As for working with Edwin Hummer, that¡¯s impossible.¡± Natasha relused t out. ¡°You disagree with both options. But you don¡¯t have a solution to solve the situation, don¡¯t you? The family puts such importance on you, and this is how you repay us?¡± Quentin questioned aggressively. ¡°I have my way of dealing with it. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Natasha was still undisturbed. ¡°This has to do with the gains of the family. I will not allow you to mess around! If you do note up with a satisfactory solution in three days, do not me me for reporting you to the board!¡± Quentin dered justly. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Natasha shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Fine! Just you wait!¡± Quentin scoffed before he turned to leave. From how he saw it, Natasha was bound to lose this time around. Once she messes up, the family will need a scapegoat to pin the me on, and he would have an excuse to force her to back out. Not long after Quentin left, Ruth came running in. ¡°We did it! We did it!¡± Ruth eximed as she ran in, looking for Natasha with excitement. ¡°Did what?¡± Natasha looked up, bewildered. ¡°The Immortunol! Dustin managed to produce the Immortunol!¡± Ruth pulled out a little bottle as she spoke and poured out a green pill from it. The pill was bright and clear, with a sort of luster to it. It even has a slight fragrance. ¡°Oh? This is Immortunol?¡± Natasha looked astonished. Appearance¨Cwise, the pill looked really attractive, akin to a pearl. ¡°It tastes really good too! Would you like to give it a taste?¡± Ruth gushed, as though showing off a precious treasure. ¡°It tastes good? Do you think this is some kind of snack?¡± Natasha did not know what to make of her sister¡¯sment. But still, she picked up the Immortunol and popped it in. It dissolved instantly, and a cool sensation flowed through her body as she swallowed it. A tingly sensation came over her, and she felt rejuvenated. All of her exhaustion seemed to have dissipated on the spot. She was refreshed and energized right away! ¡°Immortunol is amazing indeed!¡± Natasha could not contain her awe. She was really in disbelief at how it was able to exhibit such palpable effects immediately. ¡°Sis! Your face! You look like you¡¯ve aged backward! Yourplexion looks much brighter tool¡± Ruth cried out in surprise beside her. ¡°What are you bbering about? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Natasha rolled her eyes, obviously not buying what Ruth had just said. ¡°It¡¯s true! Take a look in the mirror if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± She took out apact mirror and passed it to her sister, ¡°What?¡± One look in the mirror was all it took to give Natasha a shock. She found that after ingesting the Immortunol, herplexion had improved. Even the dark circles under her eyes, a result of her staying up the whole night, had disappeared too. Her skin¡¯s texture felt like she had just applied a mask to it, bright and hydrated. ¡°My goodness! This is miraculous!¡± She was in utter disbelief as she touched her face. One Immortunol made her feel so rejuvenated, removed the dark circles under her eyes, and primed up her skin, making her look much more alluring. Its beautifying effects were a game¨Cchanger! ¡°How is it? I wasn¡¯t lying, was I?¡± Ruth looked very pleased with it. She had been busying herself with assisting Dustin ever since they got their hands on the Blood Luminianth Root the day before.. So she yed a part in the production of Immortunol, at least that was what she believed. ¡°It¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it!¡± She was momentarily lost in her thoughts before breaking out into a grin. 1 Frankly speaking, she had not held high hopes for them being able to produce the Immortunol. But Dustin had proved her wrong yet again. He was truly their lucky star! ¡°Sis, Immortunol does not only give superb effects, but its production cost is also much lower than Eternumax. We spent 5 million dors on the Blood Luminianth Root, which Dustin diluted with water, and now, that canst us years!¡± Ruth¡¯s statement was incredible news. ¡°Really? That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Natasha¡¯s spirits were lifted. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Based on what she had just experienced, she was sure that the Immortinol¡¯s effects far surpassed that of the Eternumax. Furthermore, if they could control its production cost, that would be a breakthrough! It would not be an exaggeration to say that once Immortinol was out on the market, it would bring Eternumax down to its knees. ¡°Ruth, we need to keep Immortinol a secret.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Edwin will be having a press release for theunching of Eternumax in a few days. We have to take him by surprise and hit him where it hurts. It¡¯ll give him a huge shock in front of the press!¡± Chapter 128 Over at the Nicholsons¡® that afternoon. ¡°Dahlia, are you going to Miss Hummer¡¯s birthday party this evening? Can you bring me along?¡± James asked Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! excitedly when he saw the invitation on the table. She was, after all, the daughter of Edwin Hummer, the richest man in the country. It would be beneficial to make acquaintances with such a person. ¡°I will be attending the birthday party, but the invitation is limited to two persons only. Julie has already called dibs on it.¡± Dahlia cast a damp over James¡® enthusiasm. ¡°Her?¡± Displeased, James turned to look at Julie, who was on the couch applying makeup to her face. ¡°Dahlia, I¡¯m your brother! How could you bring her, and not me?¡± He grumbled. At that, Julie shot him a re and said condescendingly, ¡°And what can you do there? Everyone attending the party tonight will be people of status and elites. Wouldn¡¯t a high school dropout like you just embarrass yourself showing up there?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean? Do you think that you¡¯re all that great?¡± James was irked. ¡°Better than you, at least.¡± Julie wasn¡¯t one to back off easily. ¡°You!¡± James was just about to burst into a fit of anger when Florence stopped him just in time. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Julie¡¯s our quest, you should y nice. I think it¡¯d be a good opportunity for her to make good connections at the party this evening since she¡¯s fresh out of college. Let her go with Dahlia.¡± ¡°Do you hear that? If I manage to befriend Miss Hummer, I¡¯d be on the highway to sess! When the timees, I¡¯ll make sure you benefit from it too!¡± Julie said with her head held high. ¡°Hah! You? I¡¯d be better off relying on mysel!!¡± James plopped down on the couch, obviously feeling indignant. Ever since Julie came, all the attention had been shifted to her. He felt that he was now out of favor. ¡°Ah, right, Dahlia, I nearly forgot.¡± Florence seemed to recall something as she rummaged around in her bag. In the end, she pulled out an Intricate jewelry box. ¡°This is a present that Matt gifted you two days ago. Since you¡¯re attending the party today, I think you can put this to good use. Have a look.¡± As she spoke, she opened up the jewelry box. There was a pair of ruby earrings in it.. The earrings were exquisite and delicate. They were dazzling under the light¡¯s Illumination. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s spectacr!¡® Julie¡¯s eyes lit up as she scrambled to get up. She pulled the jewelry box over for a better look at the earrings. Aunt Florence, such gorgeous earrings must cost a bomb, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I heard Matt mention that these are Pandarum earrings, and they are custom¨Cmade. This is the only pair in the whole of Swinton. It costs millions, Florence announced proudly. ¡°Is that so? As expected, only the best from Matt!¡± Julie beamed as she picked up one of the earrings and put it on. ¡°Aunt Florence, how does it look on me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a born beauty, Julie. Of course, it looks magnificent on you,¡± Florence answered. ¡°Hehe! Well, thank you then, Aunt Florence!¡± Julie brazenly took the other earring and put it on too. It was evident that she was about to take it as her own. Her actions gave Florence quite a shock. ¡°Julie, this is your cousin¡¯s gift from Matt. It wouldn¡¯t be too nice for you to wear it tonight.¡± Florence chuckled awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me wearing it? I¡¯m just borrowing it for the night, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not going to give it back.¡± Julie snapped bluntly. ¡°But¡± Florence was about to counter what she just said, but Julie cut her off. ¡°Aunt Florence, we¡¯re rtives. You can¡¯t be so petty, can you?¡± ¡°Julie Amberson! These are my sister¡¯s earrings! What rights do you have to wear them?¡± James finally could not take it any longer. She said that she was just borrowing them, but the fact was, she had never once returned the items she borrowed! This was in robbery! ¡°Hey! Why are you shouting at me? Isn¡¯t it just a pair of earrings? Aren¡¯t you just being selfish?¡± Julie mmed her hand on the table aggressively. ¡°I¡¯m selfish? Do you have any idea how greedy you look right now? Do you have no shame?¡± James bellowed. ¡°How dare you scold me? Aunt Florence! Did you hear what James said? I can leave if I¡¯m not wee here!¡± Julie red up. And with that, she turned to leave. But before she could even take her first step, Florence pulled her back. ¡°What are you doing, Julie? Of course, you¡¯re wee here! Aren¡¯t they just a pair of earrings? I¡¯ll lend them to you!¡± ¡°Mom! You-!¡± ¡°Shut it!¡± Florence whipped around and shot him a re. ¡°You¡¯re her older cousin! Why do you keep picking fights with her? Can¡¯t you be more generous?¡± ¡°Fine! Keep siding with her then. See if I care!¡± James was so angry that he stormed out and mmed the door. Dahlia frowned. It wasn¡¯t the earrings that she was concerned about, but Julie¡¯s domineering attitude did not sit well with her. ¡°Dahlia, you do not mind me wearing your earrings, do you?¡± Julie smiled as she touched the earrings gently. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± Dahlia could not be bothered to continue speaking to her. To begin with, she was notfortable with Matt¡¯s gift to her. ¡°Hehe! Thank you, Dahlia.¡± Julie beamed brightly as she continued applying her makeup. That evening at Kingdom Hotel, a ck Mercedes¨CBenz rolled up to the main entrance. The door opened, and Dahlia and Julie got out of the car. Dahlia dressed down for the asion in a ck dress and ck heels. She kept her essories simple too. Julie, on the other hand, went all out and dressed herself up, almost looking like a peacock. She had jewelry from head to toe and looked dazzling under the lights. To further entuate the million¨Cdor pair of ruby earrings, she even did her hair up in a chignon. She was out to be in the limelight. ¡°Wow! What a stunningdy! She looks like a celebrity!¡± ¡°I think she looks even more attractive than any celebrity out there! Her looks and elegance are other¨C worldly.¡± When the both of them got out of the car, a bunch of guests at the entrance turned to look at them. However, most of their attention was on Dahlia. Despite Julie¡¯s showy appearance, she did not receive much attention After all, it was clear that Dahlia was far superior to her in all aspects, from looks to figures. Julie¡¯s extravagant outfit alone was not enough to make up for what shecked. ¡°Hmph!¡± She was not pleased. She had made every preparation she could think of for the birthday party that evening, and she had expected to impress everyone with her beauty. It had never urred to her that Dahlia¡¯s presence would steal all the attention. ¡°These men are so blind! How could a woman who had been married beforepare to me?¡± She thought. Chapter 129 ¡°Dahlia, you can head up first. I¡¯m waiting for a friend here.¡± Julie made up an excuse to send Dahlia away once they entered the hotel lobby. She was well aware that with Dahlia around, she would never get the attention she yearned for. How would she make acquaintances with the rich and famous then? How would she get to know rich, eligible men? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the banquet hall.¡± Without giving it much thought, Dahlia took the elevator up to the banquet hall. With Dahlia gone, Julie quickly became the center of attention. She deliberately walked around the lobby and unted coquettishly, attracting much attention. Some men approached her in an attempt to strike up a conversation, but she rejected them all, ying hard to get. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got such lovely earrings! May I know where you bought them from?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true! I¡¯ve never seen such exquisite carrings before!¡± ¡°These rubies are huge! They must have cost you a lot!¡± Soon, not only the men came up to her, but even thedies flocked over to ask her about the earrings. As usual women could not resist jewelry. ¡°These ruby earrings are from Pandarum. My boyfriend gave them to me. These are uniquely custom¨C made, and they are the only pair out there. As for the price, they were not too expensive. Just a million or two.¡± Julie pretended to be unconcerned about their price and smiled. Though her words sounded humble, arrogance was evident on her face. ¡°A million or two, and you say it¡¯s not expensive? Seems like you¡¯re not the average Tom, Dick, and Harry!¡± ¡°How fortunate you are to have a boyfriend who gives you such precious earrings!¡± ¡°From how I see it, it¡¯s not the price that matters, but the sincerity behind it! It¡¯s custom¨Cmade and unique! That¡¯s so sweet! How I envy you!¡± The group of women chattered away praising Julie. That fueled Julie¡¯s vanity, pleasing her to no end. She really enjoyed being the center of attention and being. praised by others. Right then, a Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom pulled up at the door. The car door opened and out stepped an alluring woman with delicate leatures and long, flowing hair. She came walking in like a celebrity among a group of adoring fans. ¡°Miss Hummer?!¡± Thedy¡¯s appearance garnered a lot of attention and amotion started both inside and outside the lobby. The crowd that had surrounded Julie immediately dispersed and flocked over to Tina, ready to tter her. She was, after all, the star of the day. Edwin Hummer¡¯s daughter, Tina Hummer! Julie had intended to go over and wee her too, but as there were too many people surrounding Tina, she did not do so. She knew that going along with what everyone was doing would not make her stand out, and she needed to stand out to make Miss Hummer notice her. At the thought of that, she intentionally stood at the entrance and tried her best to show off the biggest asset she had on her at the moment, which happened to be the pair of ruby earrings. That was the first step to forming a connection with Miss Hummer. She refused to believe that there was any woman on earth who could resist the temptation of such irresistible jewelry. As Julie predicted, Tina stopped in front of her when she reached the entrance, with the crowd still around her. Her gaze was fixed on Julie. Julie suppressed her excitement and walked up to Tina to introduce herself when she saw that the timing was right. ¡°Hello, Miss Hummer. I am Julie Amberson. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± She stretched her hand out for a handshake. But Tina ignored her outstretched hand and stared unwaveringly at her earrings. ¡°Those ruby earrings, where did you get them from?¡± she asked icily. ¡°My boyfriend gave them to me. These are custom¨Cmade Pandarums, you won¡¯t be able to find a simr pair out there. But of course, Miss Hummer, if you fancy them, I can give them to you.¡± Julie was secretly delighted. ¡°Even the daughter of the wealthiest man can¡¯t resist these earrings,¡± she thought to herself. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Tina¡¯s expression clouded over. ¡°Is it Matt Laney?¡± The reason why she asked was that she had received the exact same pair of ruby earrings from Matt as her birthday gift not too long ago. ¡°Oh! Do you know Matt too, Miss Hummer? In that case, we¡¯re friends too!¡± Julie¡¯s eyes lit up. Who knew that a pair of earrings would be the key to her sess? ¡°Who¡¯s your friend? Bitch!¡± Tina red at Julie and struck her across the face. Smack! A loud, crisp sound was heard. Julie was at a loss as she held her cheek in her hand. ¡°Miss Hummer, wh¨Cwhy did you hit me?¡± ¡°What is your rtionship with Matt Laney? You bettere clean. If you hide anything from me, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t live to see the next sunrise!¡± Tina¡¯s expression made it clear that she meant every word she said. She would not let other women mess with what was hers. ¡°Miss Hummer, I think you¡¯re mistaken. Matt and I are just regr friends, nothing more than that!¡± Julie started to fluster. She did not know what had happened, but it was obvious that she had angered Tina. ¡°Would regr friends give you ruby earrings worth a million dors? Do you think I¡¯m a dim¨Cwit?¡± Furious was an understatement to describe what Tina was feeling at that moment. ¡°It has nothing to do with me, Miss Hummer! These ruby earrings aren¡¯t mine, they¡¯re my cousin Dahlia¡¯s! I only borrowed them for a few days!¡± Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t favorable to her anymore, Julie stopped pretending and came clean with the truth. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson?¡± Tina¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. She remembered that that was a name that Matt had mentioned when he asked for her help concerning the interrogation room. She hadn¡¯t put much thought into it then, but it turns out that there was something fishy going on with the two of them. ¡°That bitch! She seduced my man, and she has the audacity to show up at my birthday party?! Is she trying to provoke me?¡± Tina gritted her teeth as a murderous glint shed in her eyes. ¡°This is all Dahlia Nicholson¡¯s fault, Miss Hummer. I¡¯ve got nothing to do with it. Will you please let me off?¡± Julie was so scared that she broke out in cold sweat. She finally got an idea of what had happened. Tina and Matt were obviously a couple. The main problem was that Tina recognized the pair of earrings. That was no different from her catching Matt and Dahlia together. ¡°Shut up! If you do not have a death wish, then do what I tell you to do!¡± Tina roared. ¡°You name it, Miss Hummer. Whatever you need me to do, I¡¯ll try my best to aplish it!¡± Julie promised Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. wholeheartedly. ¡°Put this into Dahlia¡¯s bag.¡± Tina took a delicate jewelry box and handed it to Julie. ¡°What do you mean, Miss Hummer?¡± Julie could not wrap her head around Tina¡¯s request. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions! Just do as you¡¯ve been told!¡± Tina scolded. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Julie nodded vigorously. She was in no ce to refuse. Chapter 130 Over at the banquet hall, Dahlia was puzzled when she saw Julie panting as she entered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were waiting for a friend, Julie? Where¡¯s your friend?¡± ¡°Something came up and she couldn¡¯t make it.¡± She smiled sheepishly. ¡°Oh, Dahlia, could you lend me yourpact mirror, please? I need to fix my makeup.¡± ¡°I remembered that you¡¯ve brought one yourself,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°Mine¡¯s faulty. I¡¯d prefer to use yours.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Julie took Dahlia¡¯s bag and fished around in it. Dahlia was annoyed by that. She had to admit, her cousin was really a spoiled brat whocked manners. ¡°Thanks, Dahlia.¡± Julie tossed Dahlia¡¯s bag back to her after she managed to get thepact mirror out. Then, she made up some excuse to go to the washroom. Right at that moment, Tina made her entrance, followed by a crowd behind her, creating a ruckus in the banquet hall, In the end, she stopped smack in the middle of the hall. ¡°Quiet down, everyone. I have an announcement to make.¡± Tina raised her hand and gestured for the crowd to calm down. The effect was immediate and the hall fell silent. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday party today, and it was meant to be a happy asion, but something awful has happened!¡± Tina¡¯s gaze swept across the hall before she continued. ¡°A pair of valuable earrings which I have intended to wear for the asion has been stolen. They are a unique pair of custom¨Cmade Pandarum earrings, and they are priceless to me!¡± The crowd was in an uproar when they heard that. ¡°What? Did someone steal Miss Hummer¡¯s earrings? Who has the guts to do that?¡± ¡°We must find out who did it! Such a vile person must never be let off the hook!¡± ¡°Damn it! If I ever find out who stole Miss Hummer¡¯s belongings, I¡¯ll make sure to rearrange his face!¡± The crowd in the hall was all worked up, shouting curses and threats at the thief. On the one hand, they despised the thief, but on the other hand, they were trying to please Tina. ¡°Everyone, please calm down. The fact is, I know who did it.¡± Tina continued. ¡°Who? Where¡¯s the thief among us? Everyone looked around, trying to figure out who the culprit was. Tina smiled mirthlessly and strode over to Dahlia. ¡°She¡¯s the one!¡± Tina pointed a finger at Dahlia. ¡°What?¡± The crowd was collectively taken aback by the usation, If the culprit had been a creep, they would have gone ahead and taught him a lesson. But it turns out that the person whom Tina had used of stealing her belongings was an enchanting beauty. Everyone was at a loss. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the president of Quine Group? Why would she steal?¡± ¡°Exactly! Everyone knows Ms. Nicholson. She wouldn¡¯t stoop so low, would she?¡± ¡°One may know a person for a long time without understanding his true nature. Who knows what vile Intentions thisdy is hiding behind her morous appearance?¡± The men were generally doubtful of Tina¡¯s usation, whereas thedies trusted her fully. ¡°Miss Hummer, there must be some sort of misunderstanding. I have not stolen anything.¡± Dahlia took a moment to regain herposure before denying Tina¡¯s usation. She had never thought that Tina would pin it on her. ¡°A quick search should easily be able to tell us whether or not you did it.¡± A faint smile graced Tina¡¯s features. ¡°Miss Hummer, would it not be inappropriate to conduct a search on a guest whom you¡¯ve invited to your birthday party in front of everyone?¡± Dahlia knew that she was innocent, but that did not mean that she should allow others to do as they please. After all, Tina¡¯s suggestion to go through her belongings was an obvious act of disrespect. ¡°What do you have to fear if you¡¯re not guilty?¡± Tina smirked. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you truly are innocent, what harm would a search do to you?¡± ¡°Hmph! I think that someone¡¯s just feeling guilty!¡± Thedies started to back Tina up. Dahlia¡¯s presence alone was enough to overshadow their radiance, so they were eager to see her get into trouble. ¡°Fine, since Miss Hummer insists on going through my things, then, by all means, go ahead.¡± Dahlia could not be bothered to argue with her, so she handed her bag over. Her conscience was clear, and she did not want to cause a scene, so she might as well let them go through her bag to prove her innocence. Tina did not say anything and simply gestured for her bodyguards to search Dahlia¡¯s bag. Soon, the bodyguards fished out a delicate jewelry box from the bag. The jewelry box even had Tina¡¯s name carved on it. ¡°Miss Hummer, here it is!¡± The bodyguard handed the jewelry box over to her. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, do you see this?¡± Tina raised the jewelry box and took out the pair of magnificent ruby earrings in it, disying them to the crowd. ¡°This! this is evidence!¡± The moment the pair of ruby earrings were produced, it brought about a whoosh of uproar throughout the entire hall. Eyes widened as shock came over everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°No way! Would the president of Quine Group do such a thing?¡± ¡°Hah! And I thought that she would be above that! Who would¡¯ve guessed that she was so materialistic!¡± ¡°I thought that such a beautiful person would know to conduct hersell better than this! Of all things to do, why would she go and steal from others? That¡¯s terrible!¡± At that moment, the winds of opinionpletely shifted. With irrefutable evidence staring them in the face, everyone chose to believe Tina. ¡°No! That¡¯s not possible!! Dahlia¡¯s expression changed as she shook her head vigorously. ¡°Why is this in my bag? I¡¯ve never even touched it!¡± ¡°You bitch!¡± Infuriated. Tina pped Dahlia. Smack! Five red streaks immediately bloomed on Dahlia¡¯s cheek. ¡°Miss Hummer, I did not steal them! Someone must have set me up!¡± Dahlia fought to exin. ¡°How dare you deny it when we have concrete evidence? Seems like you¡¯re one to give up only at the sight of the gallows!¡± Without saying any more, Tina gave her two more ps. She truly wasn¡¯t going easy on her. Dahlia¡¯s face swelled up and her hair was a mess. ¡°I did not steal!¡± She clenched her jaws, an unyielding look in her eyes. ¡°If I said you stole it, that means you did!¡± Tina scoffed. ¡°Guards! Hold her down! I¡¯m going to teach her a lesson today!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Hummer!¡± Two of her bodyguards went up to Dahlia and restrained her. They held her arms behind her back and brought Original from N?velDrama.Org. her down to her knees so that she was kneeling. ¡°You slut! How dare you seduce my man? Have you got a death wish?¡± Tina grabbed hold of Dahlia¡¯s hair, a wicked look on her face. ¡°It was you? You were the one who framed me?¡± Dahlia was stunned for a moment before it struck her. She had been Tina¡¯s target from the get¨Cgo! ¡°Hah! Guess you¡¯re not such a thickhead after all.¡± Tina let out a lowugh. ¡°But so what if you know? No one can help you now. I can deal with you however I want to.¡± With that, she picked up a bottle of red wine and stuffed the neck of the bottle into Dahlia¡¯s mouth. The red fluid gushed into Dahlia¡¯s mouth, and Dahlia choked on it, coughing unstoppably. Her face was flushed red. She felt lightheaded and it was horrible. ¡°Down it! I said, down it!¡± Tina¡¯s expression was nothing short of maniacal. Chapter 131 ¡°You whore! How dare you seduce my boyfriend? I¡¯ll make your life a living hell! Tina kept forcing the wine on Dahlia, humiliating her before the crowd. She was rough and ruthless. By the time the bottle of wine was emptied, Dahlia had slumped to the ground helplessly. Even then, Tina did not stop. She grabbed a fistful of Dahlia¡¯s hair and pulled her head up. Then, a torrent of ps rained down on Dahlia, each one harder than the one before. ¡°You slut! You whore! How dare you mess with my boyfriend? How dare you?¡± Tina shouted as she roughed Dahlia up, almost in a frenzy. When Tina finally stopped, Dahlia¡¯s face was swollen and blotched, with streaks of blooding out the ¡°Why? Why?¡± Dahlia asked breathlessly, trying to regain her bearings. ¡°You have the audacity to ask why? Are you unaware of what you have done, you bitch!¡± Tina reached for Dahlia¡¯s hair again and mmed her head hard to the ground. Blood gushed out immediately. A mixture of blood and wine dripped down Dahlia¡¯s face. The sight of Dahlia lying on the ground and unable to get up did not garner any sympathy from Tina, in fact; it seemed to excite her. She raised her leg and stomped hard on Dahlia¡¯s linger. ¡°Ah!¡± Dahlia could finally hold in no longer, and a shriek escaped her. A piercing pain overtook her senses. ¡°You shameless tramp! You like flirting around with other men, don¡¯t you? I¡¯d like to see if you¡¯d ever seduce my boyfriend again!¡± A crazed smile crept up on Tina¡¯s face as she repeatedly stepped on Dahlia¡¯s hand with her stilettos. Each time, it struck with greater brutality and ferocity. In no time, both of Dahlia¡¯s hands were a mess of flesh and blood. It was a terrifying sight. ¡°Ahh!¡± Dahlia¡¯s face turned lifeless from the agonizing pain, and she trembled uncontrobly. Even the strongest of men would not be able to endure it after such merciless torture, much less a woman like Dahlia. Most of the crowd felt sorry for her when they saw the state she was in. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Surely an act of theft did not warrant such cold¨Cblooded torture? It was too cruel! ¡°Dahlia, you can¡¯t me me for this. You¡¯ve only got yoursell to me for messing with Ms. Hummer¡¯s boyfriend and offending her.¡± In a corner, Julie trembled like a leaf. She did not think that Tina would be so unforgiving. She just came short of torturing Dahlia to her gravel ¡°Ms. Hummer, she¡¯s out cold.¡± A bodyguard told Tina, Dahlia had already passed out from the abuse. She had multiple fractures on her fingers, and her entire palm was bloody. It was a ghastly scene. ¡°She¡¯s down so soon? What a bore.¡± Tina looked down at Dahlia like she was not done with her yet. She lifted her leg and wiped the blood off her heels on Dahlia¡¯s clothes. Then, with a nonchnt wave of her hand, she said, ¡°Throw her out. I¡¯ll y with her next time.¡± Had it not been for her birthday party that night, she would make sure that she had her fun with her. After Dahlia was thrown out, Julie, who knew that she was guilty, dared not dally any longer. She sent Dahlia to the hospital immediately. The medical staff in the emergency ward were all shocked by Dahlia¡¯s state when she was sent in. She was a gruesome sight to behold, all covered in blood. The greatest issue was that it was an obvious case of assault, not an ident. So the question was, who would be so brutal to torture a woman until she was in such a miserable state? ¡°Where is the patient¡¯s next of kin?¡± A doctor asked. ¡°There was anotherdy here with her earlier on, I don¡¯t know where she went.¡± A nurse looked around, searching for Julie. ¡°Check the patient¡¯s bag to see if there¡¯s a phone in there. Contact her family right away.¡± ¡°Okay, sure.¡± The nurse went through Dahlia¡¯s bag and quickly found her phone and unlocked it with Dahlia¡¯s fingerprint. She called the contact which was set as ¡°Husband¡°. Over at Peaceful Medical Centre, a phone rang. Dustin, who was in the process of producing Immortunol, pulled his phone out and frowned. He picked up the call. ¡°Hello, is anything the maller?¡± ¡°Hello? Are you a farmily member of the owner of this phone? I¡¯m calling from the emergency ward of East Swinton Hospital. You need toe here as soon as possible. The patient¡¯s in bad shape.¡± ¡°She¡¯s hurt? What happened?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows knitted even tighter together. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. Come quick.¡± Dustin fell silent. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he rushed over to Fast Swinton Hospital after hanging up the call. When he stepped into the emergency ward to lind Dahlia lying unconscious on the hospital bed, his expression clouded over. Her face was swollen, blood came out from her mouth, and her forehead had suffered a strong impact. Worst of all was her fingers, which were broken from being stepped on. They were a bloody mess that he could hardly bear the sight of It was not difficult to imagine the pain she had been through before she lost consciousness. ¡°You¡¯re her husband, aren¡¯t you? What have you been up to? How could you let your wife be tortured sol terribly? That¡¯s very irresponsible of you!¡± The head nurseined, feeling sorry for Dahlia. ¡°How is she?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°The patient is not in critical danger currently, but her wounds will take quite a while to heal. Her hands, especially, have multipleminuted fractures. There is a possibility that they may never fully recover,¡± The head nurse cautioned him. ¡°Who did this?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression was terrifyingly cold and emotionless. ¡°How would I know? You¡¯re her husband, and you have no idea who did it?¡± The head nurse scowled. Dustin held his silence. Suddenly, his gaze shot over to the door. There was a suspicious person craning by the door in an attempt to peek at them. He dashed over and grabbed the person. ¡°Hey, Rhys! What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Julie cried out in dismay. ¡°Who did this to Dahlia? Tell me Dustin demanded furiously. ¡°I¨CHow would I know?¡± Julie stuttered. The very next next second, she was lifted off the ground by a hand that found its way around her throat. She suffocated, and her struggles to catch her breath proved futile. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Who did it?¡± There was a fierce glint in Dustin¡¯s eyes, and a chilling hostility emanated from him. A bone¨Cpiercing coldness instantly enveloped the entire ward. ¡°It¨CIt was Edwin Hummer¡¯s daughter, Tina Hummer who did it Flustered, Julle blurted out the truth. She had never seen such a frightening side to Dustin. His gaze was akin to that of the Devil, giving chills to whoever met it. Julie began to tremble. ¡°Watch over her.¡± Once Dustin got the answer he wanted, he left without another word. A fiery anger burned in his chest. Chapter 132 The sky started to rain. At that moment, the atmosphere at the party in Emperor Hotel was lively as usual. Themotion earlier clearly had not affected the party. Tina looked like a princess, surrounded by people. Everyone approached her to leave a good impression. Yet, most of the people did not interest her. Only a few distinguished guests were worthy of chatting with her. ¡°Miss, Mr. Williams and Mr. Chapman are here.¡± One of the butlers came up to her and reported. Tina turned around and saw two fine¨Clooking men who were standing quietly at the entrance of the party. One of them was Oliver from Boulderthorn! The other was Oliver¡¯s senior, Troy Chapman. Behind the two of them were two bodyguards. ¡°Mr. Williams. Mr. Chapman. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Tina immediately gave them a warm wee with a Original from N?velDrama.Org. smile. ¡°Happy birthday, Ms. Hummer.¡± Oliver and Troy presented their gifts respectively. ¡°Oh, please. It is my honor to have you both as my guests. There¡¯s no need for presents. Tina grinned. ¡°It is only proper to reciprocate Joshua¡¯s kindness. After all, he has always treated us well. A small token of appreciation is nothing.¡± Oliver smiled. Had theye from an ordinary rich family, she wouldn¡¯t have given them a second nce. However, Tina¡¯s brother, Joshua, was a disciple of Boulderthorn. He was their senior. And so, it was necessary for her to attend to them. ¡°Oh right, why is my brother not here today?¡± Tina asked. ¡°Joshua is on a retreat at the moment. He¡¯s unable to leave, so he sent us here to meet you.¡± Oliver exined. ¡°I see Tina nodded and extended her hand. ¡°Please have a seat, let me know if there¡¯s anything you need.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Ms. Hummer.¡± Oliver gave a slight nod before sitting down alongside Troy. Because of Tina¡¯s warm attitude, the surrounding guests¡® attention gathered around the two men. ¡°Who are they? Why did Tina personally wee them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They seem unfamiliar, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re from Swinton.¡± ¡°Then, perhaps they are someone important from Millsburg?¡± The sound of whispers rippled through the crowd as curiosity overlook them. As the evening wore on, more guests arrived at the party, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. At that moment, a ck silhouette approached the entrance of the Emperor Hotel with an umbre in hand. After reaching the gate, he was stopped by two guards. ¡°Stop right there! Today is Ms. Hummer¡¯s birthday. Only those who received an invitation are allowed to enter!¡± ¡°Step aside!¡± Dustin did not want to waste another second and immediately headed inside. ¡°Scoundrel! You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡± The two guards immediately gripped Dustin¡¯s shoulder. The instant the two of them made contact with him, they were hurled backward with a force that sent them tumbling through the air, their cries of pain echoing through the night. ¡°Quick! Inform Sir Zims!¡± One of the guards immediately took out his phone and called for backup. When he turned back, Dustin had already walked past the gates. After a short ride in the lift, he walked inside the ballroom. As he looked at the lively crowd, Dustin took a deep breath before shouting, ¡°Which one of you is Tina Hummer?!¡± His voice wasn¡¯t piercing, yet it echoed across the room. The lively crowd instantly went silent. Everyone turned towards him with displeasing looks. ¡°Who dared to call Ms. Hummer by her name?!¡± Everyone wondered. ¡°Hm? Who¡¯s calling me?¡± Tina stood up slowly with a displeased look in her eyes. Dustin silently walked forward as everyone stared down at him. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Dahlia¡¯s ex¨Chusband? Why is he here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s probably here to apologize. After all, stealing from Ms. Hummer is not a small matter.¡± ¡°He¡¯s apologizing after his woman got beaten up? How shameful!¡± People all around the room began to murmur amongst themselves as they pointed at the man. They were mostly mocking him. ¡°What? Are you here to apologize for that bitch? Tina¡¯s eyes scanned the man from head to toe, her lips curling into a sinister smile as she sized him up. ¡°If you¡¯re really interested in helping your friend, you might want to start by getting down on your knees. And who knows, if I¡¯m pleased, maybe I¡¯ll consider letting her off the hook.¡± ¡°So, you were the one who caused Dahlia¡¯s injuries?¡± Dustin slowly approached her. Secondster, he stood in front of her. ¡°So what if I was the one who caused her injuries? That bitch didn¡¯t know her limits. A slut like her deserved a beating!¡± Tinaughed coldly. ¡°And let me tell you, this matter is far from over. Today was just a little warning. In the future, I¡¯ll pay it back bit by bit! I will be her nightmare for the rest of her lifel As soon as the words left Tina¡¯s lips, a sudden, sharp sound echoed through the room. ¡°Smack!¡± Tina was sent flying across the room. Her body flipped through the air, twisting and turning in a blur of motion, before finally crashing down onto the ground with a sickening thud. In an instant, blood started oozing from her nose, and her teeth scattered around the ce. The entire room was stunned at the scene. Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground in disbelief. No one would¡¯ve thought that Dustin would hit her. Moreover, he pped her in front of such a crowd. Everyone knew that she was Edwin Hummer¡¯s daughter! She was the belle of the ball in all of Swinton! ¡°Had he lost his mind?! How dare hey a finger on Miss Hummer? Does he not treasure his life?!¡± Everyone thought. ¡°You¨CYou dare to hit me?¡± Tina held her burning cheek and stood up as her legs wobbled beneath her. Her face was filled with shock and confusion. Ever since she was a child, no one dared to disrespect her. Let alone p her. She didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Smack!¡± Without wasting another second, he pped her once again with all his might. As blood spurted from her mouth, her once¨Cpretty face now disfigured, her teeth shattered and her features swollen and reddened, the sight was both shocking and distressing. Her hair was inplete disarray, leaving a chaotic mess in its wake. ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay ten times the pain that you inflicted on Dahlia!¡± Dustin roared out. His words and actions were impulsive and reckless. ¡°Boom!¡± In a split second, the party was in shambles. One could say that the first p was done out of impulse. A second p was already humiliating and provoking her. But who in the right mind would want to provoke the Hummers?! Chapter 133 ¡°He dared to hit Ms. Hummer? He must be asking for death!¡± ¡°He¡¯s out of his mind! He¡¯s definitely gone insane!¡± ¡°He struck Ms. Hummer in front of such a crowd! Not even the Gods could spare him now!¡± Because of Dustin¡¯s actions, the whole room went into chaos. Some were shocked, not knowing how to react. Others were impressed, while the rest were in disbelief. For all their lives, they¡¯d believed that only a person like Tina Hummer could bully others. They could never even imagine someone who would strike back! ¡°Kill him! Kill him now!¡± When Tina stood up again, she was in a frenzy. Her face contorted with terrifying rage. ¡°Kill! Him!¡± The guards in the area finally returned to their senses and charged toward him with a baton. Dustin was unfazed. He moved at the speed of light, defcating each guard with a single punch, sending them flying across the room in all directions. He glided through the entire fight effortlessly, not a single hint of struggle showing on his face. The sight of the guards writhing on the ground in agony left everyone stunned. It was worth noting that these were Hummer¡¯s elite bodyguards, each capable of taking down five men with ease. And yet a single punch from Dustin was all it took to bring down all of these elite bodyguards. It was indeed surprising. ¡°Guards! Bring me more guards!¡± One of the bodyguards quickly reached for his walkie¨Ctalkie and called for backup. Dustin remained unfazed and continued to advance, step by step. ¡°Stop him! Quick, stop him!¡± Tina was frantic as she stumbled backward. A few onlockers had the urge to y hero and rescue Tina, but one stern look from Dustin was enough to leave them frozen in shock, unable to make a move. ¡°You bastard! How dare youy a hand on me? Do you have any idea who I am? I am Edwin Hummer¡¯s daughter! If you don¡¯t want to meet an ugly end, then bow down and apologize to me right now!¡± Tina¡¯s voice trembled with fear, despite the brave front she put on. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. She mentioned her own family background as a means of defense, hoping that he would know better and back down. Her threat fell on deaf ears as she was met with another heavy p in response, In a split second, her head was spinning as blood spilled from her mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t need to mention that. Even If you¡¯re dad is here, I¡¯ll still p you! Dustin said with a cold expression as he grabbed Tina by her hair and pped her even harder. Each pnded with a heavy sound ringing across the room. ¡°Smack, smack, smack, smack!¡± After a few ps, Tina¡¯s face was left disfigured. Her nose and lips were tangled up. It was a gory scene to behold. All the guests w were stunned and frozen in shock at the sight before them. Every single one of them had their jaws drop to the ground. This was just crazy! It wasn¡¯t just about hitting her face. He was disrespecting the Hummers! He was ying with fire and risking his life! ¡°Stop!¡± Suddenly, a loud angry yell reverberated across the room. In the next moment, Oliver and Troy emerged from the crowd. Upon seeing the blood on Tina¡¯s face, both of them became furious in an instant. ¡°Who dares to make a ruckus at Tina¡¯s party?!¡± Oliver bellowed in an intimidating voice. ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin turned around and immediately recognized the familiar faces. ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± Oliver was taken aback at first, but his surprise quickly gave way to a wave of seething anger. ¡°What a coincidence! I¡¯ve been searching for you everywhere. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d show up here!¡± ¡°Oliver, you know this guy?¡± Troy was curious. ¡°Troy, this was the guy who punched me two days ago,¡± Oliver said with gritted teeth. Chapter 134 ¡°You dare to hit someone from Boulderthorn? You must be tired of living!¡± Troy¡¯s gaze immediately turned cold and unfriendly. Troy and Oliver were as close as brothers, and any harm inflicted upon one was seen as an affront to the other. ¡°Save me! Save me!¡± Tina¡¯s eyes lit up with hope at the sight of Oliver and Troy, and she suddenly regained some of her energy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Hummer. With me and Oliver here, this guy won¡¯t be able to harm you!¡± Troy assured confidently. As soon as he finished speaking, Dustin delivered another brutal p, causing Tina to be flung across the table. Without a second of hesitation, he immediately proved him wrong. ¡°You-!¡± Oliver was furious. He was caught off guard by Dustin¡¯s unpredictable actions, causing a slight dy in his response. ¡°You bastard! You¡¯re dead meat! Your entire family will be dead! These two are the best fighters in Boulderthorn. You¡¯re just a piece of trash in front of them! I¡¯ll let them break all of your limbs before torturing you myself!¡± Tina sneered, her face contorted with a lust for vengeance as she stood up shakily. ¡°Boulderthorn?!¡± Hearing the name, everyone broke into whispers once again. Everyone was familiar with the name. Boulderthorn was one of the top two guilds in the entire South City. The disciples of Boulderthorn were renowned for their incredible strength and skill, able to move mountains with just a small kick. But the top disciples were on another level altogether, possessing an unparalleled level of prowess and finesse. One of them was enough to wipe out an entire room. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that people from Boulderthorn are here? Looks like this fellow is really dead meat.¡± ¡°Well deserved! Whoever dares to make a ruckus here would have to pay the ultimate price!¡± ¡°Kid, if I were you, I¡¯d be on my knees begging for forgiveness. If you¡¯re lucky enough, you¡¯d get a chance to live.¡± The crowd erupted into a frenzied discussion, with people whispering and shouting their opinions on the unfolding scene. From their perspective, Dustin is indeed skilled in lighting. However, in front of the top disciples from Boulderthorn, he wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance! ¡°So what if you¡¯re from Boulderthom? No one can stop me from doing what I want to dol¡± Dustin replied coldly, without a hint of fear. ¡°Bastard! You¡¯re crazy! If I hadn¡¯t gone easy on youst time, do you think you could get away without a scratch?¡± Oliver was furious. ¡°Oliver, let me handle it.¡± Troy approached Dustin with a darkened face, but before he could take any action, Oliver stopped him with a hand. ¡°Wait, do we really need to do this? This guy isn¡¯t even from a guild. If we identally kill him, won¡¯t people start spreading rumors about Boulderthorn bullying others?¡± As he spoke, he signaled the two bodyguards behind them. ¡°Anna, Emma, get rid of that punk! Don¡¯t hold back!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The two women immediately pulled out their swords. Two days earlier, they weren¡¯t prepared, so they were defeated by Dustin. But today, they would not let the same mistake happen again. ¡°Mr. Williams! That bastard¡¯s not an easy target. Aren¡¯t you underestimating him too much by sending the two of them against him?¡± Tina was suspicious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms.Hummer. The two of them are very skilled. They were trained by my father. Defeating him is nothing for them!¡± Oliver said confidently. To be honest, both of them were even more skilled than he was. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Alright! Then I¡¯m counting on you to get my revenge!¡± Tina said with an evil smirk. ¡°No problem!¡± As soon as Oliver gave a signal, the two women sprung into action, one nking Dustin on the left and the other on the right, both bearing down on him with fierce determination. ¡°Zoom!¡± As the women closed in on him, their swords shimmered with deadly precision, a testament to their impressive skill and training. Right when everyone thought Dustin was about to meet his end. With a loud ¡°ng!¡°, the two swords were shattered into pieces. The impact was so sudden and powerful that the two women were sent hurtling through the air as if struck by a car, flying across the room. Before hitting the ground, a spray of blood erupted from the women¡¯s mouths, painting the air crimson, as they copsed into unconsciousness. Chapter 135 ¡°Holy Shit! What just happened?¡± The crowd was once again in awe upon seeing the broken swords and the two womenying on the floor. They originally thought that Dustin was out of luck, but no one expected that after that face¨Coff, the Boulderthorn girls would be the ones who faced defeat. This oue shocked everyone in the room. ¡°This kid was not all talk?¡± Oliver¡¯s eye twitched, his face full of shock. The previous time, he could argue and say that they weren¡¯t prepared for the attack. But this time, it was proven that there was a skill disparity. ¡°So you do have some tricks up your sleeves. No wonder you dared to cause trouble here.¡± Troy narrowed his eyes as his lips curled into a yful smile. Although Anna and Emma were no match for Troy¡¯s skills, they were certainly enough to defeat a normal fighter. For Dustin to have defeated them so easily spoke volumes about his abilities, even if it wasn¡¯t much for Troy. ¡°Mr. Williams! Didn¡¯t you say that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem?¡± Tina eximed. Her disfigured face made her look like a malicious demon. ¡°Just a bit of miscalction. But no worries, this fellow wouldn¡¯t be able to do much with me and Troy here!¡± Oliverughed awkwardly and exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Hummer. I will avenge you!¡± Troy stepped forward and stared into Dustin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I admit, you do have some skills. But too bad you¡¯re facing me today! I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Kneel down and beg for mercy right now, and I might spare your life.¡± ¡°Punk! Did you hear that? Hurry up and kneel! Otherwise, you¡¯ll be obliterated by Troy!¡± Oliver added. ¡°Really? Give me all you¡¯ve got.¡± Dustin answered calmly to their taunts. ¡°Bastard! You really can¡¯t catch a hint! Don¡¯t you know who Troy is? He¡¯s the Lightning Fist of Boulderthorn, who¡¯s never fallen in battle!¡± Oliver bragged confidently. After hearing those words, the crowd went wild. ¡°What? Is he really the Lightning Fist, Troy Chapman?!¡± ¡°Oh my God! I can¡¯t believe even the Lightning Fist is here, this is gelling Interesting!¡± ¡°What¡¯s Lightning Fist? Is he great?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not only one of the elites in Boulderthorn, He¡¯s at the top of the board! He could take on a hundred men at once. What do you think, Isn¡¯t he great?¡± ¡°There are only a few people in Swinton who can match the Lightning Fist¡¯s skills. Looks like this kid is meeting his end!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. After learning Troy¡¯s true identity, the crowd began praising him. The spectators had anticipated an ordinary light, but it was not until a top fighter like him emerged that they realized the true potential of the bout. Troy¡¯s chin lifted with a newfound arrogance as he basked in the adtion of the crowd. He really enjoyed the feeling of being admired. ¡°Punk! Weren¡¯t you so confident just now? Why are you silent now? Are you scared?¡± Oliver mocked. Though his abilities may not have stood out as much, his senior, Troy, was undoubtedly a top¨Cnotch fighter. He had been training all his life and was already a master at honing his energy. His ability was second best to the grand master himself, No one in Swinton could faze him. ¡°What¡¯s a Lightning Fist? I¡¯ve never even heard of it.¡± Dustin remained unbothered. These words once again drove the crowd wild. ¡°My goodness! Does he not treasure his life? He dared insult Lightning Fist¡¯s name!¡± ¡°He¡¯s clearly unaware of his limits! He can¡¯t evenprehend how strong Lightning Fist is!¡± ¡°What a reckless idiot! Thinking he knows everything! Let¡¯s see how he faces deathter!¡± All eyes were fixed on Dustin, who seemed to have earned the scorn and contempt of the crowd. ¡°Punk! You¡¯ll face the consequences for the words that just left your mouth!¡± Troy¡¯s expression turned cold. He was still acting recklessly even after learning his true identity. How foolish of him! ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. You better leave now or I won¡¯t hold back on you!¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes were burning with rage as he stared Tina down. The other people in the room were not even worthy of Dustin¡¯s attention, as he remained solely focused on Tina. ¡°Mr. Chapman! Kill him!¡± When Tina met Dustin¡¯s gaze, she was frightened to death. She could feel a chill run down her spine. At the moment, she only hoped that he could get rid of that crazy bastard as soon as possible. ¡°Punk! Since you want to die so badly, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish!¡± Troy flexed his muscles as he let out a yell, causing his shirt to rip apart, revealing his chiseled physique. Thebination of his impressive muscles and his shy, swift movement caused a group ofdies to swoon in admiration. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s like to be a Lightning Fist!¡± Troy closed the distance between himself and Dustin with a small, swift movement before leaping into the air and extending his arms like a hawk, ready to strike. ¡°How majestic! How astonishing!¡± The crowd thought. ¡°Die!¡± Troy spun around, his head aimed towards the ground, and struck Dustin¡¯s head with a powerful punch. The spectators were impressed as they watched Troy¡¯s impressive pose. ¡°How handsome!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so majestic!¡± ¡°Ms. Hummer, did you see that? That¡¯s Troy¡¯s signature move, the Lightning Fist! One punch would be able to break mountains!¡± Oliver exined proudly. ¡°It would be best if he could kill him with one p!¡± Tina said with a sardonic smile. ¡°One punch is definitely enough to kill him!¡± ¡°This fellow should be proud to die in Lightning Fist¡¯s hands!¡± The guests shook their heads, convinced that Dustin¡¯s fate was sealed. After all he was facing a full¨Cblown punch from the Lightning Fist himsell. In Swinton, how many people would be able to stop this kind of punch? ¡°You¡¯re just all show!¡± Dustin¡¯s voice was cold and unwavering as he stood his ground. Without hesitation, he retaliated with a punch that caught Troy off guard. ¡°Boom!¡± Their fists collided with a loud bang. Dustin had not moved an inch, but the ground beneath him had shattered. Troy, on the other hand, let out a pained cry as his fist erupted into a trace of blood. He was sent flying across the room at lightning speed,nding heavily against the wall as blood spurted from his mouth. Before Troy could even react, Dustin was already in front of him, delivering another punch. His moves weren¡¯t as shy, but they were deadly. ¡°Please spare me!¡± All the color drained from Troy¡¯s face as he screamed in horror. With a loud ¡°Thud¡°, he kneeled on the ground. Chapter 136 ¡°Whoosh!¡± Troy felt a strong gust of wind hit his face, causing his features to contort in pain as he could feel his bone bing dislocated. His eyes were fixed on Dustin¡¯s fist, which stopped right in front of his chest. Although it was still a few inches away, the intimidating force still caused him to tremble in fear. ¡°rgh!¡± Blood spurted from his mouth. With just the sheer force of his Fist Energy, Dustin had the power to dislocate the bones in Troy¡¯s body. The thought of what would have happened if his fists had actuallynded on him was almost too terrifying to contemte. He was lucky that he had kneeled in time. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve been out cold! ¡°Spare me! Please!¡± Troy was now on his knees, his face drained of color as he begged frantically. All the confidence he had earlier was gone, reced by fear and desperation. Rather than shock, Troy was feeling terrified at the moment. That was because when their fists collided, his power shattered like ss in a split second, leaving him defenseless against the sheer force of his opponent. He could feel the excruciating pain in every single bone in his body. This situation would only happen when there was a significant disparity in skill level. That is why, when Dustin was about to make another move, Troy chose to beg for mercy. Begging for forgiveness on his knees was a small price to pay in exchange for his life. ¡°Don¡¯t appear in front of me again!¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°Yes, right away!¡± Troy immediately fled the room without an ounce of hesitation. He didn¡¯t even care about his dignity. ¡°Um.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded as they watched Troy flee the scene. The top¨Cnotch warrior, an elite disciple from Boulderthorn known as Lightning Fist, had actually fled from battle? Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped in disbelief. No one could have predicted this oue. Originally, they believed that Troy¡¯s appearance would resolve the situation, but now the tables had turned If they had not witnessed it first¨Chand, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to belleve it. A legendary warrior who had never been deleated in battle fled the scene in terror! ¡°How¨CHow is this possible?!¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. That was his incredible senior, Troy Chapman! As a disciple of Boulderthorn, Troy was a master at honing inner energy, with unmatched skills and extreme talents. Oliver couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how this had happened. He didn¡¯t even hesitate to kneel down and beg for mercy! ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Oliver wondered. ¡°T¨CThere¡¯s no way! It¡¯s impossible!¡± Tina couldn¡¯t stop shaking her head in shock. That was the top disciple from Boulderthorn. How could he be defeated by a nobody? In fact, she wasn¡¯t the only one thinking about it. Everyone in the room had the same idea. However, the truth was right in front of them, and no matter how much they wanted to deny it, it wouldn¡¯t change the oue. ¡°Did you say that you would stand up for her too?¡± Dustin¡¯s gazended on Oliver. ¡°Punk! You¡¯re lucky that my senior¡¯s injury recurred today, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape so easily! Next time, you wouldn¡¯t be so lucky!¡± After finishing his sentence, Oliver fled the scene. Il Troy was no match for Dustin, then wasn¡¯t he just an easy target? ¡°Mr. Williams! Mr. Williams! Tina yelled at the top of her lungs. Yet, Oliver picked up the pace and ran even faster, disappearing without a trace. At that moment, she was frozen on the spot. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I¡¯ll pay you back tenfold for the damage you did!¡± A cold voice rang beside her ears. Tina turned around and realized that Dustin was already standing behind her. ¡°I¡¯m warning you! Don¡¯t mess with me! I¡¯m Edwin Hummer¡¯s daughter! If you dare toy a finger on me, you and your entire family, even your rtives, will suffer the consequences of crossing the Hummers!¡± Tina shouted desperately. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll y this game with the Hummers. But before that, I will need to get my revenge first!¡± Dustin¡¯s hand shot out and grasped Tina. A horrific, ear¨Cpiercing scream echoed through the entire hotel. The screams continued every few seconds. When Julie arrived at the hotel all drenched, she saw Tina being tortured. She waspletely frozen as she stared in shock. Earlier, when Dustin left the hospital, she felt that something was off. So, she immediately followed him. She never thought that he could be so brave to go against Ms, Hummer in front of such a crowd. At that moment, Tina was not just unrecognizable, all four of her limbs were detached from her body. The gory scene filled with blood was extremely unsettling. ¡°Stop! Stop this instant! Dustin! Are you out of your mind? Hurry up and let go of Ms. Hummer!¡± Julie came running as she yelled. Dustin ignored Juliepletely. He just looked down at Tina, who was lying on the ground, with a final flicker of life. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you tonight, but that doesn¡¯t mean I forgive you. In three days, kneel down and apologize to Dahlia! Otherwise, you will suffer the consequences!¡± After finishing his words, he raised two fingers and thrust them into Tina¡¯s pressure points all over her body. It was a technique he had developed himself, and it was deadly. The victim would slowly die in three days. Moreover, he was the only one who could break the curse. ¡°Crazy bastard! You¡¯re a maniac! Now that you¡¯ve hurt Ms. Hummer, you¡¯re not the only one who will suffer! We¡¯re all doomed because of you!¡± Julie saw Dustin, who was about to leave, and yelled at him once again. Yet. Dustin did not even spare her a nce and kept walking towards the exit. The crowd made way for his exit, not daring to stop him. ¡°Hurry! Secure the premise!¡± Suddenly, a shout was heard from outside. A horde of towering fighters stormed into the room. Instantly, the men surrounded the entire room. ¡°Who dared to cause trouble at my ce?!¡± A man with dark sunsses and a smoldering cigar strolled into the room, emanating a menacing and dangerous aura. ¡°This is great! Sir Zims is finally here! We can finally have the scene under controll ¡°Sir Zims is the trusty right¨Chand man of the Hummer family. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off for beating Ms. Hummer into a pulp! ¡°Although he¡¯s quite skilled, he only has two fists! He wouldn¡¯t be able to take on hundreds of men no matter how skilled he is!¡± The crowd went wild once again as help arrived at the scene. *Sir Zims! You¡¯re just in time! Dustin not only caused trouble, but he also beat up Ms. Hummer!¡± Julie quickly reported the incident to him. ¡°What? He dared to hit Ms. Hummer? Which bastard did this? If you have the guts,e forward! Let¡¯s see if I can tear you apart myself!¡± Mason¡¯s gaze narrowed, his blood boiling with anger. ¡°It was me.¡± Dustin approached him slowly. ¡°You¨C1¡± Before Mason could strike, his expression changedpletely when he saw him. ¡°M¨CMr. Rhys? It¡¯s you?!¡± Dustin simply uttered a single word, ¡°Scram!¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Mason nodded and stepped aside. Once again, the entire room was dead silent. Chapter 137 The rain was falling even harder. Edwin was in the middle of a conversation with Fletcher at the Hummer Vi. ¡°Mr. Hummer, the first batch of Eternumax has been sold out. On top of that, we received a lot of positive feedback. A lot of people are interested in partnering with us in the long term. Now, we¡¯ll be able to mass produce this product!¡± Fletcher reported excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s the secret recipe for you, alright. Who would¡¯ve thought it would have such great feedback right after its debut?¡± Edwinughed joyfully. He originally thought that it would take a while for people to warm up to the product. He didn¡¯t expect the opportunity to present itsell so quickly. At that point, he must strike the iron while it¡¯s hot. ¡°Speaking of which, we should be grateful to the Harmon family. Without their painstaking research all these years, we wouldn¡¯t have this baby in our hands right now.¡± Fletcher grinned. ¡°Natasha was foolish to dare to fight against me! I¡¯ll defeat her once and for all with Eternumax!¡± Edwin said happily. ¡°Then I shall congratte Sir Hummer in advance for your sess!¡± Fletcher pped. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. Time to join Tina¡¯s party. If I¡¯m toote, she¡¯ll certainly have someints.¡± Just as Edwin stood up with a grin on his face¨C An old butler ran into the room frantically and eximed, ¡°Sir! Bad news! Ms. Hummer has been beaten up!¡± ¡°What? Beaten up? What on earth happened?!¡± Edwin frowned. Who was brave enough to dare touch Edwin¡¯s daughter? ¡°There was a kid who stirred things up at the party. He even beat Ms. Hummer half to death in front of everyone! Ms. Hummer has already been sent to Hummers Hospital. The butler reported in a hurry. Hummers Hospital was under the Hummers¡® supervision. It was also one of the top hospitals in Swinton. The doctors are all global elites in the medical field who pledged to serve the Hummer family. ¡°Go! To the hospital!¡± Edwin didn¡¯t spare another second and immediately rushed to the hospital along with a group of people. However, as he cautiously stepped into the hospital ward, his eyes widened in disbelief at the Jarring scene that greeted him. On the bedid his own daughter, Tina, who was nearly lifeless. Her face was utterly unrecognizable, a mangled and gory mess. Her limbs were even worse, appearing as if they had been brutally torn apart from her body, her bones shattered and beyond repair. ¡°Who?! Who did this?¡± Edwin roared like a crazed lion. For all his years, no one daredy a finger on his daughter. ¡°Sir Hummer, from what we¡¯ve found, it seemed to be done by a guy named Dustin.¡± At that moment, an injured bodyguard exined the earlier events to Edwin. After hearing his exnation, his expression immediately turned dark. ¡°That son of a bitch again! He keeps ruining my day! I¡¯ll cut him into pieces! Guards! Get me the best trackers and track him down, I want him captured alive!¡± Edwin clenched his fists and said between gritted teeth. ¡°Also, kill the entire Nicholson family! I want them all dead!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± After receiving orders, the group of people immediately scattered. ¡°Sir Hummer, that guy¡¯s skill is quite unmatched. Not anyone could go against him.¡± Fletcher said. He¡¯d been pped by Dustin once. Until now, he¡¯s still a bit traumatized. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Edwin turned around. ¡°From what I know, it would be best to summon the White Dragon guild. The members are all top¨C notch fighters. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to take on that guy.¡± Fletcher suggested. ¡°White Dragon guild? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s overkill to use them against a nobody?¡± Edwin narrowed his eyes. The White Dragon guild was Edwin¡¯s secret weapon, and he wouldn¡¯t use it lightly. ¡°Sir Hummer, this guy is not just a normal fighter. He has the Harmon family supporting him. To be safe, we must summon the White Dragon guild. It would be the best choice.¡± Fletcher advised seriously. After pondering for a few seconds, Edwin finally made the decision. ¡°Alright! Contact the White Dragon Guild immediately. Get me the best fighters!¡± Whoever dared toy a finger on his daughter would have to pay the ultimate price! On the other hand, in Java Joys. ¡°What? Dustin stirred up trouble at the Hummer¡¯s party? And he beat Tina into a pulp?¡± Natasha was ¡°Yeah! Oustin is insane! He beat her up in front of so many people! He even tore her limbs apart. He¡¯s really on another level!¡± Ruth said excitedly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯d do something irrationally. How could he do something like that?¡± Natasha was puzzled, ¡°Probably because of that girl! How could he hold back after that Nicholson was publicly shamed? That¡¯s why he went to get revenge.¡± Ruth did not hide anything from her sister. Alter hearing the news, she shared every single detail with her. ¡°No wonder.¡± Natasha nodded. ¡°Sis, aren¡¯t you mad at all?¡± Ruth was a little surprised. ¡°Why should I be?¡± Natasha asked. ¡°Dustin mace such a grand move for that woman. It¡¯s obvious there are still some lingering feelings between them. Are you not bothered by it?¡± Ruth was straight to the point. ¡°Dummy, they just got a divorce. Of course, there would be some lingering feelings. That¡¯s inevitable. Also, if Dustin had not acted on it, he would ve lost my respect.¡± Natasha was unconcerned. ¡°Sis, I really don¡¯t get what you¡¯re thinking sometimes. I wouldn¡¯t be able to let it go if a man I like had lingering feelings for other women.¡± Ruth scratched her head. ¡°After all, the ball is in their court. I believe that Dustin wouldn¡¯t let me down.¡± Natasha smiled. Dustin¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to make the same mistake twice. ¡°I hope so. Rather than Tyler, I would much prefer Dustin to be my brother¨Cinw,¡± Ruth muttered. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Nothing is set in stone yet. Tell the others to keep an eye on Dustin. If he¡¯s in danger, make sure to help him immediately!¡± Natasha rolled her eyes and ordered. ¡°Okay!¡± Ruth nodded and immediately lelt. They were both well aware that Edwin would not let this go easily. It was inevitable for a war to happen¡­ Chapter 138 After that big incident at the party, Dustin finally returned to East Swinton Hospital. When he entered the ward. he noticed that Florence and James had already arrived. ¡°Which evil bastard beat up my daughter to such a state? How could they be so cruel?!¡± ¡°Exactly! If I find out which bastard did this. I¡¯ll tear them into pieces!¡± Seeing the injured Dahlia, the Nicholsons couldn¡¯t help but curse, feeling pity for her. ¡°Why are you here? We didn¡¯t even contact you.¡± Suddenly, one of them noticed Dustin, who was standing at the door. ¡°I came to check on Dahlia¡¯s injury.¡± Dustin walked into the room slowly, his face not showing a hint of expression. ¡°Get out! You¡¯re not wee here!¡± James roared, letting out his pent¨Cup anger. ¡°Dustin! Tell us the truth. Does my daughter¡¯s injury have anything to do with you?!¡± Florence red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have the details about how she was injured. Perhaps you should ask Julie this question instead.¡± Dustin replied. *Julie? Speaking of which, where is she? Didn¡¯t she attend the party with my sister? Why isn¡¯t she here?¡± James frowned. ¡°Could it be that Julie is injured too? Dustin! What exactly is going on here? Who hurt my daughter? And where is Julie?¡± Florence¡¯s expression immediately turned dark. ¡°I think it would be best if you didn¡¯t find out.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°If you have something to say, then say it! No matter who hurt my sister, I will make them pay!¡± James said furiously. ¡°That¡¯s right! We won¡¯t let them off easily!¡± Florence eximed. ¡°The person who injured Dahlia is Tina Hummer,¡± Dustin answered truthfully. ¡°Tina Hummer? Who¡¯s that?¡± James had no clue. ¡°The daughter of the richest man in Swinton, Edwin Hummer.¡± Dustin replied. ¡°What?! Sir Hurrmer¡¯s daughter?!¡± Everyone was stunned by this piece of information. They exchanged nces, not knowing how to reply. Especially Florence and James, whose anger immediately disappeared. They would¡¯ve been yelling for revenge if it had been an ordinary person. Yet, when they heard the name Hummer, they didn¡¯t even dare to get angry. ¡°We had no grudges against the Hummer family. How could Ms. Hummer be so cruel to us?¡± Florence gulped. ¡°That¡¯s right! My sister was invited to the party. How did she cross Ms. Hummer?¡± James frowned, deep in thought. The others were uneasy as well. The Hummer family was someone they would never dare to provoke. Even if they were wrongly used, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°You won¡¯t have to do anything. In three days, I¡¯ll let Tina Hummer apologize to you all in person.¡± Dustin assured easily. ¡°Hey! Do you even know what you¡¯re saying? Do you know who Ms. Hummer is? Do you think that¡¯s something you can handle? You¡¯ll let her apologize? Look at yourself!¡± James said, unimpressed. ¡°Exactly! Do you have no idea who you are? You just know how to brag all day long! If you really had that ability, why would you let them hurt my daughter in the first ce?!¡± Florence eximed. It was obvious that they did not take Dustin¡¯s words seriously.. After all it was Edwin¡¯s daughter. A true billionaire. Even they were afraid of provoking them, let alone a nobody like Dustin. ¡°You all must be the patient¡¯s rtives.¡± At that moment, a nurse walked into the room ¡°We just received a notice that the patient shall be transferred to a VIP ward and receive better treatment. All of this will be free of charge. Will you guys ept this offer?¡± ¡°Free of charge? Of course, of course. We most definitely ept.¡± Florence¡¯s eyes sparkled as she nodded fervently. ¡°That¡¯s great, please follow me.¡± After a signal from the doctor, a few others came into the ward to help Dahlia into the new ward. Dustin stood still as he watched the people leave the room. It was his order to switch to a VIP ward. Although he was not afraid of Edwin, it was still inevitable that he would seek revenge. This was his safety measure. A few moments after Florence and the others left the room, Julie sprinted into the ward. ¡°Aunt Florence! I have big news! I just saw Before she could finish her sentence, she was stunned. Her eyes widened as her gazended on Dustin. ¡°You! Why are you here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just in time. I have something to ask.¡± Dustin approached her slowly. ¡°D¨CDon¡¯t corne any closer! What are you trying to do? I¡¯m warning you, y back!¡± Julie retreated two steps. backward in fear. She could still vividly picture the scere earller where Tina was brutally beaten up. In her eyes, Dustin was a maniac! ¡°Why are you so afraid? Could it be that you¡¯re guilty of something?¡± Dustin said lightly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should be guilly! I don¡¯t have anything to hide. What¡¯s there for me to be afraid of?¡± Julie dered, putting up a front. ¡°Good. Then let me ask you, were you the one who framed Dahlia for stealing at tonight¡¯s party?¡± Dustin¡¯s demeanor turned cold. ¡°Nonsense! We¡¯re cousins, how could I harm her? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t use someone innocent!¡± Julie¡¯s expression contorted into a panic. ¡°use someone innocent?¡± Dustinughed coldly. ¡°Then tell me, how did this end up in Dahlia¡¯s bag? Who else would have ess to her bag other than you?¡± He tossed a box in front of her with a pair of ruby earrings inside. ¡°H¨CHow would I know? It¡¯s not me!¡± Julie¡¯s eyes shed with panic as she desperately clung to her lie. ¡°You better think clearly before you answer. Otherwise, you¡¯d lose your chance.¡± Dustin said expressionlessly. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that you¡¯lly a finger on me?¡± Julie shouted sternly. ¡°You have one minute left.¡± Dustin lifted a finger. ¡°What on earth are you trying to do? I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Julie said as she backed away slowly. ¡°Ten seconds left.¡± ¡°Dustin! I¡¯m warning you.¡± Before Julie could finish her threat, footsteps could be heard outside the room. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Boss. I already got the information that Danlia is in this ward!¡± ¡°Good! You, keep a lookout. The others. follow me!¡± After an exchange of words, a few assassins dressed in ck immediately swarmed the room. ¡°Who is Dahlia Nicholson?¡± The leader scanned the room with a piercing gaze. ¡°She is.¡± Dustin pointed his finger at Julie. The next second, with a sharp ¡°ng¡°, two swords were pressed against Julie¡¯s neck. ¡°Bring her!¡± Chapter 139 ¡°What?¡± Julie¡¯s mind went nk when a pair of swords were held at her neck. She was unable to process what was happening. From the assassins¡® forced entry to Dustin framing her, everything happened too quickly. When she finally regained herposure, she was already in danger. ¡°Rhys! How could you do this to me!¡± Seeing as she was about to be held hostage, Julie panicked. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s a mistake! I¡¯m not Dahlia, you¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± ¡°Do you think we are stupid? This man told us you are Dahlia Nicholson!¡± The assassins¡® leader retorted. ¡°He¡¯s spouting nonsense! Don¡¯t believe him!¡± Julie said, cold sweat running down her forehead. She never expected Dustin to exact his revenge on her in such a despicable manner! ¡°ording to our intel, Dahlia is in this hospital room. If you aren¡¯t Dahlia; why would you be here?¡± The leader demanded fiercely. ¡°I¨CI was just passing by-!¡± Julie stammered. ¡°Fuck! How dare you lie to me? You must be tired of living!¡± Julie was violently pped on the cheek by the leader, making her ears ring. ¡°What are all of you doing? Take her away!¡± He ordered. Some of his men immediately dragged Julie towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s not me! It¡¯s really not me! Rhys, you asshole, you framed me! Are you even human?¡± Julle burst into tears and wailed loudly. She knew that if she were to be taken away, she would definitely suffer inhumane abuse. ¡°Dustin! I¡¯m sorry! Please save me, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯ve learned my lesson! On ount of Dahlia and Old Mr. Nicholson, you can¡¯t sit back and do nothing! You have to save mel¡± Julle broke down and apologized profusely. At this moment, only Dustin could save her. ¡°Shut the hell up, you bitch!¡± Julie¡¯s cries for help got on the nerves of the assassin leader. He gave her a few more ps on the face. Julie staggered and fell to the ground, blood flowing from her lips. When Dustin felt that Julle had been punished enough, he spoke up, saying, ¡°Guys, I¡¯m sorry for the confusion. I¡¯ve made a mistake, she is not Dahlia.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± When they heard this, the assassins froze. *Punk! How dare you trick me?¡± The leader narrowed his eyes threateningly. ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°You bastard!¡± The leader was furious. He rushed towards Dustin with his heavy de and swung it using his full strength. By the agility and power of his movements, the leader was obviously a martial artist. His skills were far superior to those of a normal person. However, Dustin did not dodge. He blocked the attack with his bare hands andnded a kick on his opponent¡¯s abdomen. The leader screamed in agony as he flew out the door. ¡°How dare you hurt our leader? You are dead meat!¡± The other three assassins threw Julie aside as they turned to attack Dustin simultaneously. However, before they could get close enough, Dustin gave all three of them a flying kick and knocked their heads together. Without another word, they fainted on impact. ¡°Fuck, who is this monster?¡± Thest assassin, who was guarding the door, saw what happened to his teammates. Fearful for his life, he ran away as fast as his legs could take him. Four of his friends were dead. He wasn¡¯t sticking around to find out what was going to happen to him. ¡°Dustin, you¡­¡± Julie¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers. She never knew that Dustin was such a good fighter. In the blink of an eye, he single¨Chandedly defeated four assassins. She breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Dustin was around to save her. On second thought, she remembered that it was because of Dustin that she was mistaken for Dahlia. Julie¡¯s anger zed to life again. ¡°Confess to Dahlia regarding today¡¯s incident. Remember, there is no next time,¡± Dustin said with a condescending re. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today, Rhys! However, don¡¯t be too proud! Edwin wille after you now that you have beaten up Ms. Hummer! You will be hounded out of Swinton!¡± Julie gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°You must be sorely mistaken. It¡¯s not the Hummers¡± who will being after me, but me going after them. The Hummers¡® must issue a public apology regarding the assauli,¡± Dustin said breezily ¡°Public apology? You must have lost your mind! What right do you have to demand an apology from the Hummer family?¡± Julie scoffed. ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s up to you whether to belleve it or not. Dustin shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can fake it! Hopefully, you won¡¯t be wetting your pants in front of Edwin Hummer!¡± Julie scoffed again and turned around to leave. Chanter 13 Dustin couldn¡¯t care less about her. He dragged the leader of the assassins into the hospital room. ¡°Did Edwin send you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Through gritted teeth, the leader answered rudely. ¡°How many of you are there?¡± Dustin continued calmly. ¡°The White Dragon guild is full of skilled lighters and martial artists. Five of us were sent to scout ahead. If you desire to live, it would be best to surrender immediately!¡± The leader threatened. ¡°Ive never heard of the White Dragon guild.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re being ignorant! The leader smirked. ¡°Punk, if I were you, I would flee Swinton right now. Otherwise, you will be sitting ducks when our guild master arrives personally!¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be waiting for him, then.¡± Dustin smiled. With a loud crack, he twisted the assassin¡¯s leader¡¯s neck. He died on the spot. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, a group of menacing bodyguards appeared at the end of the corridor. Stephan was leading the way! ¡°Greetings, Mr. Rhys!¡± Stephan walked up to Dustin and bowed slightly.. ¡°Ms. Harmon ordered us to assist you. If you need our help, just ask for it.¡± ¡°Thanks for the kind thought, Mr. Chapman.¡± Dustin nodded in return. ¡°There are a few unconscious assassins. here who have been defeated. Please dispose of their bodies.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Stephan gestured to his men, and they quickly carried the bodies off. ¡°By the way, what do you know about the White Dragon guild? Custin questioned. ¡°The White Dragon guild is regarded as one of the top three guilds in Swinton. Their guild members are mainly ruffians and scoundrels from the underworld. They take orders from Edwin and conduct illegal operations. Their infamous reputation precedes them,¡± Stephan exined. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°The White Dragon guild has many skilled lighters, especially the guild master. Dracor Millroy. He is one of the best martial artists in Swinton. It is said that his skin is imprable to a sword or de as he has attained the highest tier of martial artistry. The wise thing to do would be to escape instead of challenging him.¡± Stephan wa med. 1 *Thanks for your advice. I know what to do,¡± Dustin replied nonchntly. He was curious to see what it would be like to spar against the best martial artist in Swinton. Chapter 140 The night grew dark as rain poured down. The streets were empty, as there was no one around. Just then, a fleet of ck Hummer vehicles drove in at high speed, sshing puddles of water. The vehicles pulled up at the entrance of a hospital building. As the car doors opened, a group of burly, muscr men got out. One of them was smoking a cigar. He was arge and muscr man with a beard, more than six feet tall at least a head above normal men. His arms and thighs were bulging with muscle. ¡°Guild master! That man is still inside, he never left.¡± Thest assassin pointed to one of the floors of the building. He had been lying in wait for support to arrive as he spied on Dustin. ¡°I expected that you could handle this guy on your own. Why do I still have to be personally involved?¡± The bearded man narrowed his eyes with displeasure. He was the guild master of the White Dragon guild! ¡°Guild master, don¡¯t underestimate that guy. He took us down as easily as dominoes!¡± The assassin reported. ¡°Alright, surround the building. The earlier we get this settled, the earlier we can rest,¡± Dracor ordered impatiently. If it weren¡¯t for Edwin¡¯s orders, he wouldn¡¯t have inconvenienced himself bying down personally. ¡°Stop! Who goes there!¡± A group of bodyguards dressed in suits streamed out of the building. They were the Harmon family¡¯s men. ¡°What, was there a group of men protecting him? Alright, you boys can use them for practice.¡± Dracor motioned to his men. ¡°Yes, guild master!¡± His disciples behind him grinned evilly and rushed up to fight the bodyguards. They were out for blood like a pack of wolves. ¡°Stop them!¡± The bodyguards were not to be outdone. They pressed forward as one to block the guild members. The scene erupted into chaos. Although the bodyguards were well¨Ctrained, their fighting skills weren¡¯t on the same level as those of the members of the White Dragon guild. After a while, the bodyguards were forced to retreat, falling under the pressure. ¡°Who dares to go against the Harmon family? An aggressive roar Interrupted the fight as Stephan emerged with a few of hisrades. Making his way through the crowd, the guild members were repelled backward by Stephan¡¯s internal energy. creating a space around him. ¡°Oh, is he a martial artist with internal energy? How dare you show off your tricks in front of an expert? Get out of the way!¡± Dracor had a cold smile on his lips. Stephan threw fist after fist without stopping, forcing the guild members to fall back. They were no match for him. ¡°Reckless bastard!¡± Dracor took a deep breath and released a surge of energy in Stephan¡¯s direction. The attack sliced through the raindrops and zeroed in on him. Fortunately, Stephan had a keen sense of danger. He noticed the attacking and went into a defensive. stance. ¡°Boom!¡± An explosive sound was heard as Stephan¡¯s defense was shattered. He was blown backward about 30 feet away, leaving deep tracks on the ground. Stephan was flung onto a wall like a ragdoll as he spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Weakling.¡± Dracor scoffed. Dracor thought that he had finally met a worthy challenger. Unexpectedly, he couldn¡¯t even withstand a single blow. ¡°Y¨CYou, who are you?¡± Stephan furrowed his brows and stared at the towering figure in front of him. Due to the darkness, he couldn¡¯t identify who the man was. ¡°How dare you beat up my men if you don¡¯t even know who I am?¡± Dracor approached him menacingly. Stephan finally recognized him when his bearded face was illuminated by the streetlights. ¡°You¨CYou are Dracor Milfroy?¡± Stephan fixed his eyes on the man as fear spread across his face. The nightmare he dreaded really came true! ¡°Since you seem to know me, we can settle this easily, Kneel down and beg for your life. If I¡¯m in a good mood, I might let you go.¡± Dracorughed mockingly as if he was entertained by Stephan¡¯s fear. ¡°Both of you, go and tell Mr. Rhys to escape. I¡¯ll hold them back!¡± Stephan gritted his teeth and prepared himself for a fight to the death. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The bodyguards behind Stephan ran into the building without hesitation. Their mission was to protect Dustin and they were prepared to do it at the expense of their lives. ¡°Heh, do you think you could hold me back?¡± Dracor smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to buy him some time!¡± Stephan was determined. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for your death since you were the one who asked for It! Dracor scoffed again. He flew at Stephan like a streak of lightning. I¡¯m going all out!¡± Stephan took a deep breath and faced Dracor squarely. Both of them collided directly into each other as another loud explosion was heard. Stephan was thrown back like he had been hit by a truck, His body llew into the air andnded heavily on the ground with a loud thud. Blood spurted out from his mouth and nose. He did not even have the strength to stand up. ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate your abilities!¡± Oracor taunted. Compared to Dracor strength, Stephan¡¯s internal energy and skills were feeble. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I did my best. I hope I have bought enough time for you to escape, Stephan muttered as he laid in the rain, despair in his eyes. Dracor was on another level as he had already attained the highest tier of martial arts. In addition, he had trained his body to be as imprable as steel. No wonder he was deemed the best martial artist in Swinton! Stephan knew that he was no match for Dracor. He couldn¡¯t even put up a good fight. ¡°It is an honor for you to die at my hands!¡± Dracor came up to Stephan and stared at him condescendingly, like looking down on a bug. He lifted his leg to stomp on Stephan¡¯s chest and finish him off. At that moment, all the ss windows of the hospital building shattered simultaneously. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. A dark figure swooped down andnded heavily on the ground. The tough cement crumbled beneath his feet andrge cracks propagated from the spot where hended, like a spider¡¯s web that extended for miles. ¡°Who is it?¡± Everyone had bewildered expressions on their faces. Chapter 141 ¡°Who is it?¡± The sudden explosion caught everyone by surprise. Initially, they thought someone hadmitted suicide by jumping off the building. However, after a good look, they realized the figure who had jumped off the building was still standing tall. In his hand, he was holding a ck umbre as he stood in the rain, giving off an overwhelming and mysterious aura. ¡°Mr. Rhys! This man¡¯s dangerous, run for your life!¡± Stephan screamed his lungs out. that the White Dragon guild was here, why did he join the fray instead of escaping? Was he looking for death? ¡°Punk, are you that Dustin guy?¡± Dracor sized Dustin up, noting his thin and frail build. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°You got some guts for not running away from the sight of me, punk!¡± Dracor smirked. ¡°Why should I run? I was waiting for you,¡± Dustin said nonchntly. ¡°Really?¡± Dracor raised his eyebrows. ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s been a long time since I havest seen an arrogant punk like you.¡± ¡°Mr. Rhys, he is too powerful for you! With his imprable skin and overwhelming energy, even if we combine our attacks, we are no match for him! Go and get support from the Harmon family while I¡¯ll hold him back!¡± Stephan scrambled to stand up, using thest ounce of his strength to help Dustin escape. ¡°Mr. Chapman, it¡¯s alright. Leave the rest to me.¡± Dustin smiled, touched by his resolution. It wasmendable that Stephan was prepared to die to protect him, even though he was ordered by someone else. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re still unaware of the situation. Not only is this man the guild master of the White Dragon guild, but he is also the best martial artist in Swinton! He is head and shoulders above both of us! Just escape while you can!¡± Stephan urged. Although Dustin was a martial artist as well, he could only harness internal energy. On the other hand, as a high¨Clevel martial artist, Dracor already had the ability to manifest his energy externally. In addition, he fortified his body to be as imprable as steel. Even among the high¨Clevel martial artists, he was considered one of the best. Defeating a lower¨Clevel martial artist like Dustin would be a walk in the park! ¡°Mr. Chapman, don¡¯t worry. I can deal with this,¡± Dustin reassured him. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you are biting off more than you can chew! You are still young and trainable. If you survive, there is still hope for you to defeat him one day! However, the most important thing right now is to stay alive!¡± Stephan was getting anxicus. Dustin couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. Were his words that unbelievable? He didn¡¯t even care if he went up against a godlike opponent. Defeating a high¨Clevel martial artist was nothing. ¡°Shut your yapping! Today, both of you will die here!¡± Dracor snapped his fingers. At his signal, his disciples swarmed all at once toward Dustin. ¡°Mr. Rhys, run! I¡¯ll hold them back!¡± Stephan gritted his teeth and rushed into the middle of the crowd. He had to buy more time so that Dustin could escape. Although Stephan was badly injured, he was still able to tackle arge number of men by mustering up his remaining energy. As Dracor¡¯s disciples were defeated one by one. Stephan¡¯sst¨Cditch effort angered Dracor. ¡°What a reckless idiot!¡± Dracor¡¯s expression darkened. He leaped into the air and dove at Stephan with his palm open. ¡°Come at me with all you¡¯ve got!¡± Stephan countered with his fists. As Stephan¡¯s fist and Dracor¡¯s palm came into contact, a loud st was heard as their energies repelled each other. Stephan flew into the air like a punching bag, blood spurting from his mouth. Before his limp body crashed on the ground, Dustin caught him single¨Chandedly and nullified Dracor¡¯s attack. He ced Stephan down and patted him on the back gently. After that, Dustin stood up and walked confidently toward Dracor. ¡°Wait a minute, Mr. Rhys! I know you have some skills, but you are no match for Dracor! He is definitely not an opponent either you or I could handle! He is a monster! Quick, grab this opportunity to escape before it¡¯s toote!¡± Stephan shouted frantically, ignoring the blood dripping down his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Stephan. On the contrary, he is no match for me.¡± Heavy raindrops sshed on his umbre as Dustin continued walking toward Dracor. ¡°Punk, you should have listened to his advice! Now, it¡¯s toote to regret it! You lost your chance!¡± Dracorughed menacingly. He dug his heels into the ground and shot out like an arrow in Dustin¡¯s direction. He was nning to use his momentum and crush Dustin with his body of steel! ¡°Mr. Rhys, be careful!¡± Stephan¡¯sce turned pale. Dracor was a high¨Clevel martial artist and one of the best in Swinton. Going squarely against an opponent of his caliber was just looking for trouble! Just as Stephan thought that Dustin would die on the spot, a miracle happened! Even though Dracor had smashed into Dustin¡¯s body like a tank, he did not move an inch. He reached out, grabbed Dracor by the neck, and lifted him off the ground. Dracor¡¯s muscr body dangled in the air like a chicken awaiting ughter, his feet kicking frantically. However, he could not escape from Dustin¡¯s iron grip. ¡°Mr. Chapman, what were you saying just now?¡± Dustin turned to Stephan and asked nonchntly, an umbre in one hand and Dracor hanging helplessly from the other. Dustin couldn¡¯t catch what Stephan had said to him just now because of the heavy rain. Looking at the scene before him, Stephan was dumbstruck. Dracor was dangling helplessly in the air like a puppet. Never in his dreams had Stephan imagined that the proud and arrogant Dracor Milfroy would be restrained by Dustin with just one hand. Everything happened so quickly that Dracor had no chance to retaliate. Besides, it had to be said that Dracor wasn¡¯t an average, run¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cmill fighter. He was a high¨Clevel martial artist with formidable energy! How could Dustin single¨Chandedly defeat a martial artist like him? This was ludicrous! Chapter 142 ¡°Let me go¡­¡± Dracor iled helplessly, his face red as he gasped for air. At that moment, not only was he bewildered by the sudden twist of events, but he was also filled with dread! He thought that he was a big fish in a small pond like Swinton. Who knew that he would end up sparring against a divine¨Clevel martial artist here? A divine¨Clevel martial artist in his twenties? It was unheard of in all of South City. How could such an invincible lighter appear in Swinton? ¡°Fuck, this punk is incredible! Even our guild master was defeated by him!¡± The disciples of the White Dragon guild whispered among themselves in disbelief. Seeing as their leader had been defeated, some of them slipped away as fast as they could. ¡°Dracor, seems like your disciples aren¡¯t as loyal to you as you thought.¡± Dustin smirked. ¡°Who¨CWho the hell are you?¡± Dracor gritted his teeth as his veins popped from the pressure. He didn¡¯t have the energy to struggle any further. ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. Go and send this message to Edwin. Tell him to bring his daughter and apologize to me. Otherwise, I will have a personal chat with him!¡± With that, Dustin punched Dracor in the stomach. Dracor spat out a mouthful of blood as his internal energy dissipated instantly! ¡°H¨CHow could you drain my energy?¡± Dracor widened his eyes in fear. ¡°Why can¡¯t I? You have lost fair and square!¡± Dustin swung around and threw him into the air carelessly. ¡°Guild master!¡± The remaining disciples ran up to Dracor and helped him up. Although they were indignant, they kept a safe distance from Dustin. ¡°Today, I¡¯ve lost. I admit my defeat. Boys, let¡¯s go!¡± Dracor wiped away the blood from his face as he and his men left with their tails between their legs. ¡°Mr. Rhys¨CDid you thrash Dracor Milfroy?¡± Stephan¡¯s eyes were wide with shock and amazement. ¡°I told you. He is no match for me.¡± Dustin smiled easily. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He handed a gemiphen pill to Stephan. ¡°Mr. Chapman, take this healing pill and have a good rest. You will recover from your injuries and be as good as new tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys!¡± Stephan popped the gemiphen into his mouth without hesitation. After a few minutes, he felt a sensation of warmth spreading outward from his stomach. He could visibly feel. the energy from the pill healing his wound from the inside out. His internal bleeding stopped, and soreness slowly disappeared from his limbs. ¡°Wow, this pill is incredible!¡± Stephan blinked in surprise at how fast his Injuries healed. ¡°Mr. Chapman, sorry for the inconvenience. You should go back and have a rest now,¡± Dustin said with a smile. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Stephan nodded and made his way home. With Dustin¡¯s overwhelming powers, his help was obviously unnecessary. That night went by in a sh. The next morning, in a VIP room at East Swinton Hospital. ¡°Mother, bad news! Something terrible has happened!¡± James rushed into the hospital room in a hurry, sweat pouring from his forehead. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you so out of breath early in the morning?¡± Half¨Casleep, Florence jumped out of her skin at James¡® sudden outburst. Some other rtives who were resting in the room looked displeased at his disturbance. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± James was gasping for air. ¡°I received news that the Hummers were going to boycott us, the Nicholson family! Half of the businesses in Swinton have us cklisted and are unwilling to engage with ourpany!¡± ¡°What? Boycott us? James, are you joking? How could this be?¡± Florence was taken aback at the shocking news. She could not believe that was happening. ¡°Why would I joke about this?¡± James pulled a long face. ¡°Quine Group¡¯s stock prices have been plummeting since this morning. If this continues, we will be bankrupt in three days!¡± When James announced this, the room erupted into chaos. ¡°How could this happen? Why would Mr. Hummer boycott us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we have nothing against the Hummers. There¡¯s no reason for him to do this!¡± Everyone was at a loss about this situation. Edwin Hummer was one of the Mighty Three! With his connections and influence, it would be as easy as ple to destroy the Nicholson family! ¡°James! Tell me exactly what happened! Did we do anything to offend Mr. Hummer?¡± Florence said anxiously as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s not us, it¡¯s Dustin who offended him! I heard Dustin showed up at the Hummers¡® partyst night and beat up Ms. Hummer. The Hummers are boycotting us for revengel¡± ¡°That idiot again? Useless bastard! Why do we have to clean up his mess? Now the Nicholson family would have to pay for his deeds! Is there any justice left in the world?¡± Florence spat in anger. ¡°Why? We have already cut off ties with Dustin. Why would the Hummer family go after us? This isn¡¯t fair!¡± LIL ¡°That¡¯s right! The Nicholson family has nothing to do with Dustin any longer. He should be punished for what he had done!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no useining. Let¡¯s think about how to cate Mr. Hummer¡¯s anger!¡± The ruckus started up again as everyone had something to say. However, no one had any concrete ideas about how to solve this issue. Dahlia, the backbone of the family, was still unconscious. With their status, none of them had any right to meet with Mr. Hummer. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± At that moment. Matt walked into the hospital room. ¡°Matt, thank goodness you are here! You have to help us, the Nicholson family is in a crisis!¡± Florence ran up to him. Matt was herst hopel The rest of them turned to Matt expectantly, nodding in agreement. ¡°Mrs. Nicholson, I will do my best to help. You have to tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± Matt saidfortingly. ¡°It¡¯s all Dustin¡¯s fault! Here¡¯s what happened¡ª Florence did not hold back and briefly exined everything that had urred. ¡°I understand.¡± Matt nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Are you asking me to meet with Edwin and beg for the Hummers¡® mercy?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Aren¡¯t you acquainted with Mr. Hummer? As long as you take our side, I¡¯m sure Mr. Hummer will relent!¡± Florence pleaded. ¡°Mrs. Nicholson, it¡¯s not that I refuse to help. However, Ms. Hummer is still unconscious after getting beaten up so badly. If I go to Mr. Hummer at this time, I¡¯m afraid he would turn his anger on me.¡± Matt replied awkwardly. ¡°Matt! If you could help us through this crisis, you would be our family¡¯s savior! Aren¡¯t you interested in Dahlia? Both of you can register to be married immediately once she regains consciousness!¡± Florence reassured him. ¡°That That doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea. I don¡¯t want to take advantage of this situation. Why don¡¯t we consider this again after Dahlia regains consciousness?¡± Mall asked. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Both of you are mutually interested in each other. It¡¯s just a matter of time before getting engaged! Once we survive this crisis, both of you should get married as well!¡± Florence promised with determination. ¡°Well I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Matt nodded with a torn expression. However, on the inside, he was ted. Chapter 143 In an office of the Hummers Hospital, Edwin was resting with his eyes closed on a chair. Suddenly, a knock was heard. ¡°Come in.¡± Edwin opened his eyes and saw Fletcher walk in with a grave expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Edwin asked, worried. ¡°Sir Hummer, we received newsst night that Dracor was severely injured.¡± Fletcher reported. ¡°What? Dracor was beaten up? Who was the perpetrator?¡± Edwin¡¯s face twitched. ¡°It was Dustin!¡± ¡°Dustin again? How could that punk have such overwhelming powers?¡® Edwin frowned. Dracor was his right¨Chand man. Being the best martial artist in Swinton, no one could withstand his attacks. Merely the mention of his name was enough to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents. Usually, Dracor could easily unravel any sticky situation that Edwin had assigned him to. How could such a capable fighter like him fall into Dustin¡¯s hands? It was iprehensible! ¡°Sir Hummer, Dustin told Dracor to send you a message,¡± Fletcher continued hesitantly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Dustin insisted that Ms. Hummer had to apologize to him personally. Otherwise, he would pay you a visit!¡± ¡°That punk had the nerve to threaten me? He must have a death wish! Edwin mmed his fist on the table in anger. He was the one who beat Tina up. Now, he expected the Hummers to apologize to him? Dustin was going too far! ¡°Sir Hummer, please calm down. His abilities are far superior to any of ours, so it is best not to fight with him head¨Con.¡± Fletcher reasoned with Edwin. ¡°Then should we just let him go?¡± Edwin demanded. ¡°Of course not!¡± Fletcher shook his head. ¡°Although Dustin is a formidable martial artist, he is but one man. We can use our influence to drive him out of Swinton,¡± ¡°Continue.¡± Edwin nodded to Fletcher to continue. ¡°Eternumax, the medicine produced by ourpany, is sought after by many families, especially the Harmon family! We can use this to negotiate and get their cooperation. With their support, we can take Dustin on!¡± Fletcher smirked. ¡°That makes sense. Il Natasha agrees to abandon him, dealing with Dustin alone would be a piece of cake!¡± A smile yed on Edwin¡¯s lips. ¨C ¡°That¡¯s what I thought! Nheless, the prescription of Eternumax is still in our control. After we are settled with that punk, it would make things easier for us to turn against the Harmon family as well. Fletcher cackled gleefully. ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll contact Natasha right away!¡± Without any dy, Edwin took out his phone and dialed Natasha¡¯s number. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Harmon? I¡¯m calling about a business deal.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! This is about the Elernumax!¡± ¡°If both parties could reach an agreement, this would be a huge boost to our wealth and reputation!¡± ¡°Regarding my conditions¡ªit¡¯s very simple. As long as you turn your back on Dustin, we can be loyal business partners!¡± As the conversation continued, Edwin¡¯s expression turned sour. His face was livid when he ended the call, ¡°Sir Hummer, how is it? What did Natasha say?¡± Fletcher asked out of curiosity. ¡°She told me to get lost!¡± Edwin answered. ¡°What?¡± Fletcher was speechless at her reply. ¡°This woman must be blindly in love with that punk! What foolishness to forsake such a lucrative deal for a man!¡± Edwin gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Women tend to be emotional. She will regret it once Eternumax takes the world by storm!¡± Fletcher chimed in. Edwin didn¡¯t reply, as he had too many things on his mind. These few days, nothing seemed to be going right for him. ¡°Sir Hummer, terrible news!¡± At this moment, a doctor ran into the room hurriedly. ¡°Ms. Hummer¡¯s condition has suddenly taken a turn for the worse!¡± ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s in danger? How could this have happened? Wasn¡¯t she fine yesterday?¡± Edwin Jumped up from his chair. He grabbed the doctor by the cor and roared. ¡°Ms. Hummer is suffering from a strange condition that can¡¯t be cured medically. Y¨CYou would understand once you see it for yoursell,¡± The doctor stammered. ¡°Show me!¡± Edwin growled. He followed the doctor all the way to the intensive care unit. Tina was lying on the hospital bed. Her face was twisted with agony, and she appeared very weak. ¡°Tina, how are you feeling?¡± Edwin knelt beside her bed, his face filled with worry. ¡°Dad¡ªI don¡¯t feel so good, it hurts Tina whispered weakly, as it her life was hanging on a thread. ¡°What the hell happened? Why would my daughter deteriorate into such a poor state?¡± Edwin red at the doctor. ¡°Sir Hummer, we have fixed the fractures on Ms. Hummer. Her injuries should be healed in a few days. However, she has other injuries that we can¡¯t fix.¡± ¡°What other injuries?¡± Edwin furrowed his brows. ¡°Sir Hummer, please have a look.¡± The doctor removed the nkets from Tina¡¯s body. On her abdomen, there were a few purple bruises. It seemed like she was hurt by a heavy object. The size of the bruises was at least 3 inches long and slightly sunken inward. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a bruise? What¡¯s there to be worried about?¡± Edwin asked, puzzled. ¡°Sir Hummer, this isn¡¯t a normal bruise. It¡¯s a symptom of a rare curse. The person who left the curse has. blocked Ms. Hummer¡¯s blood cirction. If this continues, the organs in her body will malfunction and die. ording to my experience. Ms. Hummer¡¯s life would be in serious danger!¡± The doctor exined gravely. ¡°What?! How could this be? Is there no cure?¡± Edwin was taken aback at the startling news. ¡°Unless the person who ced the curse lifted it, there¡¯s no cure!¡± The doctor sighed and shook his head. Chapter 144 ¡°What do you mean it can¡¯t be cured?¡± Edwin repeated. ¡°Are you telling me that only that Rhys punk can cure my daughter¡¯s sickness?¡± He furrowed his brows as the color drained from his face. ¡°You certainly need the right person for the right job, so we¡¯ll have to track him down no matter what it takes.¡± The doctor confirmed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this bastard! How dare he use such underhanded tactics!¡± Edwin growled through gritted teeth as his eyes shed with anger. ¡°What should we do now, Sir Hummer?¡± Fletcher asked. They had failed to bribe Natasha, and Dracor was now in critical condition from getting beaten up. It seemed like both civilized and uncivilized methods had failed to work. Dustin seemed to be a thom in their side lately. But most importantly, Tina¡¯s life was literally in that man¡¯s hands. So, even if they had any countermeasures up their sleeves, they were still afraid of making the first move. After remaining silent for a while. Edwin finally decided. ¡°Call that punk and get ready to negotiate with him!¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Fletcher obliged. He then proceeded to hastily ask someone for Dustin¡¯s number. After dialing the number, he swiftly handed the phone over to Edwin. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Dustin¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Edwin Hummer speaking.¡± Edwin greeted coldly while holding back his anger. ¡°Let me a ask you one thing, kid. Did you harm my daughter in any way, or did you not?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Sir Hummer on the line. Well if you¡¯re referring to the curse, then yes, they were from me,¡± Dustin replied dryly. ¡°You got a lot of fucking nerve, boy! How dare youy your hands on my daughter?!¡± Edwin roared while gnashing his teeth. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your daughter about the things she¡¯s done? How would she have ended up like this if she hadn¡¯t pushed her weight around so much?¡± Dustin retorted indillerently. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re thest person I want to talk to about this right now! You¡¯d better cure my daughter right this instant!¡± Edwin ordered. ¡°What makes you think I should do everything you ask right away? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too cocky right now?¡± Dustin scoffed. ¡°So you want to bargain first, don¡¯t you? Fine, we can do that! As long as you cure my little girl, I promise not to hold you ountable for anything else in the future! Edwin barked. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s it?¡± Dustin sneered in reply. ¡°I¡¯ll also lift the ban on the Nicholsons immediately so that the whole family can get back on track.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re still mistaken about what I truly want. I do not need these, Dustin replied. ¡°What do you want then?¡± Edwin growled. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I just want your daughter to apologize to me,¡± Dustin said. ¡°What?! You want her to apologize to you?!¡± Edwin shrieked, his face turning cold in an instant. ¡°Is it unreasonable to ask for an apology from someone who assaulted you for no reason?¡± Dustin asked rhetorically. ¡°Who do you think you are, kid? How dare you request that a Hummer apologize to you? What makes you think you deserve the honor?¡± Edwin roared while burning with anger. While he did not intend to pursue the matter, which was already out of the reach of thew in the first ce, he felt that this man was full of himself for thinking that the Hummers owed him an apology! ¡°If you refuse to give me an apology. I¡¯ll just save my breath then. However, you can¡¯t me me for not reminding you that your daughter won¡¯t be able to hold on for much longer, Dustin said, then immediately hung up the phone after. ¡°Does this punk think that he can push me around?!¡± Edwin bellowed. Edwin was so furious, he almost smashed the phone in his hands onto the ground. Who did he think he was. exactly? He was one of the Mighty Three, the richest man in his city, and was also known as an important figure in the Underground World, Within his domain, it could be said that he was the one who called the shots and that he could get anything he asked for at the drop of a hat. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had been humiliated like this. What would happen to the Hummer¡¯s reputation if word got out that they visited the Nicholsons to offer an apology? Would they still have any dignity left after that? ¡°I feel it would be wiser to be the bigger person in this situation, Sir Hummer. We should agree to his terms first in order to save Ms. Hummer.¡± Mr. Lawson advised from the side. ¡°If we agree to his terms now, won¡¯t any Tom, Dick, and Harry gain the right to shit and piss on the Hummer name from then on?¡± Edwin snapped in a booming voice. ¡°This is just one way to slow him down, Sir Hummer. Once we manage to save Miss Hummer first, we can still take our time in thinking up ways to get back at that punk,¡± Mr. Lawson suggested. Edwin fell silent after hearing that. His suggestion was reasonable, but the prospect of giving up the reputation of the Hummers to lower themselves to offer an apology to others was an unbearably ufortable thought to him. ¡°Dad, it hurts It¡¯s so painful! Save me! Tina Hummer moaned profusely as sheid in bed. Looking at his daughter¡¯s pain¨Cstricken face, Edwin took a deep breath and finally decided to settle on apromise. He dialed Dustin¡¯s number once again and spat into the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll adhere to your terms, kid, but you¡¯d better not y tricks with me!¡± ¡°The apology has to be sincere. If you insist on acting like this, then we have nothing else to talk about,¡± Dustin said indifferently. ¡°How dare you-¡°Edwin stopped as the corner of his eye began to twitch. ¡°Fine, you win! I¡¯ll send someone over today at noon to give an apology in person!¡± He roared while forcefully holding back his anger. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Dustin replied. During noontime, inside a VIP ward in East Swinton Hospital, Dahlia had woken up a long time ago, and the redness and puffiness on her cheeks had already faded quite a bit. Her hands were still wrapped with bandages, so she was advised not to move around too much for the time being. When Dustin walked through the door with a fruit basket in hand, he noticed that members of the Nicholson family had gathered together and were discussing something. Even old Mr. Nicholson, who had been living in seclusion, had shown u 1. up. ¡°The nerve of you to show your face here, Rhys! Do you have the slightest idea about the amount of damage you¡¯ve caused us? Because of you, the Hummers banned us! Are you happy now that the Quine Group is on the brink of copse?¡± Florence yelled at him the moment sheid eyes on him. She went from her initial state of calm to jumping to her feet and spewing expletives. The others remained silent but eventually started donning indignant looks on their faces. Even Dahlia was frowning at him. She received news of the Nicholsons¡® ban from the Hummers the moment she woke up, and the reason for that was that Custin had allegedly given Ms. Hummer a beating. Although she knew that she herself was the person he had done it for. But his ¡®help¡® had ultimately sent the entire Nicholson family to the fiery depths of an inlerno instead! ¡°Alright, alright, stop bickering already. We all know that Dustin did all that to stand up for Dahlia, While it was somewhat impulsive, I¡¯d like to think that he did it with pure intentions in mind,¡± Old Mr. Nicholson tried to calm everyone down. ¡°Are you honestly still speaking on his behall when things have gotten to this stage, Dad? Do you only intend to stop when the family is in shambles? Florence said through gritted teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already taken care of the problem with the Hummers, Dustin spoke up calmly. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ve taken care of It? What¡¯s your solution? If you were that capable in the first ce.would the Nicholsons still be banned by now? You¡¯d better scram right now. I don¡¯t want to see your face anymore! Shoo!¡± Florence screamed. In the middle of her rage, she grabbed the fruit basket from Dustin¡¯s hands and smashed it onto the ground. Chapter 145 ¡°That¡¯s enough! Now¡¯s not the time to point fingers. Since we¡¯re in a tight situation now, what everyone needs to do is help one another out and ride out the storm together, not grab each other by the throat!¡± Old Mr. Nicholson yelled after witnessing Florence¡¯s burst of rage. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Easy for you to say. This is the Hummer¡¯s ban we¡¯re talking about. Who knows, all of us might go bankrupt in a couple of days and no longer have a ce to call home in Swinton anymore!¡± Florence snapped in fury. ¡°That¡¯s right! If it wasn¡¯t for Dustin, who kept stirring up trouble and dragging us down with him, how could the Nicholsons even have ended up in this situation today?¡± James spoke, and the rest agreed with him. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Dustin? I believe that you can enlighten all of us here?¡± Dahlia suddenly piped up. She was giving him a chance to exin himself properly. ¡°Tina was unruly and unreasonable, which is why I decided to put her in her ce,¡± Dustin replied bluntly. ¡°See, everyone heard that, right? He beat up the girl first, so he was the one who instigated this whole thing in the first ce. So, he¡¯s entirely to me for the ban on the Nicholson family!¡± Florence shouted even more fiercely. ¡°You¡¯re a thorn in our sides, Dustin! You owe us an exnation for every affliction you¡¯ve caused all of us!¡± ¡°I suggest kidnapping him and handing him over to the Hummers so that we can quell their rage!¡± A bunch of chatter erupted from the crowd, and it could be seen that most of them were in favor of kidnapping him. ¡°You are too impulsive, Dustin! Do you even know who Ms. Hummer is? What makes you think you¡¯re worthy of going head¨Cto¨Chead with her? Do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused?¡± Dahlia scoffed with a frown. ¡°So what you¡¯re telling me.Is that I should¡¯ve just sat there and watched as you got brutally beaten up and humiliated?¡± Dustin sneered coldly. It didn¡¯t matter if Florence and the others didn¡¯t understand, but if Dahlia still insisted on pinning the me on him, then he¡¯d feel that all his efforts were for nothing. ¡°Don¡¯t you twist my words! I am trying to tell you to consider the consequences first before doing 19 anything! Not only did you get us into trouble, you even hurt your reputation in the process!¡± Dahlia retorted with a scowl on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not the type to dwell on the details. All I know is that I¡¯ll get revenge on anyone who crosses me!¡± Dustin said in a cold voice. ¡°You guys heard it yoursell! This kid is still as stubborn as ever! Thus, we must hand him over to the Hummers! ¡°Florence instigated as she gestured at two of the younger Nicholsons. The two immediately understood her intention and ced their hands on each side of Dustin¡¯s shoulders.¡± You¡¯d better be more cooperative with us, or else you¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to you!¡± Dustin frowned and was ready to pounce on them when Julle suddenly burst into the room with a panicked look on her face. ¡°This is bad, Auntie! The Hummers have brought their men here to kill us all!* Chanter 145 ¡°What?!¡± A collective gasp arose from everyone in the room as the news startled them. They thought it was already bad that the whole family got banned, but they never expected the Hummers to be this cruel. They were already knocking at their doors. Were they trying to drive them into a corner? ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over! We¡¯re dead meat this time!¡± ¡°How could this happen? Why can¡¯t the Hummers give us a break for once?¡± The crowd panicked and started jumping to their feet anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that damn bastard! It¡¯s all his fault!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The Hummers must havee for Dustin, so let¡¯s hand him over and we¡¯ll be all right!¡± Everyone in the crowd immediately turned their gazes to Dustin, causing a millionser¨Clike res to land on him at the same time. In their opinion, if they could sacrifice Dustin to save themselves, that would be the best course of action. Just as the crowd was still in an uproar, a group of people from the Hummer family started boldly entering the venue. The leader of the procession was Tina, who was sitting in a wheelchair, Following behind her were a few representatives from the Hummer family, as well as a few escorting bodyguards. At the time. Tina looked weak, as her eyes were half shut and half open. Both of her hands and feet were in casts, her entire face was bruised and swollen, and her features seemed to have been disfiguredpletely. If someone were not closely acquainted with her, they would have a hard time telling between her current and actual looks. ¡°M¨CMs. Hummer?¡± The crowd let out a gasp. Everyone from the Nicholsons was taken aback as they stared at the nearly paralyzed and disfigured Tina. Although they knew that she¡¯d gotten her ass beaten, they didn¡¯t expect it to be that bad. Her face had swelled up so much that it almost resembled a pig¡¯s head. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have believed that the young, spoiled¨Cto¨Cthe¨C coredy of the Hummer family would even live to see such a day. Wasn¡¯t this Dustin fellow too much for doing that though? ¡°D¨CDustin¡ªDon¡¯t tell me you were the one who beat Ms. Hummer up this badly?¡± One of the Nicholsons asked shakily as he looked at the others in shock.. ¡°Rhys! You¡¯d better admit everything by your own choiceter and not drag us into this!¡± Florence shouted as she broke into a nervous sweat. The situation was much direr than she had anticipated. James went straight to the point. After walking three steps forward, he immediately fell to his knees with a loud ¡°Thud¡± in front of the Hummers. The inertia generated by his fall caused his torso to slide forward by a few inches. ¡°Ms. Hummer, this has nothing to do with us! It was Dustin Rhys who beat you up, so if you want to plot your revenge, please just plot it on his head. Please spare our family!¡± James pleaded in desperation. Upon witnessing this, the majority of the Nicholsons unanimously approved of his actions on the inside. They admired him for his humble and responsible nature and thought of him as one of the good men in the Nicholson family. He was probably the type to rush forward in the face of danger too. They were certain that the Nicholson family would continue to thrive and prosper, what with such an outstanding individual in the family. ¡°Huh?¡± A collective gasp arose from the people from the Hummers. When they all saw James kneel on the floor, some of them exchanged nces with one another, completely dumbfounded by what had just happened in front of them. Shouldn¡¯t they be the ones apologizing? Howe it¡¯s the other way around now? What the hell was happening now? ¡°I suppose you must be mistaken about something, kid?¡± The butler of the Hummer family asked with perplexed look on his face. Even though he had imagined countless horrible scenarios that coulde out of this, this wasn¡¯t in his predictions at all ¡°Oh right, before I forget¡± before the butler could finish his sentence, James immediately assumed that the butler wasn¡¯t nning on letting them go. He turned around and started iling his hands in the air. ¡°Someone, anyone! Bring Dustin to me! I¡¯ll get him to bow down to the Hummers and beg for their forgiveness!¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Dustin said, shaking off the two men before he trudged forward. ¡°Everyone! That¡¯s him! He¡¯s the one who beat her up- James shouted while pointing at Dustin. When the Hummers finally saw what had unfolded in front of their eyes, their expressions changed dramatically and all of them fell to their knees with a loud ¡®Thud¡°. Chapter 146 ¡°Huh?!¡± James¡± jaw dropped to the floor looking at the representatives from the Hummer family kneeling toward him. Everyone¡¯s eyes were as big as saucers as they stared in disbelief. Who would¡¯ve thought that the high and mighty Hummer family would ever kneel toward them in their lives? Were these mega¨Cbigshots ever this humble before? What was wrong with them today? Were they sick or something? ¡°What¡¯s happening? Didn¡¯t the Hummerse to retaliate? Why are they all kneeling?¡± ¡°What are the Hummers doing? This isn¡¯t some kind of reverse psychology tactic, right?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s fishy here. I think this is part of their n!¡± As the Nicholsons continued to stare at the Hummers who were kneeling in front of them, not only were they not the least bit happy about this, but this even frightened them tremendously. Some of their legs even gave out as time passed. That was because the scene in front of them was too overwhelming for them to handle. To think that a mega bigshot would kneel for them? They couldn¡¯t even see it happening in their dreams. ¡°Forgive me. Ms. Nicholson. The Hummers were the ones who were at faultst night. Thus, we are gathered here today for the youngdy to offer her sincere apologies to you in person. I hope you can forgive us, Ms. Nicholson.¡± After Fletcher took the lead and spoke up, he immediately bent down and kneeled on the ground with the utmost sincerity. ¡°Our sincere apologies, Ms. Nicholson!¡± The representatives from the Hummer family shouted. All of them kneeled in unison afterward, without much thought for their reputation. Such a turn of events dumbfounded the Nicholsons yet again. So, it was true! The Hummers were apologizing to them! But the question now was, why? ¡°W¨Cwhy are you all? What is going on, Mr. Lawson?¡± Dahlia stuttered while lying on her hospital bed. She was so antsy about the situation that she immediately got out of bed. Weren¡¯t they here for revenge? Why were they kneeling toward her? ¡°The Hummers aren¡¯t unreasonable people. We admit our mistakes when we¡¯ve done wrong, so we hope that you can forgive us for our trespasses, Ms. Nicholson, Fletcher replied with his head lowered. ¡°What are you talking about, Mr. Lawson? Please get up quickly! I¡¯m afraid there has been a misunderstanding. We¡¯d already be d if the matter was dropped entirely. What other reason do we have to use the Hummer family of?¡± Florence apologized profusely with a big smile after she came to her senses. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s right! Please get up from the floor, Mr. Lawson!¡± The Nicholsons were still in a state of shock even now. To them, it was already a huge relief that the Hummers were willing to let the matter slide. They wouldn¡¯t ever have the guts to coerce them into apologizing to them. ¡°As long as you continue to refuse to ept our apology, we¡¯ll continue kneeling like this until the end of time. Ms. Nicholson.¡± Fletcher insisted stubbornly. ¡°Please get off the floor, Mr. Lawson. Let¡¯s just pretend none of this ever happened, alright? Dahlia spluttered. somewhat at a loss for words. Even though Tina was the one who was at fault, she ended up being the one who suffered more severe injuries than Dahlia. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. While she was expected to recover in about three to five days, she doubted if Tina could even get out of bed by herself without resting in bed for hall a month first. This was the main reason she was so speechless when she heard that Tina, a member of the usually pigheaded Hummer family, was even going to apologize to her. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Nicholson, for being so kind to us!¡± Fletcher eximed as his face lit up with joy. He proceeded to give her a bow before gesturing for the representatives from the Hummer family to get up off the floor. ¡°This is great. So it was a misunderstanding, after all. We should be fine now.¡± Florence let cut a long sigh of relief. Although she didn¡¯t know what had just happened, it was obvious that they managed to tide through this time of crisis unscathed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Peace and harmony bring wealth, after all!¡± James grinned, even though his back was drenched in a cold sweat. Just when everyone thought that they were sale, Dustin suddenly spoke out, ¡°Wait a minute. Tina was the one who beat Dahlia up, so it¡¯s only fair that she apologize too,¡± The crowd immediately burst into an uproar the moment they heard that. Some of the representatives from the Hummer family started exchanging nces with frowns on their faces. Meanwhile, it felt as if the Nicholsons had been struck by lightning, as all of them remained frozen on the spot. Was that man batshit crazy?! The Hummers had already announced that they nned to drop the matter entirely, so why was it that this man still insisted on courting death on their behall? It was one thing to beat her up and cause such a huge disaster to happen in the first ce, so why did he still insist on getting an apology out of Ms. Hummer when the Hummers had already decided to drop the matter? The fucking audacity of this bastard! ¡°Rhys! Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey? If you don¡¯t know what to say, then shut up!¡± The moment she reeled back from her shock, Florence barked at him out of fear, ¡°You little shit! If you want to fucking kick the bucket so much, why don¡¯t you keep us out of this!¡± James cursed and felt like going up to him to throw hands. ¡°Some balls you got. Rhys! The Hummers let you off by the grace of their hearts, and yet you still dare to say that so shamelessly! Do you want to die so badly?¡± To them, Dustin was a lunatic who spouted nonsense. Both parties had already reconciled with one another, so why bother stirring up trouble again? What if this angered the Hummers? Then, who would be the one to take the fall? ¡°Is it not right to seek an apology from someone who beat you up? Am I wrong?¡± Dustin asked inly. ¡°Shut the fuck up, Rhys! You¡¯re a nuisance. You¡¯re going to get us killed!¡± Florence jumped to her feet and cursed. ¡°Dustin! Please stop this, okay?¡± Dahlia pleaded as she broke out in a cold sweat too. She hadn¡¯t expected the man in front of her to spew such outrageous words from his mouth in their current predicament. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll shut up. I¡¯ll leave the rest up to all of you,¡± Dustin replied. Without saying anything more, he retreated to a corner, by his own admission. ¡°I think his brain must have been fried, Ms. Hummer. Thus, you shouldn¡¯t pay him any mind.¡± Florence immediately lunged forward to apologize, as she was afraid of offending the Hummer family. ¡°Yes, yes! This guy is a psychopath. He no longer has dealings with the Nicholsons.¡± James was also full of smiles as he feigned humility. However, instead of feeling any sort of relief, the representatives from the Hummer family turned extraordinarily gloomy instead. After Fletcher whispered a few words to Tina, who was nearly fully paralyzed in her wheelchair, Tina gritted her teeth and finally opened her mouth to croak something. 1¨CI¡¯m sorry¡­it was all my fault,¡± She said, out of breath. The whole room fell dead silent the moment she finished. Florence and the rest were even more shell¨Cshocked, as their expressions immediately twisted into shock. Did the spoiled youngdy of the Hummers, the one who called all the shots in Swinton, actually just apologize? Chapter 147 When Tina and her entourage left the scene, the Nicholsons still felt like they were in a daze. They were still reeling at the fact that the high and mighty youngdy of the Hummer family had not only pardoned their wrongdoings but was also the first to humble herself and apologize to them in person after getting her ass whooped. It was truly unfathomable! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Hummers today? Who knew that they could even be this humble?¡± ¡°I know, right? If I hadn¡¯t pinched mysell, I would have thought I was dreaming!¡± ¡°Could it be that Ms. Hummer genuinely realized her mistakes, and that¡¯s why she came over to apologize in person?¡± ¡°Nonsense! You overestimate how righteous the Hummer family can be!¡± The Nicholsons erupted into a flurry of discussion, and it seemed like it wasn¡¯t about to die down soon. ¡°This can¡¯t be Dustin¡¯s doing, right?¡± Julle asked herself with a suspicious look; she felt uneasy on the inside. Ever sincest night¡¯s beating session, Dustin had disyed a kind of calm that was umon in most people. As if he was confident that everything was going fine as nned. So, either he waspletely aware of the situation, or he was too good at hiding his emotions. Then again, when she thought back to the fact that he¡¯d been married to his cousin for three years and hadn¡¯t aplished much over the years, she found it incredibly hard to believe that he was the guy who brought the Hummers to their knees. Amid all the confusion, Matt Laney, who was dressed to the nines, suddenly strolled into the room. ¡°Huh, so everyone¡¯s already here. Just in time, too. I have good news for you all the ban by the Hummers has officially been lifted!¡± Matt announced the news with a big grin. ¡°I understand everything now! So, everything that happened just now was because of you, right Matt?¡± Florence probed, as she assumed she¡¯d seeded in connecting all the dots. Her gaze instantly perked up too. ¡°That¡¯s right! How did I forget that we still have Matt here with us!¡± James eximed aftering back to his senses. ¡°No wonder the Hummers apologized to us! So, after all, it was because Matt was secretly helping us behind the scenes!¡± ¡°Exactly! Who else could be this capable apart from Mr. Laney?¡± At that moment, all of the Nicholsons had starstruck looks on their faces. So the reason why the Hummer family decided to offer an apology was that Matt had pressed them to do so. behind the scenes. ¨C Chapter 14) That¡¯s right! That must be the case! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What just happened?¡± Matt asked around, confused. To think that they just bombarded him with things he didn¡¯t understand. Even if he had sharp wits, he was still unable to piece together everything that had happened yet. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide anything from us anymore, Matt. We all saw what you did. If not for you, how would Ms. Hummer even have apologized to us?¡± Florence said with a relieved look on her face. ¡°She apologized?¡± Matt repeated in disbelief, and his heart rate started to increase. He knew exactly the kind of person Tina was. To think that an obnoxious woman like her had shown up at one¡¯s door to apologize in person? ¡°Exactly, Matt! This time, not only did you tide the Nicholsons through our storms, you even managed to surprise our family. You are a great benefactor to our family!¡± James praised enthusiastically. *Thank you, Mr. Laney! You saved our whole family!¡± The Nicholsons shouted as they stretched out their hands to thank him profusely. ¡°Um¡ª¡± Matt trailed off in confusion. Immediately after reeling from his stupor, the ever¨Cquick¨Cwitted Matt shed a big smile. ¡°No need to be so polite, everyone. It was just something easy to take care of, I didn¡¯t even do much.¡± Although he had no idea what the context behind this was, he felt like he should just ept the Nicholsons¡± gratitude towards him. After all, who would think of turning down another¡¯s kindness? ¡°You¡¯re too modest, Matt! If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯m afraid the Nicholsons might have ended up in shambles!¡± James continued boasting. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Please, please, this is nothing.¡± Matt grinned and shook his head. His modest and courteous appearance was worthy of nothing but praise, after all. ¡°You got lucky this time, Rhys! I didn¡¯t expect you to get away with this! What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and bow down to Matt and give him your thanks now!¡± Florence yelled as she shifted her sharp gaze toward Dustin. ¡°You want me to bow down to thank him? On what grounds?¡± Dustin sneered out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯d better not be ungrateful! You were the one who beat someone up and caused such havoc in the first ce, so if it weren¡¯t for Matt, who saved your ass, do you think that you could even be standing here right now?¡± Florence retorted with a re. ¡°That¡¯s right! If it weren¡¯t for Matt, you would have died a hundred Ilmes over for beating someone up by now!¡± James echoed in agreement. ¡°You guys give Matt too much credit. He¡¯s not even remotely as capable as you think he is,¡± Dustin replied with a cold expression. He was even impressed at the mental gymnastics they performed to get to this point. To think that they dared to prop him up and hail him as if he were a savior without knowing the full story yet. And worst of all, Matt was just standing by and taking it all in. ¡°Hmph! Are you telling us that you¡¯re more capable than Matt? Why don¡¯t you look into the mirror and reflect on the kind of person you really are?¡± ¡°Yeah! People like you only know how to cause trouble and nothing else!¡± ¡°To think that there are people in this world who could be so heartless! Not only did he not thank his savior, he even talked shit about him! How disgusting!¡± The Nicholsons berated Dustin. They despised people like him who were hellbent on repaying good with evil from the bottom of their hearts. ¡°Is it so hard for you just to thank someone, Dustin? If it weren¡¯t for Matt, you might have been killed by now!¡± Dahlia suddenly piped up. To her, Dustin was still being ignorant until the bitter end. Compared to Matt saving his life, what was a mere thank you? ¡°I would have if he had actually helped me. But he didn¡¯t. In fact, not only did he not help me, he was the one who started this whole fiasco in the first ce!¡± Dustin replied tly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°Iran a background check and found out that Matt and Tina are lovers. Tina deliberately targeted you out of jealousy, thinking that you and he had some hanky panky going on behind the scenes. So, that was what led to the assault! In a nutshell, he¡¯s the true culprit all along!¡± Dustin dered firmly. ¡°Bullshit! Rhys! Not to insult you or anything, but Matt is an upright guy. He¡¯s not as bad as you say he is!¡± Florence cursed and jumped to her feet without waiting for Matt to respond. ¡°That¡¯s right! I think you¡¯re just jealous! You probably nted all kinds of evidence to frame him, knowing how much better he is than you!¡± James scolded. ¡°Oh, Dustin. Who knew you¡¯d be so despicable!¡± The Nicholsons scoffed. ¡°Why do you always insist on causing havoc, Dustin? Can¡¯t you be more mature and sensible for once?¡± Dahlia spat with a scowl However, it was fairly obvious to her that he had done all of that as a result of his jealous rage. ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Just ask Julie. She was the one who saw it allst night!¡± Dustin defended himself and pointed at something. Everyone¡¯s gazes immediately shifted to see what he was pointing at. Chapter 148 ¡°What, me? When all eyes fell on her, Julie couldn¡¯t help but be stunned and speechless for a while. She was just here for the show, so why did she get implicated in this whole mess when she was just another person in the crowd? ¡°Tell us everything you saw, and don¡¯t try to hide anything, Julie. I want to see how this punk can still argue his way out of this!¡± Florence ordered as she crossed her arms. ¡°Yeah, Julic. Just tell us everything that¡¯s or your mind. We must expose this punk for all his lies!¡± The Nicholsons spoke out in agreement. ¡°Um¨CBut before Julie could say anything, she stopped herself. Her response made the people in the crowd feel like she¡¯d be a loose cannon. This was especially true for Matt, as he stood there with his heart pounding out of his chest while his forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He¡¯d already been scared shitless when Dustin spoke out the truth just now, so if Julie also knew something and exposed him for being the one who lied instead, he¡¯d losece! ¡°I believe you know what happened yesterday the best. Julie. So, it¡¯s time to tell everyone the truth,¡± Dustin added tly. ¡°Stop this nonsense at once. Dustin! Save some face for yourself already.¡± Dahlia chided with a frown. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid, Julie. Your aunt here will back you up no matter what you say, so just tell us what you saw!¡± Florence said, acting all protective all of a sudden. ¡°Aboutst night Julie started and trailed off. After hesitating for a few seconds, she mustered up the courage to continue with a firm gaze. ¡°Yesterday night, I saw nothing and know nothing about the events that went down. All I knew was that Dustin was the one who beat up Ms. Hummer!¡± The moment she finished, Dustin froze on the spot. He didn¡¯t expect Julle topletely flip the story on its head in front of so many people like that. ¡°Did you hear that, Rhys? So, this is the whole truth! I can¡¯t wait to see how you¡¯re going to argue your way out of this!¡± Florence shouted even louder than before. ¡°Not only do you not know how to be grateful, but to think that you even resorted to repaying good with evil, Dustin! You really are shameless! The Nicholsons spal and shook their heads. They stare at him with looks of contempt and disdain. Now that the evidence was conclusive, no amount of arguing could ever get him out of this mess. ¡°Ugh.¡± Dahlia sighed as a look of disappointment appeared on herce. She had given him so many chances to back down, and yet the man still insisted on being as stubborn as ever. It was almost as it he wanted all of this to happen to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever offended you, so why do you insist on ndering my name, Dustin? It¡¯s a good thing that Julie has an upright character and helped me clear my name today. If not, I doubt if I could even recover from this!¡± Matt spat, feigning anger. He¡¯d been on tenterhooks the entire time, but he can¡¯t help but be secretly relieved now. ¡°You know exactly what you did. So stop pretending in front of me already.¡± Dustin snapped before turning his gaze to Julie. ¡°And as for you. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re lying right now. I¡¯m sure you know the kind of person Matt is very well. But if you insist on standing there and watching your cousin jump into a firepit, then I¡¯ve got nothing else to say to you.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense! What did I lie anout? It was clearly you who hit Ms. Hummer!¡± Julie insisted obstinately. ¡°Rhys! Now that your n to nder has failed, are you resorting to threatening people? Do you honestly think that we¡¯re afraid of you?¡± Florence shouted in fury. ¡°Stop this insanity, Dustin! Stop making a fool of yourself already!¡± Dahlia cried. She only hoped that could see himself and the reality of the situation now. Dustin ¡°Since you guys don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s just pretend that I said nothing today. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now,¡± Dustin shook his head as he decided not to argue with them any further. He then turned around to leave. He never asked for any reward or even gratitude, but he felt disappointed by their response today. ¡°Hold it right there! You¡¯ve ndered my name on multiple asions, and yet you still think of running away without giving me an apology first? Aren¡¯t you being a little pretentious right now?¡± Matt ordered. He had never liked Dustin, but to keep up his gentlemanly facade, he always tried to brush his ill feelings toward him aside. So, now that the opportunity to take out his anger hade, he naturally didn¡¯t want to let it go so easily. ¡°You want me to apologize to you? What makes you think that you¡¯re worthy of it?¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave if you don¡¯t apologize to me today!¡± Matt growled as he used his body to block. the doorway, his gaze menacing. He had practiced martial arts for a few years, so he thought it would be a breeze to put an average man like him in his ce. ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯d like to see if you can actually block my path. Dustin snorted coldly before pushing past Matt and walking out of the door. ¡°Thinking of leaving? I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± Matt shouted in rage as he grabbed Dustin¡¯s shoulder with one hand and shoved him hard. He thought that he could teach him a lesson by doing that. ¡°You darey a finger on me?¡± Dustin said coldly as he turned around. He then proceeded to give Mall a heavy p on his face, the sheer force of which sent Mali llying into the air. Two teeth could even be seen flying out of his mouth. ¡°Y¨Cyou actually dare to hit someone at this moment, Rhys?¡± Florence gasped in horror. She didn¡¯t think Dustin would be so bold as to assault someone In public. ¡°An animal! He¡¯s an animal!¡± ¡°Matt saved your life with good intentions, and yet you still did this to him! You¡¯re worse than a dog!¡± Everyone started cursing at Dustin angrily. Everything would¡¯ve been fine if he hadn¡¯tid a finger on Matt, but now that he had, everyone no longer held back their verbal assaults. ¡°Are you out of your mind. Dustin? Why are you beating people up now?¡± Dahlia scowled. She quickly went to help Matt up from the floor. To think that he¡¯d turned his embarrassment into anger and had even resorted to beating people up in public. This was unheard of!Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Can¡¯t you see that he was the one who threw hands first? Dustin retorted with a grimace. ¡°He merely grazed you, so why did you have to return the favor so harshly?¡± Dahlia probed with an icy re. ¡°So, are you telling me that it¡¯s fine if he does it? But when I do it back, I¡¯mmitting the greatest sin in all of humanity?¡± Dustin snickered. ¡°You¡¯re clearly just trying to force a point here! I hereby order you to apologize to Matt right now!¡± Dahlia red. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± Dustin frownes slightly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make you!¡± Dahlia shouted. With that, she pped him in the face in a fit of rage. Chapter 149 ¡°p!¡± A crisp noise sounded as Dahlia¡¯s handnded heavily on Dustin Rhy¡¯s face. Due to the excessive force she applied behind the p, the wounds on her hand that had just healed got torn open again, causing a stream of fresh blood to flow down her fingers. Dustin touched the side of his face that burned from the p and merely stood right where he was with a neutral expression on his face. He could take all the misunderstandings and contempt from other people, but he refused to ept the fact that his ex¨Cwife had just pped him on behalf of another man. ¡°Why? Why do you insist on being this way?¡± Dahlia said through gritted teeth as her eyes filled with tears and immense disappointment overtook her. She couldn¡¯t understand for the life of her why Dustin had be the person he was today. He was close- minded, full of jealousy, and a gossipmonger; he was even repaying kindness with evil now. All kinds of bad attributes were concentrated in the body of this man. She wanted this p to serve as a wake- up call to him! ¡°Hmph. Do you want to fight me, kid? Aren¡¯t you a little too young for that?¡± Matt couldn¡¯t help but sneer at him as he witnessed the two of them turn against each other. Although he had just lost two teeth, he couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat triumphant on the inside when he saw Dahlia p Dustin to stand up for him. ¡°That was a good p! He deserves to be pped!¡± Florence cheered as her eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you don¡¯t teach him a lesson, are you still considered human at that point?¡± James parroted out loud. ¡°Ha¡ª¡± Dustin suddenly let out a tired sigh after a long time of silence. After getting married for three years, the two had barely quarreled, let alone thrown hands at one another. Thus, this would be the first andst time this happened! ¡°That p just now was for everything I¡¯ve ever done to you in the past. From now on, you and I don¡¯t owe each other anything anymore,¡± Dustin said quietly. Dustin took a deep breath before calmly turning around to leave. There was no anger, noints¨Cjust an unexpected feeling of quiet indifference. ¡°Huh?¡± Dahlia gasped in shock as she stared at his defeated back. She¡¯d been rendered speechless for a while. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± Just then, they all heard a knock on the door. It turned out that Mr. Fletcher, who had taken his leave earlier, had returned. ¡°Huh? Where did Mr. Rhys go?¡± He asked as he scanned the room. ¡°Why are you looking for that punk, Mr. Fletcher?¡± Florence asked in surprise. ¡°Oh, Sir Hummer told me that he hopes to dispel all the bad blood the Hummer family has with Mr. Rhys, so he specially requested me to send him a gilt,¡± He replied. ¡°A gift?¡± Everyone looked at one another in confusion. ¡°You have got to be kidding us, right, Mr. Fletcher? How is that punk worthy of receiving a gift from Mr. Hummer himself?¡± Florence asked in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean ¡°how is he worthy¡®? Don¡¯t you know that he was the reason why the Hummers decided to lift the ban against the Nicholsons? And that he was also the one behind the apology? Mr. Fletcher replied, dumbfounded by their reactions. ¡°What?¡± A collective gasp could be heard in the room the moment he finished his sentence. The crowd was dumbfounded and filled with disbelief. They didn¡¯t hear him wrong, right? The person who had saved the Nicholsons and coerced the Hummers to give a public apology was Dustin? The trash that they¡¯d scoffed at and despised? H¨Chow was this possible! ¡°Y¨Cyou¡¯ve got to be joking, right, Mr. Fletcher? Are you telling us that Dustin was the one who saved us?¡± Florence asked with widened eyes, she found this fact difficult to ept. ¡°Who else do you think it was?¡± Mr. Fletcher asked seriously. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! Wasn¡¯t Matt the one who helped us? How was it that trash Dustin instead?¡± James shouted in rm and shook his head so vigorously it looked like a rattling drum. ¡°Matt Laney? He¡¯s nothing more than a washed¨Cup member of some family, so how capable can the man be? Obviously, not enough for the Hummers to lower their heads.¡± Mr. Fletcher scoffed before shooting Matt a look of disdain. Hearing that, every head in the crowd turned to look at Matt simultaneously. For a moment, Matt¡¯s cheeks turned bright red, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward. His reaction immediately proved that what Mr. Fletcher said was true. ¡°How could this have happened? Could it be that I¡¯ve misunderstood him?¡± Dahlia muttered to herself after a bolt of realization hit her. With that, she instantly rushed out of the room and chased after Dustin in the direction he seemed to have left 1. in. When she chased him to the gate, she looked at the figure about to get into the car. She immediately ran up to him and grabbed him by the sleeve. ¡°Dustin! Wait. I misunderstood you just now, I was too impulsive. I had no idea that you did all of this for us. especially the part where you had to carry so much on your shoulders. But why didn¡¯t you exin it to us? You were obviously the one who saved everyone, so why didn¡¯t you rily it with us?¡± Dahlia cried while biting her lips. Her face was twisted in pain. ¡°What use was there to exin everything? When have you ever belleved me?¡± Dustin shot back as he shook his head. There was no greater sorrow than death, and he had beenpletely let down by her. ¡°You should¡¯ve made it clear to me at the very least. How can I believe you when you don¡¯t tell me anything?¡± Dahliained angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not anymore. We¡¯re done here. Let go of me.¡± Dustin retorted as he broke away from her grasp with force. His gaze toward her made her feel like he was looking at a stranger. ¡°What do you want from me, Dustin? Can¡¯t you just stop being so impulsive all the time? Can¡¯t you just ask yourself if there¡¯s anything wrong with you? After all, you were the one who went out and beat up people who disagreed with you. If not for luck, do you think you could¡¯ve gotten out of there unscathed? All I¡¯m asking is for you to be more mature and sensible. Am I wrong for wanting that from you?¡± Dahlia shouted as his words struck a nerve inside her, causing her emotions to go out of control. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It was all my fault. I totally deserved that p, don¡¯t I?¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°You-¡± Dahlia wanted to say more but stopped herself. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. ¡°You¡¯ve always been this arrogant and self¨Crighteous woman to me, Dahlia. You were never one to admit your mistakes first. This has proven to be true on multiple asions, especially when you just need to put a bit more thought into something or perform a simple background check to get the desired oue. But as usual, you prefer to do nothing and only listen to the words you like to hear. This is why even now, you still have zero faith in me. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? You¡¯ve been living in your little bubble all this time, and you shut yourself off from anyone who tries to get near you. I admit, I tried my best to get to you back then, but now I¡¯ve decided to stop trying. I¡¯ve decided that this will be thest time I ever help you. I wish you all the best in your future Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. endeavors.¡± With that, Dustin got in his car and sped off. Meanwhile, Dahlia looked as if she had been struck by lightning, and she stood quietly in ce and did not say anything for a long time. I ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry! I had no idea that things would ever turn out like this!¡± Shemented to herself. ¡°I just wanted you to seed too. My only wish was for you to get ahead in life. I really had no idea that you¡¯d suffered this much. I was wrong; I was the one who was wrong all along! From the day of our divorce until now, I knew that I was the one who was in the wrong all along! I remember telling you that no one would be able to make me fall in love again, but in reality, there was already someone there all along. ¡°And that person was you! But knowing that in mind, do you know why I gave you up again at thest second? That¡¯s because Dustin, can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m still hopelessly in love with you?¡± She painfully admitted. Chapter 150 After staggering back to her ward, Dahlia felt as if her soul had left her body. She had a dead expression on her face, and her eyes were dull. She didn¡¯t realize that her bandaged hand was still dripping with blood. She remembered Dustin¡¯s disappointed gaze on her before he left, and it felt like a knife that kept stabbing at her heart. She knew that the two of them had grown further and further apart. In the past, she had always been career¨Coriented, as she was determined to carve her own path, which is why she ignored and sacrificed many things along the way. However, since the day of their divorce, she slowly started to realize something. It turns out that there are things in life that were more important than one¡¯s career. However, it was a shame that she only realized this now. ¡°Honey, I just heard that- Florence said as she burst into the room upon seeing Dahlia enter inside moments before. ¡°I just heard that it was that Rhys kid who was the one whoid hands on Ms. Hummer and used her life as bait to get the Hummer family to apologize to us. He was merely using underhanded tactics the entire time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This Dustin guy, to make a name for himself,mitted such heinous and shameless acts without a care for his reputation at all! James echoed. Initially, they were shocked to find out that Dustin was the one who had helped them behind the scenes, but after digging for more details, they realized that it wasn¡¯t that the Hummers were scared of Dustin, but that it was Dustin who used despicable means to get them to do what he wanted, which was why they came and Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. apologized in person. So although it seemed as though he was a force to be reckoned with, in reality, he had merely backed them into a corner! ¡°Mom, can you all just leave, please? I just want to be alone for now,¡± Dahlia responded tly, she didn¡¯t even flinch at the news. ¡°Honey, even if we¡¯ve misunderstood Dustin, so what? The matter still stands that he¡¯s the one who¡¯s at fault here. He was just making up for his mistakes. We don¡¯t owe him anything!¡± Florence continued. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Mom. I just want to rest now. Please go outside,¡± Dahlia requested again. ¡°But honey¡­¡± Florence whined. ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± Dahlia yelled sternly. Seeing the scowl on her face, Florence said nothing more and proceeded to usher everyone out of the room. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that the biggest contributor to the matter would be Dustin, while the person who surprised us the most was Mr. Laney.¡± *Fucking bigshots! To think we let him scare us like that. It¡¯s already a good thing that we didn¡¯t disturb him for anything!¡± ¡°And as for Matt. I suspect that he¡¯s so blinded by love for Dahlia that, to win her over, he resorted to trickery and lies,¡± Florence exined. ¡°If you ask me, a man like this who risked his life for love and even put his reputation on the line is truly worth giving yourself to for life!¡± ¡°All of you should learn from him from now on!¡± After their session of mental gymnastics, everyone turned from discussing how despicable Matt was to putting him on a pedestal instead. But the thing was, many of them seemed to agree with this. Back inside the ward, Dahlia sat frozen on the bed with an empty gaze for a long time. She had no idea how much time had passed since the first tear started dripping down her face and when her shoulders started shaking profusely. Finally, not able to withhold her emotions anymore, she cradled her head between her knees and violently broke down in tears! She didn¡¯t shed a tear when thepany was in danger. She shed no tears when somebody brutally humiliated her. She also didn¡¯t cry when she was beaten up or tortured in a variety of ways. This was the first time she had ever cried this hard and this heartbreakingly. Over at the Hummer Vi, Tina was sitting in her wheelchair with a look of resignation and anger. ¡°Dad! The Hummers have never suffered such great humiliation before! You must avenge me no matter what!¡± She ordered with gritted teeth. ¡°Of course, we have to take our revenge, but you shouldn¡¯t underestimate this punk either. Thus, we must be fully prepared if he stirs up havoc again.¡± Edwin said seriously. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let anyone who dared toy a finger on the Hummers go that easily. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Lawson proficient in mystic arts? Why don¡¯t we just have him use the most powerful mystic arts on Dustin so that he gets tortured half to death?¡± Tina suggested, her voice full of resentment. ¡°It¡¯s no use. Not only is he a powerful martial artist, but he¡¯s also equally proficient in poison. He even managed to break the venomous mystic arts I used on the Harmons, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do anything toward him at the moment.¡± Fletcher, who was standing at a corner, answered. ¡°Then what should we do? If we don¡¯t cut him into pieces, I don¡¯t think my hatred toward him is ever going to subside!¡± Tina shouted with a fierce gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush things. Just hold it in for a few more days. I¡¯ve already informed your brother about this matter. After he clears customs in a few days, he¡¯ll make his return to Swinton, and that¡¯s when he¡¯ll exact your revenge for you. When that timees, I doubt if the punk can make any waves, no matter how strong he is!* Edwin said as he narrowed his eyes. What he was most proud of in his life was not his status as the richest man in Swinton, but rather the fact that he was the father of an excellent individual named Joshua Hummer. Joshua grew up practicing martial arts and was so talented that at the age of 15, he was able to defeat all of his challengers in the entirety of Swinton. When he was 18, he had the honor of joining Boulderthorn and was trained under Clement Lincoln. Now at the age of 25, he was already in the top ranks and dubbed to have a promising future. Not to mention that he was also known as one of the top ten young martial arts masters in the province.. In no time, he was even expected to surpass Tyler, who was regarded as a natural talent! ¡°Perfect! Then, I will let Dustin live for a few more days. Once Brother returns, I will make sure he¡¯ll be begging for his life once I¡¯m done with him!¡± Tinaughed maniacally. To Tina, her brother was a god who had the power to do anything for her. No matter how difficult the task was, he could get it done as if it was a walk in the park. Thus, wouldn¡¯t it be a breeze to deal with a mere martial artist this time around? ¡°Sir Hummer, since Joshua is scheduled to return, then we shouldn¡¯t fear Dustin anymore. I propose that our main target now be the Harmon family instead! The production of Eternumax is being rushed and is taking shape now, so now should be the ideal time for us tounch our attack.¡± Mr. Lawson suggested. ¡°Good idea! Schedule a press conference to announce our new pill in three days then. Since Natasha is willing to give her face away. I¡¯ll make sure she never recovers from this! Edwin proimed as he balled up one of his hands into a fist. He had balled it up so hard that one could hear his fingerbones crackle. At best, Dustin was just a stumbling block, while Natasha was a thorn in his side. He must get rid of both of them as soon as possible! Chapter 151 Back at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin downed ss after ss of wine without stopping, trying to numb himself with alcohol. Although he was expressionless, inwardly he couldn¡¯t help feeling frustrated. Maybe he should finally let go of his past rtionship and move on. ¡°Doctor! Doctor!¡± Just as Dustin felt a little tipsy, a hurried knock was heard at the door. When he opened the doors, two beautiful young women were standing outside. One of them was dressedpletely in white and looked like an angel from heaven. The aura she gave off was pure and innocent. The other woman was fully dressed in a ck bodysuit that showed off her curves. She had prominent. features that made her appear tough and masculine. However, she was bleeding profusely from the injury on her abdomen. Her face was drawn and pale from excessive blood loss. ¡°Excuse me, is the doctor in? My friend is severely injured and needs immediate treatment!¡± The woman in white said in distress. ¡°I am the doctor,e in.¡± Dustin showed them in. ¡°Thank you so much! udia, let¡¯s go inside.¡± The woman replied gratefully and turned to her friend, the woman in ck. ¡°Wait a minute! She, I smell alcohol on him. He must be a drunkard, I don¡¯t trust this guy! udia Doyle furrowed her brows. ¡°But you lost so much blood. If you don¡¯t receive treatment as soon as possible, you might die!¡± She Murray spoke with a worried expression. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can hang on a little longer until support arrives. Anyway, I¡¯m not going to entrust my life into a drunkard¡¯s hands!¡± udia gritted her teeth in determination. Her injury wasn¡¯t superficial. Even skilled doctors would have difficulty treating her injury, let alone a doctor who seemed to be drunk. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but will the support you mentioned arrive within 30 minutes?¡± Dustin asked indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± udia retorted. ¡°Alright then, just letting you know. ording to experience, with the amount of blood you lost, you will be dead in 30 minutes.¡± Dustin gave udia a quick nce and came to a diagnosis. ¡°Nonsense! Do you think I will be convinced by your threats? I am well¨Cacquainted with fraudsters like you!¡± udia hissed. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to believe it or not. However, If you are going to die, don¡¯t die at my doorstep. I don¡¯t want to have to clean up your mess.¡± Dustin waved them away. ¡°You-!¡± udia¡¯s body jerked suddenly as she spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Dustin decided to close the door on them. ¡°Wait! Please wait! Sir, I apologize on behalf of udia for being disrespectful. Please don¡¯t hold it against her. However, you seem like a good person. I beg you, please save udia! We will definitely repay your kindness!¡± She stopped Dustin from closing the door. ¡°She, why are you begging him? Even if I die, I will not let him treat me!¡± udia said stubbornly. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not willing to save her. She¡¯s the one who refused to be treated by me. If she does survive this injury, you really need to get her brain checked. Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s being so retarded.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°You bastard!¡± udia clenched her jaw in anger. She tried to stand up to give Dustin a piece of her mind when she suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground in a heap. She might have fainted from Dustin¡¯s provocation instead of from her injuries. ¡°udia!¡± She anxiously tried to pull udia up from the ground, but she did not have the strength. She turned to Dustin and pleaded, ¡°Please help udia, I¡¯m begging you! I have the money to repay you. As long as you are willing to save her, I¡¯ll give you anything you ask for!¡± Tears ran down her cheeks. She was a pitiable sight. Dustin was weak to a woman¡¯s tears. He sighed and nodded. ¡°Alright, on ount of your sincerity, I¡¯ll save her this time around.¡± He grabbed udia¡¯s cor, lifted her like a sack of potatoes, and carelessly chucked her onto the bed. She suspected that Dustin was paying udia back for her insolence earlier. ¡°Miss. take off her clothes. I will stop the bleeding.¡± Dustin instructed her. She nodded eagerly. ¡°Okay!¡± In a few minutes, she had undressed udia, exposing her bodypletely. Dustin turned back and had the shock of his life. ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t mean for you to strip her naked. At least keep her underwear and bra on!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She blushed beet red and quickly put udia¡¯s underwear back on. She was too anxious just now and misunderstood Dustin¡¯s Instructions. Thank goodness udia was unconscious. It would have been extremely awkward if she weren¡¯t. Dustin breathed a sigh of relief. Although he briefly caught sight of udia¡¯s figure, It was obvious that the woman lying on the bed had a curvaceous body. The superficial wound on udia¡¯s abdomen wasn¡¯t too serious. Dustin sewed her up and dressed the wound to prevent more blood loss. For her internal injuries, medication would be needed. ¡°Alright, she is out of danger now. I¡¯ll give her a prescription, and she¡¯ll be fine after a few days,¡± Dustin said as he quickly wrote out a prescription for udia. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± She replied gratefully. As Dustin handed the prescription to She, he identally touched her hand. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Miss, your condition seems to be worse than your friend¡¯s!¡± *I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just a chronic illness.¡± She smiled wryly. Since she was young, she had always suffered from the cold. For her illness, she was ustomed to taking multiple medications a day. ¡°You¨C¡± Dustin was going to probe further before She got distracted by udia, who was regaining consciousness. ¡°udia, are you awake? How are you feeling?¡± She asked, delighted at her unexpected recovery. ¡°She? Where am I?¡± udia looked around suspiciously. ¡°This man saved you, he is a skilled doctor. With just a few stitches, your wounds had stopped bleeding!¡± She gushed. ¡°No one asked for his help!¡± Taking a look at her bandages, udia muttered under her breath. ¡°udia! He saved you out of kindness, how could you be so rude?¡± She said, annoyed. ¡°She, you¡¯re too naive. There is no knowing what is in a man¡¯s heart. Many things are not what they seem. Who knows, maybe he saved me with an ulterior motive!¡± udia said cynically. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I believe he is a good person!¡± She was obstinate. ¡°Miss, your words are like music to my ears. Unlike some, who have no sense of gratitude.¡± Dustin said sarcastically. udia opened her mouth to retort before she was interrupted by the ruckus outside. Loud stomping and gruff voices could be heard on the other side of the door. ¡°Boss, their tracks end right here. They must be hiding inside!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach them to run from me! Boys! Surround the medical center. Make sure that even a bug can¡¯t escape!¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The doors of the center were violently busted open. Chapter 152 A resounding crash was heard as the doors to the center were busted open. Without hesitation, seven masked assassins swarmed Into the center. ¡°Shit! They caught up to us!¡± udia cursed. They were ambushed by these assassins, who wiped out their team of bodyguards. Only udia and She managed to break through the siege and escape. udia thought that they had shaken off the pursuit. Unfortunately, the assassins were relentless. ¡°She, I¡¯ll hold them back. You have to escape through the back door!¡± udia whispered. ¡°If I escape, you will definitely be killed, I am their target, so they will not hurt me. I¡¯ll let them take me as a hostage.¡± She¡¯s face was pale. ¡°She! As your personal bodyguard, my duty is to ensure your safety. Listen to me!¡± udia stood in front of She resolutely, protecting her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to argue. We will be taking the both of you!¡± A bald manughed evilly as he walked in. Unlike the other assassins, this man wasn¡¯t masked and emitted a murderous aura. ¡°Thor Garcia?¡± udia¡¯s eyes narrowed. Thor Garcia was one of the Four Scoundrels, infamous for conducting illegal raids and providing hitmen services in exchange for money. They were excellent martial artists and money¨Cgrubbing lunatics. Their names struck fear into everyone who heard of their reputation. ¡°Oh, my! What an honor for Ms. Doyle to recognize me!¡± The bald man said with a mocking smile. ¡°Thor Garcia! Regardless of how much you werepensated for this assignment, I will double it if you let us go!¡± udia offered. ¡°Ms. Doyle, I may love money, but I¡¯m more interested in your value. As long as I capture both of you, money will naturally roll in!¡± Thorughed, ¡°There will be terrible consequences if you harm us in any way!¡± udia warned him again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to harm both of you. I just need your identities for a deal. It would be better for you not to retaliate. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety. Get them!¡± Thor smirked and gestured to his men. The assassins behind him leaped forward to capture them. ¡°She, run!¡± udia shouted as she rushed forward, ignoring her weakened condition. Her movements were quick as lightning, and her attacks were ruthless. Even though she was severely injured. she single¨Chandedly fought against the group of assassins. It was obvious that her skills were top¨Cnotch as she put up a good fight. ¡°Having such formidable internal energy at such a young age, It is no wonder that you are from a martial arts family. I¡¯m envious of your natural talents. However, it¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re stillcking in terms of experience.¡± Thor narrowed his eyes. When udia was distracted by the assassins, Thor saw an opening and sneakily attacked her from behind. Blood spurted out from her mouth as she was thrown backward and crashed against a table. *udia!¡± She cried. ¡°That¡¯s a despicable move!¡± udia gritted her teeth and red at Thor. ¡°Despicable or not, it doesn¡¯t matter when I am thest person standing.¡± Thor scoffed, without an ounce of shame. ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯m your real target, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ll go with you! However, you must let udia and that man go!¡± She spread her arms wide with her back towards udia. ¡°Ms. Murray, you are in no position to negotiate with us.¡± Thorughed. ¡°If you refuse, I¡¯ll kill myself! Then, you will have nothing to show for your efforts!¡± Suddenly, She pressed a knife to her neck. The determination in her eyes was zing as she red at Thor. ¡°Stop, Ms. Murray! Don¡¯t be so reckless!¡± Thor was caught by surprise. This youngdy was precious cargo. If any harm came to her, he would be in huge trouble! ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself. Will you agree to let them go?¡± She increased the pressure on the knife, and a trickle of blood flowed down her neck. ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll do what you say! As long as you leave quietly with us. I¡¯ll let them go!¡± Thor nodded hastily. ¡°She, stop it! What are you doing?¡± udia screamed. She scrambled to stand up but failed due to her severe injuries. ¡°udia, this is the best solution right now. You need to stay alive. Besides, they won¡¯t hurt me.¡± She squeezed out a forced smile. She knew what they were here for. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t be in immediate danger. ¡°Ms. Murray, time is running out. Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Thor showed her to the doors. Holding the knife to her neck, She walked in silence. The assassins were lined up in two rows as they eyed her fiercely. ¡°Stop right there! Are you going to leave just like that?¡± Dustin, who had remained silent all this while, spoke 1. up. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? Are you trying to be a hero?¡± Thor turned to him and growled. Anyone who tried to stop him would be beaten into a pulp until he begged for mercy! ¡°You kicked my doors down, destroyed my fumiture, and now you are leaving without any compensation? How shameless could you be?¡± Dustin said nonchntly. Everyone was dumbstruck at his request. No one expected Dustin to ask forpensation at this juncture. ¡°Punk! Are you fucking kidding me? How dare you ask forpensation? Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Thor cackled. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Even if the emperor himself turns up, no one is allowed to leave without paying!¡± Dustin demanded. Thor and his men roared withughter at Dustin, thinking that he had lost his mind. ¡°Stop talking any further! You are no match for these men!¡± She motioned to Dustin. ¡°Do you have a death wish? These men will murder you without a second thought. How dare you ask them for money?¡± udia frowned. Did this man have a screw loose? Wasn¡¯t he aware of how dangerous a situation he was in? ¡°Murder? Shouldn¡¯t they pay up for causing damage to the property regardless?¡± Dustin reasoned. ¡°You-!¡± udia choked on her saliva. What nonsense was this man spouting? She just told him that Thor was a heartless murderer. How could this man be so persistent about gettingpensated? Was it worth it to lose his life over mere pennies? Chapter 153 After catching his breath, Thor wheezed. ¡°Punk, you have some guts! It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw a reckless fellow like you!¡± ¡°Shut up and pay up already!¡± Dustin demanded impatiently. His mood was already ruined. These men needed to be taught a lesson for creating a mess on his property. ¡°You really have a death wish! Boys, break his limbs! Let¡¯s see whether he dares to talk back after this!¡± Thor smirked and gestured to his men. ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Without a second thought, the assassins swung their weapons at Dustin, with the intent to harm him. ¡°Hey! You said you would let him go!¡± She shrieked. ¡°Ms. Murray, I did agree to not kill him. However, he seems to be dissatisfied with us. It would be rude to not teach him a lesson!¡± Thor had a cunning smile on his face. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, they were interrupted by the cries of pain from the assassins. Before the assassins could rush up to Dustin, they fell over one by one, as if they had been struck by lightning. All of the assassins were paralyzed and unable to move. After careful inspection, Thor realized that there were silver needles pierced into their necks! ¡°How could this be?¡± Thor¡¯s lips trembled as a chill ran down his spine. He knew what these silver needles were used for. They could be used for acupuncture or as a hidden weapon. However, he had never seen a technique where multiple hidden needles could be simultaneously shot at the same time. ¡°How could this guy execute stealth attacks with hidden needles?¡± udia was secretly shocked as well. Needles were one of the hardest weapons to master,pared to other hidden weapons. Not only did it require deadly uracy, but perfecting its technique required persistent and grueling training. ¡°Punk! Who the hell are you? How dare you poke your nose into my business?¡± Thor narrowed his eyes as he drew his sword. ¡°Give me mypensation,¡± Dustin insisted stubbornly. ¡°Bastard!¡± Thor was furious. Without warning, he threw a fistful of dust into Dustin¡¯s eyes. After that, he pulled out his sword and rushed toward Dustin, using the dust as a smokescreen. Thor had used this tactic many times. When his opponent was taken by surprise, he would stab them with his sword. Stronger men than himself had fallen for this sneak attack. However, Dustin did not dodge. With a wave of his hand, the dust cleared Immediately. Dustin flicked two needles from his fingers, which flew swiftly and pierced into Thor¡¯s knees, causing him to scream in pain. Thor¡¯s legs crumpled from under him, and he crashed to his knees. His heavy sword fell to the ground with a ng. ¡°H¨CHow could this be?¡± Thor widened his eyes in horror. How could Dustin¡¯s aim be so urate when the dust was obstructing his vision? What¡¯s more, his legs became as heavy as lead after Dustin attacked him with needles. ¡°The only skills you have are the tricks up your sleeve. Your fighting abilities, on the other hand, aren¡¯t that impressive.¡± Dustin remarked condescendingly. An oppressive aura pressed on Thor¡¯s body as he gasped for air, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless! I have nothing against you, there¡¯s no need for you to kill me!¡± Thor pleaded for his life. He thought that he had a perfect n in ce. Who would have expected a troublemaker to turn up and make everything go awry? ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything against you before this, but now I have,¡± Dustin said as he inserted another needle into Thor¡¯s neck. With a jerk, Thor¡¯s limbs were paralyzed. Inside Thor¡¯s sleeve, there was a poisonous arrow that shone with an eerie light. Thor had nned to attack Dustin with that arrow! ¡°Miss, you can deal with these men. Do whatever you want with them!¡± Dustin patted the dust from his clothes and sat down on a chair nearby. This youngdy had a good heart, so he didn¡¯t mind extending a helping hand. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re an amazing fighter!¡± She eximed with delight. She had almost lost hope. Who knew that the doctor of this medical center was also a master of hidden weapons? He single¨C handedly finished off all the assassins! ¡°What¡¯s so great about using hidden weapons? There¡¯s no honor in stealth attacks!¡± udia scoffed. Being born into a family of martial artists, she had no respect for people who engaged in sneak attacks and underhanded methods. To be fair, she was a victim of Thor¡¯s sneak attack which caused her to be severely injured. As udia thought of this, anger burned within her. udia picked up the sword from the ground and held it to Thor¡¯s neck. ¡°Speak! Who sent you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Being a hitman, I am employed to kill, steal, and destroy. As long as they pay up, we don¡¯t care for whom we work,¡± Thor replied with difficulty. ¡°How dare you lie to me!¡± udia sliced the tendons on his arms and legs. Thor screamed in agony,rge beads of sweat rolling down his face. ¡°I¡­I really don¡¯t know. In terms of business deals, I receive instructions from a superior. I¡¯m just following orders!¡± ¡°You are making things difficult for me. I have little patience. If you make me wait any longer, say goodbye to your jewels.¡± udia ced the sword at Thor¡¯s crotch. ¡°Please don¡¯t! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Thor screamed as he grimaced in pain. ¡°The person who employed us to kidnap Ms. Murray is¡­¡± Before Thor could finish the sentence, he suddenly convulsed on the spot, spitting out blood that was ck in color. After a few seconds, he was as dead as a doornail. ¡°Is he dead?¡± udia was taken aback by the strange urrence. Wasn¡¯t he fine just a minute ago? How could he die so suddenly? While she mused over his death, Thor¡¯s abdomen visibly swelled up. Something seemed to be crawling under the surface of his skin. A spider emerged from his belly button, followed by a whole swarm of spiders, crawling all over Thor¡¯s lifeless body. It was a revolting sight to see. ¡°What are all these spiders doing inside his body?¡± She staggered backward in shock. At that moment, Dustin smirked. ¡°Interesting. Having the ability to activate venomous curses from afar, the person who employed Thor to kidnap you must be very powerful!¡± Chapter 154 ¡°Venomous curses? How could you be certain? Are you familiar with curses?¡± udia asked, puzzled. ¡°I know a little.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Only shady, wicked characters would learn the art of venomous curses. As expected, you are not a good person! Speak up, who are you?¡± udia lifted the sword and pointed it at Dustin. ¡°udia! What are you doing? He is our savior!¡± She quickly stood in front of Dustin to protect him. ¡°She, get out of the way. This man is being suspicious. I must investigate him thoroughly.¡± udia¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡°Before you investigate me, I rmend that you get your head checked.¡± Dustin rubbed his temples. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that curses can be used to heal? Of course, many nefarious viins use curses for their own benefit. However, not everyone is as bad as you imagine. It depends on the user¡¯s character. Besides, the martial arts families aren¡¯t as innocent as you make them out to be. Crimes such as piging, corruption, and rape are rampant within the martial arts circle as well!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense! In my opinion, you are just quibbling!¡± udia denied. ¡°Quibbling? Look at what you are doing now. Do martial artists like you treat their saviors in such a disrespectful manner? Are you going to bite the hand that fed you?¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°You¡­¡± udia was at a loss for words. ¡°udia, stop using him! If he is really a bad person, why would he save us?¡± She frowned. ¡°Who knows, maybe he has an ulterior motive!¡± udia insisted. However, her tone was much softer now that she had calmed down. She knew for a fact that logic wasn¡¯t on her side. Suddenly, a loud car horn was heard outside the medical center. More than 10 Hummer vehicles stopped outside the doors of the medical center. As the car doors opened, a swarm of bodyguards appeared and surrounded the center immediately. ¡°Finally, the support team is here!¡± Sheughed with delight. ¡°She! udia! Are you alright?¡± A handsome young man stepped into the room. He was tall and well¨Cbuilt, with a sharp gaze. His noble aura was not that of an ordinary person. ¡°We are fine, thanks to this man who saved us,¡± She replied cheerfully. ¡°Oh, really? She, you can only know a man¡¯s face but not his heart. You should stay away from any. strangers when you are out and about.¡± Xavier Horst sized Dustin up, his gaze was Judgmental. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± She frowned. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just giving you some advice,¡± Xavier said with a smile. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. He motioned to his men to clean up the scene. ¡°She, let¡¯s not waste any time. We should head back home immediately. Aunt Lily is waiting for us,¡± udia urged. Although the support team had arrived, this ce wasn¡¯tpletely safe. ¡°Thank you so much for your help, I¡¯ll be sure to repay your kindness. Goodbye for now,¡± She thanked Dustin warmly and turned to leave. ¡°Miss, your chronic illness has been suppressed for a long time, it might get out of control soon. You should get it treated early to prevent any life¨Cthreateningplications.¡± Dustin blurted out. When he touched her skin, he noticed that her body temperature was lower than normal. Upon closer inspection, he could roughly infer that the illness troubling her wasn¡¯t amon ailment. ¡°Hmph! Nonsense!¡± udia curled her lip in disbelief. ¡°Thank you, I will be more careful!¡± She smiled brightly and waved goodbye. Xavier felt a little jealous when he noticed She being so friendly to Dustin. After She got into the car, he red at Dustin. ¡°A word of advice for you, punk. Stay away from She if you know what¡¯s good for you! Otherwise, be prepared for the consequences!¡± With that, he strode out of the center. In his opinion, beggars like Dustin did not even have the right to converse with him. ¡°What a lunatic.¡± Dustin shook his head and continued drowning himself in alcohol. Evening, at Fallridge Haven. She was eating her dinner while telling her parents everything that had happened. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m telling you, that man was so amazing. Just two flicks of his wrist, and all the bad guys were killed!¡± She described the situation eagerly. She even acted out a scene for her parents. ¡°Really? I never thought that a small ce like Swinton would have such a talented young man. I would like to meet him one day.¡± Her mother, Lily Doyle, smiled affectionately at her daughter. Her father, Caden Murray, banged on the table. ¡°Hmph! How dare you disobey me! Haven¡¯t I warned you? Do not go out and explore without permission! You were lucky that nothing terrible had happened. If you weren¡¯t, you could have died today!¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s just an ident. Those bad people were too sneaky. They poisoned and attacked us when we weren¡¯t prepared, and that¡¯s why udia fell into their trap. Otherwise, no one could have hurt me!¡± She pouted. ¡°In the martial arts world, winning is everything. No one cares about honor inbat! Anyway, you are not allowed to leave Fallridge Haven without permission!¡± Caden continued in annoyance. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t go out anymore. Please don¡¯t be angry at me!¡± She pouted coquettishly. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I had enough of you today, now go and lie down on your emerald bed. You need more rest!¡± Caden ordered. ¡°Okay.¡± Without another word, She quickly left and ran to her room. ¡®Because of her illness, she and her parents would travel to Fallridge Haven every year to regain her health. Once her condition improved, they would only leave. ¡°Lily, when will the Gozoraberry arrive from Stoneray Valley?¡± Caden spoke up. ¡°I think it will arrive soon. Why do you ask? Is it urgent?¡± Lily replied. ¡°She¡¯s illness has been acting up more frequently. The sunburst emerald bed at Fallridge Haven seems to be not having as much of an effect these days. We have to think of other solutions,¡± Caden said gravely. ¡°How could this be? Isn¡¯t she getting better?¡± Lily frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. I have asked Malcolm Shane, the miracle doctor, to have a look at She¡¯s condition. Once he arrives, he will definitely have some idea on how to treat her illness.¡± Caden forced a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Lily nodded thoughtfully. Her daughter¡¯s rare disease had been troubling her all her life and seemed to be incurable. She hoped that this t¨ªme, her daughter could be fully healed. Chapter 155 The next morning, Dustin was awakened by someone knocking on his door. He opened the door to see Hunter at his door. ¡°Mr. Anderson, what brings you here so early in the morning?¡± Dustin yawned. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good news, Mr. Rhys!¡± Hunter eximed with excitement. ¡°The rare herb that you¡¯re looking for, the Gozoraberry, I know where we can find it!¡± ¡°Gozoraberry? Are you sure?¡± Dustin¡¯s interest was piqued. The Gozoraberry was rare and hard toe by. As with all other rare herbs, it was invaluable. If he could get his hands on the Gozoraberry, then he would only need three more precious herbs to make the Longevitum! ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure! The Gozoraberry used to be a treasure from Stoneray Valley, but recently, someone bought it at an exorbitant price. And that person happens to be staying at Fallridge Haven!¡± Hunter nodded. ¡°Oh? Who is it?¡± Dustin raised a brow. ¡°It¡¯s Caden Murray!¡± Hunter said. ¡°Caden Murray? What does he need the Gozoraberry for?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had never met Caden, but he used to have some connections with the Murrays. ¡°I heard that his daughter has some sort of disease, and he needs the Gozoraberry to cure her of that.¡± ¡°His daughter¡­ Is it She Murray?¡± ¡°Oh, you know Miss Murray?¡± Hunter was a little surprised. ¡°I guess so. I just met her yesterday.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Mr. Rhys, how do you think we should go about this?¡± Hunter inquired. ¡°I absolutely need to get my hands on the Gozoraberry. I guess we have no choice but to make a trip to Fallridge Haven today!¡± Without any time to waste, Dustin got himself ready and got into Hunter¡¯s car. The Gozoraberry was very important to him, and those precious herbs were usually hard toe by. If this berry passed him by, he knew he would nevere across another. Hence, he had to act on it right then and there. 30 minutester, Dustin found himself in a lounge in Fallridge Haven. Caden Murray was seated in the middle of the lounge, and he looked down his nose at Dustin and Hunter. As he had long been in a position of power, he carried an intangible air of authority about him. Even a person like Hunter, who had been through a lot, could not help feeling a sense of inferiority. The Murrays were a family with a military background. Caden¡¯s father, Christopher Murray, was a general who had fought in numerous battles and had a myriad of meritorious achievements. As his first¨Cborn son, Caden was also a high¨Cranking military officer who was of great influence in the army. ¡°Mr. Anderson, what is the purpose of your visit today?¡± Caden asked. ¡°Mr. Caden, to be honest, we are here for the Gozoraberry.¡± Hunter did not beat around the bush. ¡°The Gozoraberry? Mr. Anderson, seems like you are very well¨Cinformed on the matter. But I have a use for the Gozoraberry, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you.¡± Caden lifted his gaze. ¡°If you are nning to use the Gozoraberry to cure your daughter of the disease, I think that it would not be necessary, as the Gozoraberry is merely a temporary remedy that will notpletely cure her of it. It would not be of much help,¡± Dustin stated bluntly. ¡°What? And who might you be? It¡¯s not your turn to speak here.¡± Caden glowered at him. ¡°Mr. Murray, this is Dustin Rhys, he¡¯s a friend of mine. He saved your daughter yesterday,¡± Hunter hurriedly exined. ¡°Oh, so you were the one who helped She yesterday?¡± Caden¡¯s expression eased up. ¡°Name it, what are you asking for aspensation? Money? Or goods?¡± In his eyes, Dustin was clearly here to ask for something in return. Of course, the Murrays¡® had money to spare, so he wasn¡¯t very bothered by it. ¡°I want the Gozoraberry.¡± Dustin cut straight to the chase. Caden made a face when he heard that. ¡°Young man, if it were riches or jewelry that you were asking for, I would agree to it in a heartbeat, but the Gozoraberry is the one thing that I cannot give you. I need it to cure. my daughter of a disease!¡± ¡°I just told you that the Gozoraberry would not be able to cure She of her disease. However, I am able to do just that,¡± Dustin promised. ¡°You can cure her? And why should I trust you?¡± Dustin was starting to get on Caden¡¯s nerves. This rascal did not know his ce. Did he think he could do as he pleased, just because he had saved his daughter once? ¡°Has your daughter been suffering from chills ever since she was young, and does she get a terrible bout of viral infection every month or so?¡± ¡°So what if she does?¡± Caden raised his brows. ¡°That¡¯s because She has Prfrost. Over the years, a venom called Havaska has formed within her body, and the venom can only be temporarily suppressed by medication. However, that will not eradicate the disease from within her. To do so, we will need to take a different approach by improving her cirction and thus raising her metabolism,¡± Dustin expounded. ¡°Hah! Utter rubbish! Prfrost? That sounds downright ridiculous, and I¡¯ve never even heard of it before!¡± Caden roared, upset. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that you¡¯ve never heard of It before. Just let me meet She and I can prove my point,¡± Dustin requested. ¡°That would not be necessary. I can handle my daughter¡¯s situation myself. I do not need any help. Please, show yourself out!¡± Caden ordered. Wasn¡¯t it just in absurd for a random fellow to just show up out of nowhere and im that he was able to cure his daughter of a disease that had gued her for over 20 years? And what¡¯s more, it was a disease that even the top medical experts in the nation were helpless against. What made this young man think that he would be able to eradicate it? ¡°Mr. Murray, it would not do She any good to wait any longer. I hope you will consider my proposition,¡± Dustin reminded him. ¡°Get out!¡± Caden mmed his fist on the table, enraged. ¡°Since you do not trust me, Mr. Murray, then I¡¯ll be taking my leave. Right, I have a pill with me here. You can give this to She when the virus attacks again. It will keep her safe for the time being.¡± And with that, Dustin took out a red pill and ced it on the table before he turned to leave. He knew that no matter what he said, he would not be able to change Caden¡¯s mind, because it was impossible for a person of his status to easily trust someone whom he knew nothing about. ¡°Mr. Murray, Mr. Rhys here is not an ordinary person. I wish you all the best.¡± With a slight nod of his head, Hunter turned to leave too. ¡°Hmph! They have no idea what they¡¯re rambling on about!¡± Caden¡¯s expression was one of disdain. How dare an insolent young man run his mouth in front of him? How pompous! ¡°Caden, who were those two gentlemen?¡± Lily Doyle walked out from behind. ¡°Nobody. Just two annoying rascals who are not worth our time,¡± Caden answered offhandedly. ¡°Can this pill really cure She of the disease?¡± Lily picked up the red pill from the table and studied it meticulously. She heard what Dustin had said before he left and couldn¡¯t help feeling curious. ¡°Hah! That¡¯s rubbish. Just throw it away.¡± Caden dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He refused to believe that a single pill would be able to save anyone. Just as they were conversing, a member of the house staff came running in and eximed in a fluster, ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am,e quick! It¡¯s Miss She! She just passed out!¡± Chapter 156 ¡°What? How did this happen?¡± Caden¡¯s expression clouded over as he leaped up instantly. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know! I found her out cold when I went to wake her up this morning.¡± The maid was in an anxious mess. Before she could finish her sentence, Caden and Lily had already bolted out the door and rushed to their daughter¡¯s room. However, the sight that greeted them when they entered frightened them. Sheid unmoving on the Sunburst emerald bed, which originally radiated heat off its surface, but was then covered in a thin sheet of ice. Her face waspletely devoid of any color whatsoever, her limbs were cold and rigid, and there was frost building up on her brows and hair. There were even wisps of white misting off her body. At first nce, she looked like she had just been brought out of an ice cave of some sort. ¡°She!¡± Lily panicked and threw herself on her daughter, rubbing her arms and breathing warm air on her in an attempt to warm her up. ¡°This is bad!¡± Caden¡¯s expression was as dark as night as he went up to She and felt for her pulse, only to find it barely there. Even her breath was faint. She looked like she would notst another day. Caden did not have the luxury of time to consider this any further. He immediately channeled his internal energy over to She. Soon, the frost around her started to melt. But She¡¯s body remained cold and rigid, and she still wasn¡¯ting around. ¡°Lily, quick! Call Dr. Shane! Get him here pronto!¡± Caden hurriedly instructed. Though his internal energy was sufficient to keep his daughter¡¯s pulse going, it was not going to hold up for much longer. ¡°Okay!¡± Without a moment to waste, Lily called a number straight away. However, her face fell after a short conversation. ¡°Dr. Shane is on his way here, but he reckons that he can only reach here by nightfall.¡± ¡°By nightfall? That¡¯d be toote!¡± Caden frowned. ¡°Inform udia about this. Get her to find all the doctors avable in Swinton. I want all of them here!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Lily went out to make another call. Before the hour was up, udia, though distressed, had arrived with a group of doctors in tow. Some of them were heads of departments, some were professors, and some were experts in their fields. But every doctor in the whole of Swinton, who was even the least bit well¨Cknown, was present. ¡°Whoever saves my daughter will receive a handsome reward from us, the Murrays!¡± Caden cut right to the chase and promised them what seemed like a great temptation. ¡°Be at ease, Mr. Murray, we will do our best!¡± The doctors were all motivated by the promise. When they heard that it was the Murrays they were helping out, they figured that the opportunity for their big break hade. Everyone knew the Murrays¡® status. If they could cure Shelia of whatever disease she had, they would not only make a name for themselves, but they would also make acquaintances with the Murrays. By then, not only would they have gained fame and earned favor from the Murrays, but they would even walk away with a huge sum of money. Of course, they were going to go for it! However, when they eagerly went in to check on She¡¯s condition, one by one their brows furrowed and a troubled look took over their faces. They realized that whatever She was suffering from was indeed strange. She was icy cold all over, with cold airing off her. It was beyond anything they¡¯d ever seen or heard. For a brief moment, nobody dared to take any action. ¡°Doctors, there are so many of you here, please don¡¯t tell me that there¡¯s nothing any of you can do?¡± Caden grimaced at them. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well¡­¡± They all looked around sheepishly and kept quiet. ¡°A bunch of rubbish!¡± Caden¡¯s expression darkened. Though he had not held much hope that they would be able to cure his daughter, the oue was still infuriating. ¡°Uncle Caden! She¡¯s in really bad shape!¡± udia eximed. They looked over to find that She, who was still lying on the emerald bed, was getting colder with each passing moment. Her breath was also extremely feeble. ¡°Oh no! Her condition has taken a turn for the worst!¡± Caden¡¯s brows were tightly knit. The channeling of his internal energy to She could only help for so long. It would not be able to cure her. ¡°What do we do? She is going to be alright, won¡¯t she?¡± udia panicked. They had grown up together, and their rtionship was like that of sisters. Naturally, she did not wish for anything bad to befall her. ¡°Caden, why don¡¯t we give this a try?¡± Lily took out a red pill. It was the pill that Dustin gave them. She had not been able to bring herself to just throw it out, so she kept it in her pocket the whole time. ¡°Are you kidding me? How can this help She?¡± Caden made a face. ¡°Just give it a try. We do not have any better options, do we? Who knows, it might just work!¡± Lily¡¯s expression was solemn. If she had a choice, she would not put her daughter¡¯s life at risk too. But the situation was dire, and the doctors were helpless. Dr. Shane was still on his way, and they had no other options. She had to resort to every possible way to save her daughter. ¡°What if it¡¯s poisonous?¡± Caden hesitated. ¡°Since he dares toe up to us, he must have a certain level of confidence in what he¡¯s doing. And I think that it is not likely he¡¯d spike the pill with any sort of poison, after all, I do not believe that anyone would do something as imprudent as going against the entire Murray household,¡± Lily expounded. Caden fell silent. He took a nce at his daughter, who was icy cold all over, and he clenched his jaws. Then, with a decisive nod, he said, ¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Lily drew a deep breath before she took the pill and fed it to She. The pill was quick to dissolve, and it slid down She¡¯s throat. As soon as it reached her stomach, the pill began to work its wonders. The effect was almost immediate as the cold air around She began to dissipate, and a momentter, wisps of warm breath began to escape her. At the same time, the frost that had formed on her brows and hair melted away rapidly. Her body, which had been rigid with coldness, began to warm up and eased up, and a healthy hue of redness crept up her countenance. Even her breath grew steady. ¡°It works!¡± Lily¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. Though they did not know what the pill was made of, its effects were apparent. It did indeed rid their daughter of the coldness within her. ¡°Could it be possible that the rascal was telling the truth?¡± Caden¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He had thought that Dustin was just a scammer who was out to cheat him of his money and demand an unreasonable sum. It had never urred to him that the pill, which he had considered trash and almost thrown away, would save his daughter in their time of need! ¡°Uncle Caden, Aunt Lily, where did this pille from? It¡¯s miraculous!¡± udia was amazed. ¡°udia, do you remember the rascal who saved the both of you yesterday?¡± Caden asked. ¡°Of course I do! Who knows where he came from. He might be dangerous!¡± ¡°He was the one who gave us the pill.¡± ¡°What?¡± udia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Chapter 157 After getting to know the whole situation, udia was not the only one who was surprised. Even Lily was astounded too. Had she known Dustin¡¯s identity, she would not have let Caden drive him away so easily. After all, he had helped her daughter! ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that nothing serious happened. Had we thrown the pill away, She would have been in grave danger!¡± Lily shuddered to think of what could have happened. She considered herself lucky that she still had the pill with her, or the consequences would have been unimaginable. ¡°She is safe for the time being, but the coldness within her has yet to bepletely eliminated.¡± After checking on She, Caden ordered, ¡°udia, go to the medical center and get Dustin here.¡± ¡°But Uncle Caden, you don¡¯t really believe that the fellow can cure She, do you?¡± udia¡¯s expression was one of disbelief. She had a preconceived notion that Dustin wasn¡¯t a trustworthy person. ¡°I¡¯d just like to see what treatment ns he has to propose,¡± Caden rified. Of course, he did not think that a youngster in his twenties would have any mind¨Cblowing medical skills. But the fact was that the pill he gave them proved to have phenomenal effects, so he was curious as to where he got the pill from. ¡°udia, listen to your Uncle Caden. She¡¯s condition is of utmost importance. We should get him here to see what information he is able to provide us,¡± Lily urged. ¡°Alright.¡± udia nodded reluctantly. Over at Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin made himself a pot of tea when he got back. He poured a cup for himself, and another for Hunter. Hunter took his tea respectfully. Dustin and Hunter had known each other for years, but they had never had tea together before. ¡°Mr. Rhys, didn¡¯t you say that you need the Gozoraberry? Have you given up on it already?¡± Hunter asked curiously when he saw howid back Dustin was. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m just waiting for the right opportunity.¡± Dustin sipped on his tea. ¡°The right opportunity?¡± Hunter found it difficult to understand what Dustin was implying. ¡°ording to what I observed yesterday. She will be experiencing another bout of attacks soon. And this time, it will be much worse than it had been before. No one in Swinton will be able to help her.¡± he said calmly. ¡°So that¡¯s why you left them with the pill? So that they wille to you of their own ord?¡± Hunter quickly understood. + ¡°That¡¯s right. Actions speak louder than words. It¡¯s much more practical to prove myself with actions than to try and convince them with words.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°And what if, by any chance, Caden did not take you seriously and threw the pill away?¡± Hunter mused aloud. ¡°Then he would be sending his daughter to her grave with his own bare hands.¡± Dustin shook his head. If he really acted so rashly, then he would have no one else but himself to me. Just as they were conversing, a ck Hummer pulled up at the entrance. udia strode in with her head held high. ¡°Come with me, Dustin!¡± Shemanded. ¡°Follow you? Where to?¡± Dustin continued to sip on his tea leisurely. ¡°Don¡¯t y the fool with me! Of course, we¡¯re going to Fallridge Haven!¡± udia frowned. ¡°Whatever for? We¡¯re not wee there. In fact, we were driven out just a while ago! I wouldn¡¯t want to go back there and bring trouble on myself.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°You!¡± udia gritted her teeth. How she wished she could beat him up then and there. ¡°That was a misunderstanding. We won¡¯t drive you out anymore.¡± She suppressed her anger. ¡°Even if you won¡¯t drive us away, we¡¯re still not going. What do you take us for, making use and go as you wish?¡± Dustin took another sip of his tea. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± udia was so angry that she was itching to hit someone. ¡°Sure, I can go over, but under one condition.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I want the Gozoraberry.¡± ¡°The Gozoraberry? That is meant to be used on She. I cannot promise you that.¡± udia glowered. ¡°If you won¡¯t agree to that, then we do not have a deal.¡± Dustin continued calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve said it once, and I¡¯ll say it again: The Gozora berry will not cure She of her disease. If you can¡¯t make the call, then get me someone who can.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± udia huffed angrily as she whipped out her phone to give Caden a call and brief him about Dustin¡¯s condition. A whileter, she nodded and looked Dustin in the eye. ¡°Uncle Caden has agreed to your condition. If you can cure She of her disease, then the Gozoraberry is yours, ¡°udia said coldly, ¡°Deal!¡± Dustin smiled. He got into udia¡¯s car, and they made their way to Fallridge Haven, leaving Hunter astonished and in awe. ¡°As expected of Mr. Rhys! He has every move under his control!¡± Hunter thought to himself. When Dustin returned to Fallridge Haven yet again, he noticed that a group of doctors had gathered around, and they were mostly people who were influential and of high status in Swinton¡¯s medical field. ¡°You¡¯ve finally returned, young man! Please,e in!¡± Lily greeted him enthusiastically the moment he entered. It took him a moment to get over his difort. ¡°You said you could cure my daughter of her disease. Do you mean it?¡± Caden asked solemnly, as stern as ever. ¡°Of course. Surely I would not havee if I did not have the confidence to cure her. I just hope that you will make good on your promise, Mr. Murray.¡± Dustin smiled lightly. ¡°Of course, I will. But you¡¯d best deliver your end of the promise,¡± Caden answered frostily. ¡°We¡¯ll see in a bit.¡± Dustin did not bother to exin much more. He quickly went forward to the emerald bed to check She¡¯s pulse. Just as he predicted, she suffered from the rare disease of Prfrost. It was an unusual condition that only came around once in a century. People who suffered from such conditions had the potential to achieve great heights if they practiced a special form of martial arts, as it would greatly enhance their powers. However, the problem was that people who suffered from the condition usually had very short lifespans. The Prfrost within them was like a great vortex that continually absorbed the coldness of the universe, so much so that the body was unable to take it. New¨Cborn babies would usually die prematurely before they hit the age of one. Fortunately for them, the Murrays were filthy rich, so She had made it to this day from all the medication and herbs that she consumed. However, the coldness that she had been absorbing all these years had reached a tipping point, and all the medications which had served to suppress it before were no longer effective. ¡°How is it? Can you cure her?¡± Caden asked skeptically. ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, but I can do it.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll let you have a go. But bear in mind, if anything happens to my daughter, I¡¯ll see that you pay for it severely!¡± Caden threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Just as Dustin took out a needle and was about to apply it, a roar sounded at the door. ¡°Hold it!¡± ¡°Stop whatever you¡¯re doing!¡± The voice bellowed. Xavier Horst strode in imposingly and shouted, ¡°Uncle Caden, we do not know this man! We cannot let him put She¡¯s life at risk!¡± ¡°I understand that you¡¯re worried for She, Xavier. But we do not have any better alternatives now. He is our only hope.¡± Caden shook his head. ¡°Who says we have not got any better alternatives? See who I brought!¡± Xavier gestured dramatically and directed everyone¡¯s attention to the entrance. In came a podgy old man dressed in a loose green robe. He made his way in confidently. ¡°Dr. Shane?¡± There was an instant uproar when everyone caught sight of him. The doctors¡® seemed to have transformed into eager fanboys who met their idols. Their level of excitement was off the charts. This was, after all, the world¨Crenowned miracle healer, Dr. Malcolm Shane! His expertise in acupuncture was one of a kind, and all these experts and professors were considered nothingpared to him. ¡°Dr. Shane?¡± Caden and the rest of them were initially astounded, but then it quickly turned into tion. They were expecting him to arrive by nightfall, so it was a pleasant surprise that he managed to get there so soon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were dyed, Dr. Shane?¡± Lily asked inquisitively. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aunt Lily, I heard that Dr. Shane was held up by traffic and couldn¡¯t make it here soon, so I flew a chopper over and picked him up from where he was. Fortunately, we¡¯re still in time!¡± Xavier exined. ¡°That¡¯s brilliant! How smart of you to think of that, Xavier! I¡¯m proud of you!¡± Caden smiled. No doubt Dr. Shane¡¯s presence calmed his nerves.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle Caden. Only doing what I should!¡± Xavier nodded modestly. ¡°Dr. Shane, we have no time to lose. Please save my daughter!¡± Caden cut to the chase and brought him to the emerald bed on which Sheid. ¡°Mr. Murray, didn¡¯t you agree to let me cure her? What is the meaning of this?¡± Dustin was not happy with the turn of events. ¡°Young man, I appreciate your good intentions. However, since we have Dr. Shane here, I will not put my daughter at risk. You may take your leave now,¡± Caden said. ¡°Mr. Murray, this isn¡¯t right. You were the one who requested my help to cure your daughter, and now you¡¯re backing out on your promise? This really isn¡¯t right.¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean it isn¡¯t right? Do you really think that someone like you canpare to Dr. Shane?¡± Xavier Chapter 158 asked with disdain. ¡°Young man, I have the freedom to get whomever I please to cure my daughter. And aspared to you, I¡¯d much rather trust Dr. Shane here, with the task,¡± Caden sald frankly. Had he not been at his wits¡® end, he would never have asked this rascal for help. ¡°It¡¯s alright that you got someone else to cure your daughter, Mr. Murray, but the Gozoraberry that you promised me¡­¡± Caden cut him off mid¨Csentence. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything, why should you have the Gozoraberry? Do you think you deserve it?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going back on your words?¡± Dustin frowned. Dustin was not a short¨Ctempered person, but ungrateful people like Caden never failed to get on his nerves. ¡°Young man, cut the nonsense. Isn¡¯t it just the money you¡¯re after? Guards, bring him 2 million dors!¡± On Caden¡¯s orders, his guards soon came back with two cases of cash. ¡°Here, take this as your payment for helping She. From now on, we¡¯re square.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you hear that? Take the money and leave. Now!¡± Xavier roared. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Dustin suddenly broke out inughter. But his eyes were cold and icy. ¡°What a good strategy you have there, Mr. Murray. How unfortunate for you though, you¡¯re being overly optimistic. Do you really think that Malcolm Shane can cure your daughter?¡± Amotion broke out the moment he said that. ¡°You rascal! Have you any idea what you¡¯ve just said? This is Dr. Shane we¡¯re talking about! There have not been conditions that he has been unable to cure thus far!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What an insolent young man! If Dr. Shane can¡¯t cure her, do you think that you can?¡± ¡°Where did this scoundrele from? What cheek he has to doubt Dr. Shane!¡± The doctors gathered around to reprimand Dustin. ¡°Young man, may I know from whom you learned your skills? How dare you brag in front of everyone?¡± Malcolm gave him a once over, obviously displeased. In all the years he practiced his medical skills, he had never once been doubted. Much less by a rascal who was still wet behind the ears! ¡°Hah! You overestimate yourself! How dare you put on airs in front of Dr. Shane? You¡¯re really asking for it!¡± Xavier said in a hostile manner. ¡°Young man, I do not know where you got the confidence to doubt Dr. Shane, but I would like you to please leave now. Do not disrupt him from saving my daughter!¡± Caden spoke sternly with an annoyed expression. How dare this fellow tried to take advantage of his benevolence? ¡°There¡¯s no need to drive him out. Let him stay and watch. Since he doubts my skills, I¡¯ll show him what I¡¯m capable of!¡± Malcolm stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°As expected of Dr. Shane! He carries himself with such dignity and confidence!¡± The doctors ttered him excessively. As Malcolm has spoken, Caden did not go against his wishes and allowed Dustin¡¯s presence. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have made youe here for nothing, buddy. If She ends up fine, I¡¯ll try to talk to Caden about the Gozora berry and see if you can have it.¡± Lily brought Dustin to one side and apologized sincerely. This was the man who had saved her daughter. Lily knew that she owed it to him, and would like to repay him if she could. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that, Mrs. Murray,¡± Dustin¡¯s expression eased up. There was finally someone who spoke sense in the family. ¡°Dr. Shane, let¡¯s not wait any longer. Please proceed.¡± Caden waved him over. Malcolm nodded and sat down beside She¡¯s bed, checking her pulse. A short whileter, he announced confidently, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the patient is weak and has poor cirction due to the coldness within her, and now, the toxins within her body have umted. Once the coldness and toxins in her body are expelled, she will be just fine.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And I presume you have the means to do that, Dr. Shane?¡± Caden asked expectantly. ¡°Though it¡¯s a little tricky, it¡¯s no big deal for me. I shall perform an acupuncture therapy to expel the coldness and toxins from her body!¡± Malcolm smiled lightly. He then took out several needles and swiftly inserted them into She¡¯s skin on her nape, her navel, below her knees, on the base of her feet, and on her back. His movements were so swift and executed with such ease and skill that his audience was left in awe. By the time his needles were all in ce, wisps of cold air slowly came out of She¡¯s limbs. ¡°And for thest one!¡± Malcolm produced a needle that was thicker and longer than the rest and inserted it straight on top of She¡¯s head. Soon, a great deal of mist emerged from all over She¡¯s skin. For a brief moment, everyone in the room was surrounded by an eerie chill. ¡°Alright, the coldness is now expelled. It won¡¯t be long now before the patientes around,¡± Malcolm dered confidently. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a world¨Crenowned miracle healer. Your acupuncture therapy is just in magical!¡± Caden eximed excitedly. His gloom and anxiety from earlier on were swept away in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s right! With Dr. Shane around, any disease or condition can be easily handled!¡± Xavier was all smiles. ¡°Hey, you! Do you admit defeat?¡± udia raised her chin at Dustin in a provoking manner. ¡°How dare he doubt Dr. Shane? He doesn¡¯t know where he stands!¡± udia thought to herself. Dustin shook his head as he looked at her with contempt. ¡°She suffered from Prfrost! That was a rare condition that only came around approximately once in a century! How could it possibly be so easily cured?¡± He thought to himself. While everyone was overjoyed, Lily noticed something amiss. ¡°Hey, hasn¡¯t the coldness been expelled? But why does She look even paler than before?¡± Chapter 159 The doctors gathered around to reprimand Dustin. ¡°Young man, may I know from whom you learned your skills? How dare you brag in front of everyone?¡± Malcolm gave him a once over, obviously displeased. In all the years he practiced his medical skills, he had never once been doubted. Much less by a rascal who was still wet behind the ears! ¡°Hah! You overestimate yourself! How dare you put on airs in front of Dr. Shane? You¡¯re really asking for it!¡± Xavier said in a hostile manner. ¡°Young man, I do not know where you got the confidence to doubt Dr. Shane, but I would like you to please leave now. Do not disrupt him from saving my daughter!¡± Caden spoke sternly with an annoyed expression. How dare this fellow tried to take advantage of his benevolence? ¡°There¡¯s no need to drive him out. Let him stay and watch. Since he doubts my skills, I¡¯ll show him what I¡¯m capable of!¡± Malcolm stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°As expected of Dr. Shane! He carries himself with such dignity and confidence!¡± The doctors ttered him excessively. As Malcolm has spoken, Caden did not go against his wishes and allowed Dustin¡¯s presence. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have made youe here for nothing, buddy. If She ends up fine, I¡¯ll try to talk to Caden about the Gozoraberry and see if you can have it.¡± Lily brought Dustin to one side and apologized sincerely. This was the man who had saved her daughter. Lily knew that she owed it to him, and would like to repay him if she could. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that, Mrs. Murray,¡± Dustin¡¯s expression eased up. There was finally someone who spoke sense in the family. ¡°Dr. Shane, let¡¯s not wait any longer. Please proceed.¡± Caden waved him over. Malcolm nodded and sat down beside She¡¯s bed, checking her pulse. A short whileter, he announced confidently, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the patient is weak and has poor cirction due to the coldness within her, and now, the toxins within her body have umted. Once the coldness and toxins in her body are expelled, she will be just fine.¡± ¡°And I presume you have the means to do that, Dr. Shane?¡± Caden asked expectantly. ¡°Though it¡¯s a little tricky, it¡¯s no big deal for me. I shall perform an acupuncture therapy to expel the coldness. and toxins from her body!¡± Malcolm smiled lightly. He then took out several needles and swiftly inserted them into She¡¯s skin on her nape, her navel, below her knees, on the base of her feet, and on her back. His movements were so swift and executed with such ease and skill that his audience was left in awe. By the time his needles were all in ce, wisps of cold air slowly came out of She¡¯s limbs. ¡°And for thest one!¡± Malcolm produced a needle that was thicker and longer than the rest and inserted il straight on top of She¡¯s head. Soon, a great deal of mist emerged from all over She¡¯s skin. For a brief moment, everyone in the room was surrounded by an eerie chill. ¡°Alright, the coldness is now expelled. It won¡¯t be long now before the patientes around,¡± Malcolm dered confidently. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a world¨Crenowned miracle healer. Your acupuncture therapy is just in magical!¡± Caden eximed excitedly. His gloom and anxiety from earlier on were swept away in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s right! With Dr. Shane around, any disease or condition can be easily handled!¡± Xavier was all smiles ¡°Hey, you! Do you admit defeat?¡± udia raised her chin at Dustin in a provoking manner. ¡°How dare he doubt Dr. Shane? He doesn¡¯t know where he stands!¡± udia thought to herself. Dustin shook his head as he looked at her with contempt. ¡°She suffered from Prfrost! That was a rare condition that only came around approximately once in a century! How could it possibly be so easily cured?¡± He thought to himself. While everyone was overjoyed, Lily noticed something amiss. ¡°Hey, hasn¡¯t the coldness been expelled? But why does She look even paler than before?¡± The doctors gathered around to reprimand Dustin. ¡°Young man, may I know from whom you learned your skills? How dare you brag in front of everyone?¡± Malcolm gave him a once over, obviously displeased. In all the years he practiced his medical skills, he had never once been doubted. Much less by a rascal who was still wet behind the ears! ¡°Hah! You overestimate yourself! How dare you put on airs in front of Dr. Shane? You¡¯re really asking for it!¡± Xavier said in a hostile manner. ¡°Young man, I do not know where you got the confidence to doubt Dr. Shane, but I would like you to please leave now. Do not disrupt him from saving my daughter!¡± Caden spoke sternly with an annoyed expression. How dare this fellow tried to take advantage of his benevolence? ¡°There¡¯s no need to drive him out. Let him stay and watch. Since he doubts my skills, I¡¯ll show him what I¡¯m capable of!¡± Malcolm stood with his hands behind his back. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°As expected of Dr. Shane! He carries himself with such dignity and confidence!¡± The doctors ttered him excessively. As Malcolm has spoken, Caden did not go against his wishes and allowed Dustin¡¯s presence. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have made youe here for nothing, buddy. If She ends up fine, I¡¯ll try to talk to Caden about the Gozoraberry and see if you can have it.¡± Lily brought Dustin to one side and apologized sincerely. This was the man who had saved her daughter. Lily knew that she owed it to him, and would like to repay him if she could. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that, Mrs. Murray,¡± Dustin¡¯s expression eased up. There was finally someone who spoke sense in the family. ¡°Dr. Shane, let¡¯s not wait any longer. Please proceed.¡± Caden waved him over. Malcolm nodded and sat down beside She¡¯s bed, checking her pulse. A short whileter, he announced confidently, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the patient is weak and has poor cirction due to the coldness within her, and now, the toxins within her body have umted. Once the coldness and toxins in her body are expelled, she will be just fine.¡± ¡°And I presume you have the means to do that, Dr. Shane?¡± Caden asked expectantly. ¡°Though it¡¯s a little tricky, it¡¯s no big deal for me. I shall perform an acupuncture therapy to expel the coldness. and toxins from her body!¡± Malcolm smiled lightly. He then took out several needles and swiftly inserted them into She¡¯s skin on her nape, her navel, below her knees, on the base of her feet, and on her back. His movements were so swift and executed with such ease and skill that his audience was left in awe. By the time his needles were all in ce, wisps of cold air slowly came out of She¡¯s limbs. ¡°And for thest one!¡± Malcolm produced a needle that was thicker and longer than the rest and inserted il straight on top of She¡¯s head. Soon, a great deal of mist emerged from all over She¡¯s skin. For a brief moment, everyone in the room was surrounded by an eerie chill. ¡°Alright, the coldness is now expelled. It won¡¯t be long now before the patientes around,¡± Malcolm dered confidently. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a world¨Crenowned miracle healer. Your acupuncture therapy is just in magical!¡± Caden eximed excitedly. His gloom and anxiety from earlier on were swept away in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s right! With Dr. Shane around, any disease or condition can be easily handled!¡± Xavier was all smiles ¡°Hey, you! Do you admit defeat?¡± udia raised her chin at Dustin in a provoking manner. ¡°How dare he doubt Dr. Shane? He doesn¡¯t know where he stands!¡± udia thought to herself. Dustin shook his head as he looked at her with contempt. ¡°She suffered from Prfrost! That was a rare condition that only came around approximately once in a century! How could it possibly be so easily cured?¡± He thought to himself. While everyone was overjoyed, Lily noticed something amiss. ¡°Hey, hasn¡¯t the coldness been expelled? But why does She look even paler than before?¡± Chapter 160 ¡°What?¡± Everyone turned to look. Sure enough, they found her just as Lily said. She, whose condition seemed to have improved a while ago, now looked much paler than before, and more frost had formed on her brows and hair. From the way things looked, not only had her condition not improved, it even worsened. ¡°Dr. Shane, whatever is going on?¡± Caden¡¯s brows knitted together tightly, his expression stern. ¡°This is most peculiar. Technically speaking, she should be fine after the coldness has been expelled.¡± Malcolm found She¡¯s condition very strange. She had been fine just a while ago; how did her condition worsen in just the blink of an eye? ¡°What do we do now, Dr. Shane?¡± Caden questioned persistently. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Let me give it another try.¡± Malcolm didn¡¯t give up just yet. He used the same technique to rid She of the coldness within her. But the results were the same. In just under three minutes, She¡¯s condition went back to square one. It was as though the coldness within her was never¨Cending. It was truly bizarre. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Malcolm was baffled. It was then that he finally realized the severity of the situation at hand. ¡°Dr. Shane, it is true that you have amazing needling skills to get rid of the cold, but what you did was just a temporary solution. It will not eradicate the root cause of the issue,¡± Dustin spoke up. However, that elicited some dissatisfaction from the onlookers. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Who are you to doubt Dr. Shane¡¯s skills?¡± Xavier shot him a murderous re. ¡°Exactly! You¡¯re just a rascal who¡¯s still wet behind the ears! How dare you speak out of turn so shamelessly?¡± The crowd was outraged. Dr. Shane was considered a legendary figure in the medical field! They would not tolerate a random kid criticizing him freely! ¡°If you do not trust me, then go ahead and try as many times as you wish.¡± With that, Dustin held his tongue and said no more. ¡°Oh no! She¡¯s pulse has disappeared!¡± Lily cried out suddenly. The crowd turned to look and noticed that she was in very bad shape. ¡°Dr. Shane! Quick! Save my daughter!¡± Caden lost his cool and urged Dr. Shane forward. Malcolm dared not waste another second and immediately applied more needles to She¡¯s pressure points to rid her of the coldness and steady her pulse. However, the results were not satisfactory, to say the least. The Prfrost seemed to alwayse back no matter what he did, and Dr. Shane was finally rendered helpless. In all the years he had practiced medicine, he had never seen such a peculiar condition. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, but¡ªI¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to help with this condition.¡± After a bout of effort to save She, Malcolm could only shake his head in resignation. ¡°What? You can¡¯t help?¡± Everyone was bewildered when they heard that. Nobody had expected him to say such a thing. If such a legendary figure could not help her, then who could? ¡°Please, Dr. Shane, think of something! You must save my daughter! Right! I have a Gozoraberry! Will that help? ¡°Caden panicked. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Gozoraberry?¡± Malcolm¡¯s eyes lit up but quickly dimmed again. ¡°No doubt the Gozoraberry is a precious herb with properties to expel coldness and improve cirction, but with how things stand right now, it wouldn¡¯t be of much help anymore.¡± The coldness within She seemed unending, and simply expelling it didn¡¯t seem to do the trick. ¡°Then what should we do? Is there really no hope for my daughter?¡± Lily was almost in tears. If even Dr. Shane can¡¯t help them, is there anyone in this world who could? All of a sudden, she caught sight of Dustin. In that instant, she seemed to have found a lifeline. ¡°Buddy! Didn¡¯t you say that you were able to cure She? Please, I beg of you, save my daughter!¡± ¡°Mrs. Murray, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to save her; it¡¯s just that some of you do not seem to want me to help!¡± Dustin said helplessly. ¡°Young man, it was a mistake on my part earlier on. If you can save my daughter, the entire Murray household would be eternally grateful to you!¡± Caden¡¯s expression was a mix of emotions. He was not one to easily yield or admit his mistakes, but for the sake of his daughter, he saw no other choice. His final hopey with Dustin. ¡°Uncle Caden! You don¡¯t really believe this rascal, do you? Even Dr. Shane can¡¯t cure her, how is it possible that this scoundrel can? Don¡¯t be fooled by him!¡± Xavier lost hisposure. ¡°Well, if I can¡¯t cure her, do you think you can? Dustin gestured for Xavier to go ahead. ¡°You!¡± Xavier had no words to refute. He was adept at fighting, but he knew next to nothing about saving and rescuing others. ¡°Buddy, please try your best to save her. No matter what the oue is, we can take it!¡± Lily looked at him with resoluteness, her mind made up and ready to face any consequences. ¡°I can help her, but when I¡¯m done, I hope Mr. Murray will deliver on his end of the promise.¡± Dustin approached She, who was still unconscious on her bed and helped her sit up. With just one hand, he applied needles at 13 different pressure points on She¡¯s body. His technique was extraordinary. When the 13 needles began to rotate on the spot in the pressure points, he gave She a strong smack on the back. She wavered, her head jerked upwards, and she spat several white crystals, whichnded on the ground with a resounding thunk. The crystals were a murky white color and gave off a bone¨Cchilling mist. ¡°The coldness has crystallized?¡± Malcolm¡¯s expression was one of disbellef. No wonder his acupuncture served no purpose. It turns out that the coldness that She¡¯s body had been absorbing over the years had crystallized! Those crystals were like a source of evil that emitted an endless stream of coldness. And that was the reason he wasn¡¯t able to remove the source of She¡¯s condition! Just as the crowd stared on with uncertainty and suspicion, Dustin produced a bamboo cylinder and poured out of it a small, red beetle. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that?¡± Lily was shocked and immediately stopped his actions. ¡°This is a fiery beetle. It¡¯s a type of venomous insect that feeds on coldness and produces warmth. Once it enters She¡¯s body, it can regte and bnce out her energy,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°A venomous insect?¡± Everyone¡¯s expression changed. To them, venomous insects were considered evil and dangerous. ¡°You¨CYou¡¯re going to put this insect into She¡¯s body?¡± Lily felt her skin crawl. ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed. As I¡¯ve said before, the mystic arts can be used to heal too. This is the perfect example.¡± As Dustin spoke, he proceeded to put the fiery beetle into She¡¯s mouth. Everyone looked at each other, and for a moment, they were at a loss. Malcolm, however, had a thoughtful expression. He had heard of using the mystic arts to heal diseases, but he had never seen anyone actually perform it. Could it be possible that this rascal was really able to work miracles? Chapter 161 Everyone watched wide¨Ceyed as Dustin administered the fiery beetle. The moment it entered She¡¯s body, the effect was immediate. The cold air around her began to dissipate, and in less than three minutes, her body had gone from icy cold to being at a regr temperature. She gained color in her cheeks, and her breathing steadied. Then, under the disbelieving gaze of the crowd, she whimpered and came around. ¡°She¡¯s awake?¡± Astonishment was evident on the crowd¡¯s faces. The fact that a rascal like Dustin was able to cure She of her condition when even Dr. Shane was unable to was beyond them. It was shocking indeed! ¡°H¨CHow is this possible?¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes widened, bewildered. How could an unknown doctor possess such skills? ¡°How did he do it?¡± udia was equally amazed and terrified. She struggled toe to terms with how something she had always thought was evil had healing properties. ¡°I never knew that the mystic arts had such amazing effects!¡± Malcolm¡¯s eyes lit up as he marveled at Dustin¡¯s skills. His unconventional means of healing were undoubtedly a groundbreaker. Malcolm, who had initially thought that he no longer had any room for improvement in the medical field, finally found new hope. ¡°She! How are you feeling? Are you experiencing any difort?¡± Caden and Lily were both happily surprised. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. They had not held high hopes, to begin with, and they were more than pleased to be met with such a miracle. ¡°Dad, Mom How weird. I no longer feel the coldness within me. It¡¯s as though it has vanished!¡± She patted herself all over, a surprised expression on her face. She had never felt so warm before. ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s absolutely great! Thank you, thank you so much for saving her!¡± Lily was so ecstatic that she was about to bow to Dustin to thank him. ¡°Mrs. Murray, please, there is no need to bow!¡± Dustin reached out to hold her up. He was not used to such unbridled expressions of gratitude. ¡°Was it you who saved me, kind sir?¡± She was delighted to see Dustin. It had just been a day, and they had met again! Was it not fate? ¡°She, it¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Rhys here that you¡¯re still alive! If not for him, you might very well still be unconscious,¡± Lily remarked. ¡°Thank you, kind sir!¡± She bowed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re wee. After all, I get paid for saving you.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°So is my daughterpletely cured, young man?¡± Caden asked cautiously. He had consulted many experienced and well¨Cknown doctors regarding She¡¯s condition, and all of them had expressed that the condition could only be suppressed, notpletely eradicated. So he had to be sure. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that she¡¯spletely cured of it, but she won¡¯t be bothered by it for the next 10 years,¡± Dustin guaranteed. ¡°Why is it only for 10 years? Can¡¯t you get rid of itpletely?¡± Caden frowned. ¡°It¡¯s Prfrost. It can¡¯t be eliminated so easily. Unless you are able to get some extremely rare herbs that can improve her cirction and metabolism, the only solution is to use the fiery beetle to extend her life, and a fiery beetle only has a lifespan of ten years,¡± Dustin rified. ¡°10 years is good enough. At least it will give us more time to find other means of solution.¡± Lily smiled. It was already a pleasant surprise that her daughter¡¯s life had been prolonged by 10 years. She dared not ask for much more. ¡°Mr. Murray, now that your daughter¡¯s life is not on the line, is it time you deliver your end of the deal?¡± Dustin went straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s the Gozoraberry you¡¯re after, isn¡¯t it? Please proceed to the lounge. I¡¯ll be there in a while,¡± Caden said lightly. Chapter 162 Caden gestured to the butler, who immediately got the message. ¡°This way, please, Mr. Rhys,¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin nodded and followed the butler to the lounge. He took a seat and waited. It was a long wait. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. It wasn¡¯t until he finished his third cup of tea that Caden appeared with several men in tow. ¡°I really appreciate you saving my daughter, young man. Here¡¯s a ten¨Cmillion¨Cdor check. Consider this your pay.¡± Caden sat down and motioned to one of his men, who presented a check to Dustin. ¡°What? Thank you for your kind intentions, Mr. Murray, but this isn¡¯t what I want.¡± Dustin stared at the check, puzzled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you want it. What matters is that this is what I¡¯m paying you for a job well done.¡± Caden sipped on his tea. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? The Gozoraberry isn¡¯t yours. All you¡¯re getting is the money.¡± Caden spelled it out in in words. ¡°Mr. Murray, we had a deal. I cure your daughter, and you give me the Gozoraberry. Why are you going back on your words?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression darkened. What was the meaning of all this? Were they turning their backs on him once they no longer had use of him? Had he just been taken advantage of? ¡°The Gozoraberry is not only a precious herb used for healing, but it is also remarkably beneficial to practitioners of martial arts. Don¡¯t you know that, young man?¡± Caden suddenly asked. ¡°So?¡± ¡°It would be a waste of precious resources to give you such a valuable treasure, so I made the decision to give it to someone else,¡± Caden justified himself. ¡°You gave it to someone else? Who?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. ¡°Who else but me?¡± Xavier made his way in haughtily. He had in his hands a small, red, wooden box that held the Gozoraberry. ¡°Hey, buddy! Uncle Caden¡¯s given me the Gozoraberry. It¡¯s mine now!¡± Xavier patted the box smugly with a Sneer. ¡°So what if the rascal stole the limelight today? Ultimately, I¡¯m the one who benefited from it! At the end of the day, he¡¯s just a lowly peasant!¡± Xavier thought. ¡°Caden Murray! You are an influential person with high social standing, and you carry the honor of the Murray family with you! How could you go back on your words and betray someone who has helped you? Are you not afraid that you¡¯d be ridiculed?¡± Dustin mmed his hand on the table and stood up. He was truly angry. He could understand Caden¡¯s previous change of mind, as it was a matter pertaining to his daughter¡¯s health condition. Malcolm had a reputation for having great expertise in his field, which naturally made him more deserving of trust on Caden¡¯s end. But now, it was a different case altogether. Caden was going back on his word after Dustin had saved She! That was downright outrageous! ¡°Ridicule? Hah! Who¡¯d dare to ridicule me? Do you really think that a few words from you would be able to tamish the Murray family¡¯s reputation? You¡¯re really thinking highly of yourself!¡± Caden scoffed. He looked at Dustin as though he were a fool. ¡°Are you really going to disregard your honor?¡± An icy glint shed in Dustin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Cut the crap! Take the money and scram, or I¡¯ll get my men to throw you out!¡± Caden ran out of patience. How dare this peasant go against him? ¡°What? Are you threatening me now?¡± Dustin lifted his gaze. ¡°So what if we¡¯re threatening you? I¡¯m warning you, Rhys! You better get out of here now, or I¡¯ll make you!¡± Xavier roared. At that, a group of well¨Ctrained guards rushed in bearing malice. It seems like they came prepared. Chapter 163 ¡°Hahaha!¡± Dustin was so infuriated that heughed out loud when he saw the guards rush in. Anyone would have assumed that such a prestigious family would at least put in some effort to uphold their reputation. Who would have guessed that they would act so shamelessly? Not only did they go back on their word, they even betrayed someone who had offered them help in their time of need! And now that things didn¡¯t go their way, they resorted to violence and threats. How tyrannical and despicable! ¡°Caden Murray! Are you about to repay kindness with ingratitude?¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze frosted over, and an imposing air came over him. ¡°Young man, you¡¯d be smart to back off now. Ten million dors is enough tost you a lifetime. You better not get greedy!¡± Caden warned. People in his position were only interested in what benefited them. Naturally, he would ce connections with the Horst family above an unknown doctor like Dustin. ¡°Am I being greedy, or are you the one taking advantage of me? Do you really think that I¡¯m an easy target Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. whom you can mess around with however you please?¡± Dustin retorted sharply. ¡°Uncle Caden, let¡¯s not waste time on this scumbag! Just throw him out and get rid of this eyesore!¡± Xavier got impatient. He was green with envy at how She had called Dustin ¡®kind sir. She had never addressed him as such! ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance,d. Take this money and leave, and I¡¯ll pretend that nothing has ever happened today.¡± Caden gave his ultimatum. ¡°And I¡¯m giving you yourst chance too. Give me the Gozoraberry, or you¡¯ll be sorry!¡± Dustin threatened authoritatively. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re really making things hard for everyone, aren¡¯t you?¡± Finally, Cader could hold it in no longer. He exchanged a look with Xavier. ¡°Throw him out! Do whatever you like. Just make sure that he doesn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°No problem! Tie him up and throw him out! Break his legs if he resists!¡± Xavier sneered as he waved the guards over. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The guards rushed up at hismand. ¡°Insolent bastards!¡± Dustin seethed. He met the guards head¨Con. With just a few simple swings of his arm, he delivered p after p to the guards¡® faces. was a They cried out as they were sent sprawling across the lounge. None of them was a match for Dustin. ¡°Huh?¡± Caden and Xavier were surprised at what they saw. They had not expected that a mere doctor like him would be so skilled inbat techniques! ¡°So it turns out that he¡¯s a practitioner of the martial arts! No wonder he has the guts to behave so pompously! ¡°Xavier scoffed as he slowly took off his coat. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve loosened up. Well, let¡¯s have some fun today, shall we?¡± With that, Xavier got ready to attack. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Lily, She, and a few other people burst in hastily. ¡°Caden, what¡¯s going on? Dustin saved She! Why are you guys attacking him?¡± Lily questioned. *This is none of your business, Lily. Bring She back to her room to get some rest.¡± Caden frowned. He had brought Dustin to the lounge because he didn¡¯t want his wife and daughter to see what they were doing. But in the end, they still caught wind of things and came over. ¡°Is this because of the Gozoraberry, Caden? We made Dustin a promise! Why are you backing out on your words? If word got out, how do you think it¡¯s going to affect our reputation?¡± Lily got the picture the instant she saw the red box. ¡°What would a woman know? Get out!¡± Caden was ashamed, but heshed out at Lily with his frustration. ¡°Dad! You¡¯ve always told me to be an honest person, but what are you doing now?¡± She took a step forward and demanded, ¡°Dustin just saved my life, but not only are you not grateful towards him, but you¡¯ve also resorted to using violence against him. Since when were you so unreasonable?¡± Caden¡¯s expression changed when he heard her words. He couldn¡¯t care less about what others thought about him, but he couldn¡¯t disregard how his daughter saw him. He had always kept his dirty deeds hidden from his daughter. It was unfortunate that he was caught red- handed today. ¡°She, Uncle Caden had nothing to do with this. I was the one who wanted the Gozoraberry.¡± Xavier stood up to take the me. I¡¯m just one step away from advancing my skills to the next level, and a Gozoraberry is exactly what will give me the extra push to help me progress. That¡¯s why I shamelessly requested it from Uncle Caden.¡± ¡°Even so, you should not have resorted to violence!¡± She scowled. ¡°She, you don¡¯t understand! I had nned to buy the Gozoraberry from him for 10 million dors, but not only did this fe here reject my proposal, he even insulted me! I really couldn¡¯t take it!¡± Xavier argued indignantly. ¡°I don¡¯t care! Since you¡¯ve agreed to give Dustin the Gozoraberry, then you can¡¯t just back out at the eleventh hour!¡± She reached out, snatched the box from Xavier¡¯s hands, and passed it to Dustin. ¡°You¡­¡± At a loss, Xavier could only look to Caden helplessly. Caden looked none too pleased, but in the end, he only shook his head. He had an image to keep in front of his daughter, so they could only let it slide. ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m really sorry that you were startled. My father wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind for a while back. there. I apologize on his behalf for offending you. I hope you¡¯ll find it in you to forgive him.¡± She said apologetically. Seeing the sincerity in her gaze, Dustin was appeased. It was true that Caden was despicable, but he had to admit that Lily and She were both very understanding and reasonable. ¡°Mr. Rhys, please have the Gozoraberry. From now on, the Murrays are indebted to you!¡± Lily said. ¡°Please do not feel indebted to me. All I ask is that Mr. Murray would not take revenge on me,¡± Dustin remarked lightly. ¡°No, he won¡¯t! My father¡¯s not like that!¡± She shook her hand and turned to look at Caden, throwing him a threatening nce. Caden had no other choice but to nod. ¡°What happened today was just a misunderstanding, please don¡¯t take offense.¡± ¡°If that is the case, thank you. I have other arrangements made, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Dustin turned to leave. ¡°Dustin, will we meet again?¡± She suddenly asked. ¡°We¡¯ll leave that to fate.¡± Dustin walked out the door with a wave. Before he got out the door, he heard a low voice by his ear saying. ¡°You¡¯re lucky She came in the nick of time, you scoundrel. She just saved your sorry ass!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who lucked out that She came when she did. Otherwise, you¡¯d be a dead man by now.¡± Dustin left with a scoff. Chapter 164 When Dustin returned to Peaceful Medical Center, he found a silver Bentley parked right at the entrance. He walked in to see ady with a beguiling face. Her shapely figure and enchanting temperament, matched with her bewitching smile, made her nothing less than a top¨Ctier seductress. ¡°What brings you here, Ms. Harmon?¡± Dustin was slightly startled. Though they were already familiar with cach other, he still found her stunning every time he saw her. ¡°Why to see you, of course. You¡¯re such a busy person, and you rarely evere to see me. Surely you can¡¯t forbid me froming here to meet you?¡± Natasha said begrudgingly. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Right, how¡¯s it going with Immortunol? Are its effects as expected?¡± Dustin changed. the topic awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s much better than expected! I¡¯vee here especially to thank you. Immortunol has way better effects than Eternumax. I believe that once Immortunol isunched, the big bucks will start rolling in in no time.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s great!¡± Dustin smiled too. ¡°Here. Have a look at the contract.¡± Natasha pulled out a document from her bag and handed it to him. ¡°What contract?¡± Dustin looked at her quizzically. ¡°You came up with the prescription for Immortunol. I can¡¯t take advantage of yourbor. Let¡¯s just take this as a coboration between us. All future profits from Immortunol will be split evenly.¡± Natasha pushed the contract toward him. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for that, Ms. Harmon. I have no use for Immortunol. I¡¯d be happy just knowing that it¡¯s of help to you.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Are you daft? You¡¯re rejecting money? I¡¯m giving it to you, so just take it. I might lose sleep over it if you don¡¯t. Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, alright¡­¡± Dustin saw no way around it when she put things that way. He could only nod and sign the papers. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I have another present for you,¡± Natasha suddenly eximed. ¡°A present? What is it?¡± Dustin was curious. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Close your eyes first.¡± Natasha looked like she was hiding a secret. ¡°Oh.¡± Dustin closed his eyes without giving it too much thought. The next second, he caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance. All of a sudden, he felt warm lips on his.. Dustin frcze instantly. He was so stunned that he felt like he¡¯d been struck by lightning. Had Natasha just stolen a kiss from him? He reflexively pulled back, but a pair of arms were hooked around his neck, and he failed to break free. The alluring fragrance at such close proximity caused his mind to go nk. At the same time, a Mercedes¨CBenz had just pulled up at the entrance. The car door opened, and out came a beautiful woman with an elegant bearing. It was Dahlia. She hade to apologize to Dustin. She had mulled things over for an entire day and night and came to the conclusion that she should apologize to him. It would be hard to bring herself to say it, but it was absolutely necessary. So she drew a deep breath, mustered up all the courage she had, and pushed the door open. ¡°Dus-¡± She had barely opened her mouth to call out to him when she saw a scene that she likely would not forget. She froze on the spot for a moment. After some time, Natasha, whose cheeks were flushed, finally let go of Dustin when he ran out of breath. Though she was a strong and independent woman, this was the first time Natasha had ever done something like this, to steal a kiss from another person. ¡°That¡¯s my first kiss. It¡¯s my gift to you.¡± Natasha smiled charmingly, her eyes full of tenderness and affection. She looked immensely seductive with her flushed face. Chapter 165 Dustin ran his fingers over his lips, savoring the fragrance that still lingered. He blushed. How embarrassing to have a kiss stolen in broad daylight! ¡°Hmph!¡± A disdainful scoff came from the door. When Dustin looked up, all he saw was a familiar figure walking away indignantly. After she got in the car, Dahlia stepped on the gas and disappeared down the road in the blink of an eye. ¡°Was that¡ªDahlia?¡± Natasha asked teasingly. ¡°Looks like it.¡± Dustin nodded nkly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going after her to exin what she just saw?¡± Natasha lifted a brow. ¡°What¡¯s there to exin? We¡¯re divorced! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m cheating on her.¡± Dustin stood his ground. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point there.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°You¡¯re mine now, why would you need to exin to anyone else?¡± She thought to herself. As they were conversing, another car pulled up at the entrance. The car door opened, and in came a paunchy man. It was Malcolm Shane. He took in his surroundings as he entered. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Dr. Shane? Why is he here?¡± Natasha was amazed. Dr. Malcolm Shane was a big name across the nation, and he was considered one of the best in the field of acupuncture. No matter where he went, he was always highly sought after by the rich and powerful. ¡°Mr. Rhys! So it¡¯s true that you¡¯re here!¡± Malcolm¡¯s gaze quickly fixed on Dustin the moment he came in the door. He beamed brightly. ¡°Dr. Shane, it¡¯s such an honor to have you here. May I know what brought you here today?¡± Dustin was puzzled. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Rhys, the treatment you performed with the venomous insect was truly an eye¨Copener! It¡¯s also the reason I¡¯m here today. I¡¯d like to seek your advice and guidance on the matter. I hope you can impart some of your wisdom.¡± Malcolm humbly sought knowledge from Dustin. Even Natasha was astounded. The great Dr. Shane, a leading figure in the medical field, was here to seek advice and knowledge from Dustin? Were her eyes ying tricks on her? She knew how proficient Dustin was in his medical skills, but to have Dr. Shane ask for his guidance was still a shocker. ¡°Dr. Shane, you¡¯re ttering me. You¡¯re my senior, with many more years of experience under your belt. I¡¯m not fit to offer you any advice, but I¡¯ll do my best to help you wherever needed.¡± Dustin waved his hand repeatedly. For someone of Malcolm¡¯s stature toe to him for advice was enough proof of his sincerity. Any other person in his position would never find it in them to humble themselves enough to seek guidance from someone like Dustin. ¡°Don¡¯t be modest, Mr. Rhys. Your medical skills are one of a kind. I¡¯m ashamed of my inadequacy, especially regarding methods of the mystic arts. I really admire it.¡± Malcolm hesitated. ¡°If you¡¯re interested in that, I have a book here that might be of help.¡± Dustin went to a drawer and pulled out a yellowed ancient manuscript. ¡°This manuscript here records various methods of how the mystic arts can be used for medical purposes. You can study it if you wish.¡± ¡°Awesome! I¡¯m really grateful, Mr. Rhys!¡± Malcolm was ted. He took the manuscript and started flipping through it. The more he read, the more excited he got. The knowledge recorded was so profound and unfathomable that hepletely lost himself in it. ¡°Dr. Shane, Dustin gave you a book, are you not going to return the favor?¡± Natasha teasingly prompted. Dustin might be generous, but as his future wife, she could not let people take advantage of him. ¡°Ah, right! I nearly forgot.¡± Malcolm patted himself all over and finally produced a set of golden needles. ¡°Mr. Rhys, these golden needles are made of mystical gold. They¡¯re exceptionally durable and impervious to fire and water. I¡¯ve had them for 10 years. They¡¯re considered rarities, I hope you¡¯ll ept them.¡± ¡°Um- ¡°Thank you, Dr. Shane!¡± Before Dustin could reject them, Natasha had already received them with a smile. Golden needles made of mystical gold! These are the objects of countless doctors¡® dreams! They were practically a treasure! She saw no reason to reject them! Chapter 166 Malcolm was surprised that Natasha actually epted the needles so readily. Was she not going to at least act modest by declining his offer? ¡°Before I forget, Dr. Shane, since you have a keen eye for valuables. I have something I¡¯d like you to help me evaluate.¡± Natasha requested after epting the golden needles. ¡°Oh? What is it? Please let me have a look,¡± Malcolm said confidently. ¡°Here.¡± Natasha showed him a green pill. Malcolm took the pill from her and nodded with satisfaction after having a good look at it. ¡°This crystal clear pill has a bright luster to it, and it gives off a distinct fragrance. From the looks of it, it¡¯s quite remarkable!¡± ¡°What good judgment, Dr. Shane!¡± Natasha gave him a thumbs up. ¡°This pill is called Immortunol. It can enhance a person¡¯s beauty, promote longevity, and has anti¨Caging effects. If you¡¯re not worried that we¡¯ve spiked it, you may give it a try, Dr. Shane.¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s spiked? What fear have I of poison?¡± Malcolm smiled proudly and swallowed the Immortunol right then and there. The moment he popped it in, he felt a cool and refreshing sensation enter his bloodstream, reaching his limbs. For a moment, Malcolm felt a charge running through him. He was instantly rejuvenated as an inexplicable sense of rity washed through his entire being. The palpable feeling that all his exhaustion had been swept away caused him to feel much more energized. And most importantly, it was not just a momentary sensation. After the medical constituents entered his bloodstream, they continued to fuel him with vitality. He was sure that if the pill was taken for an extended period, it would significantly transform a person. ¡°Brilliant! This is downright brilliant! It¡¯s a treasure in itself!¡± When he perceived just how exceptional Immortunol was, he had nothing but praise for it. ¡°Youngdy, where did you get this Immortunol from? Do you have more of it? Would it be possible for you to sell me a few?¡± Malcolm¡¯s eyes lit up. He rarely got so worked up over things, but he really could not hold back his excitement. The effects he experienced from taking Immortunol were too amazing! Even the Vitalitum that Dr. Watkins gave him could notpare to this precious pill! ¡°Dr. Shane, Immortunol is still in the production stage. We¡¯re not ready to sell it to the public yet, but if you like it, I can give you some.¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Hahaha! What a generous youngdy! If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who is the genius who produced. Immortunol? I would really appreciate it if you could introduce me to him.¡± Malcolm beamed happily. ¡°Dr. Shane, the brain behind it all is right in front of you.¡± Natasha smiled suggestively. ¡°Do you mean, Mr. Rhys is the one who produced Immortunol?¡± Malcolm¡¯s eyes widened. It was important to note that healing skills and producing pharmaceutical products were two different skill sets. Though they might look like branches from a simr field of study, the fact was that there was a world of difference between the two. Being adept in medical skills didn¡¯t guarantee that one had the skills to produce medicine, and vice versa. His difference in expertise from Dr. Watkins was the greatest example of that. He was proficient in medical skills, whereas Dr. Watkins was adroit in producing medicine. It was extremely rare to find someone who was seasoned in both fields, and all the existing masters were at least in their seventies. To have a youngster in his twenties be so skilled in both fields was unheard of. It was unimaginable! ¡°I just lucked out and found a prescription form, that¡¯s all.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°You¡¯re being too modest, Mr. Rhys. Even with a prescription form, it would be no easy feat to produce.such superb medicine. You have exceptional talent, Mr. Rhys! It¡¯s an honor to have met you today, and I¡¯m deeply impressed!¡± At that, Malcolm bowed deeply to Dustin. He was so skilled in both treating patients and producing medicine at such a young age. He was truly a genius! ¡°You tter me, Dr. Shane.¡± Dustin immediately reached out to hold him up. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯d be interested to coborate with us. Dr. Shane?¡± Natasha asked out of the blue. ¡°Coborate? How so?¡± Malcolm¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°You¡¯re a giant in the medical profession, and that makes you a symbol of authority. If you¡¯d be willing to promote Immortunol, I¡¯m sure that it would boost sales.¡± Natasha exined with a smile. Malcolm had connections, and he was also a person of high importance in the medical industry. To have someone like him endorsing Immortunol would guarantee a steady stream of high¨Cranking officials and nobility chasing after it. ¡°You really have a mind for business, youngdy. But tell me, why should I agree to it?¡± Malcolm wasn¡¯t one to be fooled. ¡°As long as you agree to it, not only will we give you Immortunol for free year¨Cround, but you will also get priority supply to it. You¡¯ve just had a taste of it, you should know very well how effective it is. You¡¯dProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. be saving a lot of lives by agreeing to it. This is an incredibly meritorious and beneficial deed! As someone of your high moral standing and reputation, surely you wouldn¡¯t want such a precious treasure to go unnoticed, am I right?¡± Natasha coaxed persuasively. ¡°It really does sound like a good deal. Alright, I¡¯ll work with you just this once then.¡± Malcolm nodded. thoughtfully. After all, he had received the ancient manuscript from Dustin. This was the least he could do to repay him. ¡°Thank you, Dr. Shane! We appreciate it. Oh, Immortunol will be officiallyunched in two days. Please come and give us some moral support then!¡± Natasha smiled. ¡°Sure!¡± Malcolm agreed heartily, unaware that he had agreed to something that he might regret in the future. Over in a mansion with ake view. ¡°How is it, Mr. Wangley? Do we have the results yet?¡± Quentin stood up to wee the white¨Cbrowed man. He had lost sleep for the past two days because of Eternumax. After much consideration, the best way out was to join forces with the Hummers¡®. ¡°Mr. Harmon, Sir Hummer has agreed to join forces, but only under one condition.¡± The old man picked up a cup of tea and drank it hastily. ¡°What condition?¡± Quentin asked impatiently. ¡°Sir Hummer hopes that you¡¯ll take this opportunity to put pressure on Natasha from all sides and force her to step down from her position,¡± Mr. Wangley exined. ¡°Hahaha! That is exactly what I intend to do!¡± Quentinughed aloud. He had always been overshadowed by Natasha, ever since they were children, so the family had never ced any importance on him. Now that Eternumax had been lost, the family bore their grudges. If he grabbed hold of this opportunity to recover the family¡¯s losses and prove his worth, there was a high chance that he might take over Natasha¡¯s position! ¡°Mr. Harmon, the Hummers¡® have agreed to join forces, but we still need money to buy Eternumax. How many boxes are you nning to purchase?¡± Mr. Wangley queried. *The more the better, of course! Put in all the money we have on hand, and if that¡¯s not enough, then go around and borrow some more!¡± Quentin decided boldly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too risky?¡± Mr. Wangley doubted his decision. ¡°How is it risky? We have the market research report for Eternumax, and it shows very promising results! Countless millionaires are after it. So if we stock up on it now and sell it at a high price in the future, we¡¯ll surely make a huge profit!¡± Quentinughed exuberantly. The return will always be proportionate to the investment made. By then, his worth would have increased ten to twentyfold. Wouldn¡¯t he be the one to call the shots in the family? Even Natasha Harmon would have to submit to him then! Chapter 167 Two dayster, the Hummers¡® held the official press conference for theunch of Eternumax at the Hillview Hotel. News about it had spread for several days, and with the Hummers¡® unceasing effort to promote it, there was a great deal of discussion surrounding it. Such an amazing drug with beautifying properties that could also improve longevity drew the attention of countless people. So the press conference, which was grandly decorated, bustled with activity. There was a never¨C ending stream of guests that made their way in. Right around noon, a silver Bentley pulled up at the entrance of the Hillview Hotel. When the car door opened. Natasha slowly made her way out of the car, her arms around Dustin¡¯s. As always, she was the center of attention wherever she went. It was hard for anyone to take their eyes off her shapely figure and alluring face. Dustin, who was d in a three¨Cpiece suit, seemed to have gone through a thorough makeover. He looked handsome and suave, and carried himself with great poise. ¡°Natasha, why are you here?¡± Quentin and Mr. Wangley caught sight of them and approached. ¡°If you can be here, then so can I.¡± Natasha answered nonchntly. ¡°We¡¯re here because we received an invitation from Sir Hummer. Did you receive an invitation too?¡± Quentin asked with a faint, sardonic smile. Of course, he knew that Edwin would never have given Natasha an invitation. ¡°I¡¯m not here for Edwin¡¯s press conference, so naturally, I do not need an invitation.¡± Natasha shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re not here for the press conference, then why are you here?¡± Quentin didn¡¯t quite get the idea. ¡°Oh, it totally slipped my mind to inform you that I¡¯m having a press conference for a new drugunch today too. Same day and location as Edwin Hummer¡¯s, but his is on Basement Level 3, while mine¡¯s on the third floor. I¡¯ve made sure to steer clear of him.¡± Natasha dropped the shocking news on him. ¡°What? You¡¯re having a press conference too?¡± Quentin was startled. He had sent men to keep an eye on Natasha for the past few days, and they had not reported any action on her end. Why was she suddenly having a press conference? And at the same date and location as Edwin¡¯s! Was that not a tant sign of provocation? ¡°Natasha Harmon! What exactly are you up to? You have nothing to your name, so where on earth do you get your courage to challenge Edwin Hummer?¡± Quentin was equally shocked and suspicious. ¡°This isn¡¯t something that you should be worried about, Quentin. If you¡¯ve got time to spare, you should consider more for yourself,¡± Natasha said casually. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Quentin frowned. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve purchased Eternumax in bulk, and n to resell it at a higher price to earn some quick cash?¡± Natasha asked. ¡°So what if I have? You can¡¯t forbid me from making money just because you refuse to do so!¡± Quentin argued. ¡°Just because we¡¯re from the same family, I¡¯d advise you to do yourself a favor and sell off those Eternumax at a low price before the press conference starts. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll lose everything you have before you even know it!¡± Natasha smiled profoundly. ¡°Utter nonsense! Eternumax is selling like hotcakes right now! There are a whole lot of people out there who are willing to pay good money for it and yet are unable to get their hands on them! I think that¡¯s just your jealousy talking!¡± Quentin scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to heed my advice.¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t be bothered to tell him more. She hooked her arm around Dustin¡¯s, and they both made their way into the hotel. ¡°Hmph! She really doesn¡¯t know where she stands!¡± Quentin sneered as he watched them leave. From the way he saw it, Natasha was simply trying toplicate the situation in a final attempt to save herself. As time went on, more and more people of the elite ss entered Hillview Hotel. The Hummer¡¯s press conference was filled with distinguished guests and was brimming with activity and excitement. The Harmons¡® press conference, however, painted apletely different picture. It was one of destion and emptiness, with hardly any attendees. Apart from the staff and several bodyguards, there was basically no one else present. But Natasha wasn¡¯t bothered by the low turn¨Cup. She sat there with Dustin, leisurely sipping on wine. ¡°Natasha! What are you up to?¡± Two people rushed in. It was Jessica and Ruth. ¡°Why would you hold a press conference so suddenly without any prior preparation! Are you messing around?¡± Jessica demanded the moment she walked in. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Natasha said calmly. ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing? What do you mean you know what you¡¯re doing? Have you seen the Hummers¡® press conference? The ce is jam¨Cpacked with people! And look at what you have here? Not a person in sight! If word got out about this, what would people out there think about us Harmons?¡± Jessica eximed out of frustration. Not only was the prescription form for Eternumax stolen, but Natasha was also publicly challenging the Hummers at such a critical moment when she should have kept a low profile andid low for the time being! Wasn¡¯t she just inviting humiliation upon herself? How ridiculous! ¡°Natasha, I don¡¯t get it. You have always been one to make ns in advance and are always in control of the situation, why have you made such a foolish move today?¡± Ruth was puzzled. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Since they had Immortunol, all Natasha needed to do was advertise and give it some publicity, and they would easily be able to go against the Hummers! So out of everything that she could have done, why did she pick the course of action that was most arduous and least promising? ¡°Let¡¯s not get all worked up. Here, have a seat and something to drink. You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Natasha was still full of confidence. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯d like to see what tricks you have up your sleeves! Jessica huffed as she sat down. Right now, all she hoped for was that nobody would show up. At least then, no one would spread the news. about this. If any word about the press conference got out, Harmon Pharmaceuticals would end up as aughing stock. ¡°Hmm Is this the Harmons¡® press conference? Why don¡¯t I see anyone here at all?¡± Just then, an obese elderly man walked in, his face full of doubt. ¡°Dr¨CDr. Shane?¡± Jessica was so astonished. Dr. Shane was a person who rarely appeared in public. What was he doing here? After all, Dr. Shane was someone who would even disregard a prime minister¡¯s invitation if he so wished. ¡°Dr. Shane, what brings you here?¡± Jessica immediately got up to wee him. However, he did not even spare her a nce and walked right past her. He jogged enthusiastically over to Dustin with a huge smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Rhys! You¡¯re here too! That ancient manuscript that you gave me was absolutely wonderful. It¡¯s just that there is some information in there that I¡¯m struggling to grasp. Do you think you could shed some light on them, please?¡± Jessica was struck dumb on the spot. A legendary figure in the medical field, the great Dr. Shane, was actually seeking advice from a poor fellow like Dustin. What? What on earth was going on? Chapter 168 Jessica was frozen on the spot and struggled for words when she saw how humbly Malcolm was seeking guidance from Dustin. She had never once thought that the arrogant and haughty Dr. Malcolm Shane had such a side to him. And most importantly, the person from whom he was modestly seeking advice was the boy toy, Dustin Rhys. It was mind¨Cboggling indeed. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fit to give you any advice, Dr. Shane, but I¡¯d dly help wherever I can. We can both share our thoughts. Dustin smiled. ¡°Sure, we can do that. Now, have a look here¡­¡± Malcolm took out the ancient manuscript and immediately dove into it. He started pointing out some of the areas that he had trouble understanding. ¡°Oh, this is actually quite simple. Take this for example: Put a hundred different insects into a jar, and let them fight among themselves. After a month, open up the jar, and by then there will only be one remaining insect. The rest of them would have been eaten up by this surviving insect, and this will be the poisonous insect that you¡¯re after. Such a poisonous insect is usually used to cure other poisons in a method known as counteracting poison with another poison. ¡°As for this, it tells us how to neutralize the poisonous insect¡¯s venom. So what you need to do is smoke the licorice herb until it turns ck, thenbine it with some soybeans and extract the juice. Once the patient consumes the juice, it will neutralize the venom of the poisonous insect. But of course, this is only applicable to the venom ofmon poisonous insects. And this here. Dustin spoke eloquently on all the topics that Malcolm had questions about, and he managed to give him all the answers he needed. After hearing what Dustin had to say, Malcolm felt enlightened. ¡°Hahaha! You really are talented! I¡¯m so impressed, and I¡¯ve learned so much from you today!¡± Malcolm was practically dancing with joy. He looked nothing like an expert or a person of status. ¡°What-..¡± Jessica watched bewildered. Was this really the haughty Dr. Shane who was constantly contemptuous of others? With how he was behaving, he looked more like a schoolboy! Also, what was this mystic art that they were going on about? Would a renowned doctor like Dr. Shane actually take interest in something like that? ¡°Dr. Shane, if you have any other questions, you can discuss them with Dustin some other time. As for now, we need to talk about the press conference.¡± Natasha interrupted them when she saw how excited they were over their discussion. ¡°Oh, right¡­ Malcolm realized that his behavior was slightly inappropriate. He nodded and said, ¡°Just let me know what you need me to do, youngdy.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you need to do. Just sit up there on the stage, and if you see anyone you recognize, you may greet them,¡± Natasha replied with a smile. ¡°Is it that simple?¡± Malcolm could not believe his ears. ¡°Yep, it¡¯s that simple.¡± Natasha nodded. ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all!¡± Malcolm went and took his seat on the stage and continued reading through the ancient manuscript. ¡°Natasha, so what if you managed to invite Dr. Shane here? Do you think this will suffice to go against Edwin Hummer?¡± Jessica asked in all earnestness. Though it was true that she was awestruck by Malcolm¡¯s presence, that did not mean that he had the means to help the Harmons win this battle against the Hummers. In the end, what mattered most in thispetition between the two families was the quality of their product. ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Natasha did not exin any further. With a nce at her wristwatch, she turned to Dustin and nodded. He immediately got the signal and pulled out his phone to make a call. At the same time, over at the Hummers¡® press conference¡­ Chapter 169 Looking at the crowd in the hall, Edwin couldn¡¯t help but smile broadly. As expected, everything was going smoothly. Once the productunch was done by today, Eternumax¡¯s reputation would be spread far and wide! When that time came, his aim wouldn¡¯t be limited to Swinton but to market Eternumax throughout the thirteen cities of the South! ¡°Sir Hummer! Congrattions on yourunch!¡± Quentin and his men came up to Edwin, whose face was beaming. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Harmon. Please, have a seat,¡± Edwin said pleasantly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sir Hummer, Eternumax is really a precious herb! Everyone has been talking about how great it is. Look at the crowd here after hearing about its effects! It¡¯s already be so popr that people are coming in droves!¡± Quentin ttered. ¡°If the product is good, customers will naturally return. Mr. Harmon, you also stocked up quite a bit, it seems like you¡¯re going to make a big profit this time.¡± Edwin smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Sir Hummer. We¡¯re all working together to get rich!¡± Quentinughed heartily. ¡°Oh, by the way, have you heard any news from Natasha?¡± Edwin asked suddenly. Quentin¡¯s lips curled into a yful smirk. ¡°Speaking of which, there is a bit of news. I just heard that Natasha was going to hold a press conference at the same time and ce as you.¡± ¡°Oh? Is she trying to provoke me? But howe I didn¡¯t know about this?¡± Edwin was surprised. ¡°Not only you, but I don¡¯t think anyone in Swinton knows about it. I¡¯ve already checked into it, and her press conference has no one in attendance! What a joke!¡± Quentin sneered. ¡°If there is no one there, then what¡¯s the point of her holding a press conference?¡± Edwin asked. ¡°She probably was frustrated by you, that¡¯s why she intentionally pulled this stunt to try and stir up trouble. But now it seems like it¡¯s just backfiring on her.¡± Quentin replied. ¡°Heh! I never expected Natasha to resort to such a foolish move. Does she really think that she can restore everything just by relying on the Harmon family¡¯s reputation? How naive!¡± Edwin shook his head. In his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but look down on Natasha. Natasha Harmon, the so¨Ccalled queen of the business world, didn¡¯t seem so impressive after all. *Sir Hummer, how about we go over and witness the mockery for ourselves?¡± Quentin extended an invitation. ¡°I have many important guestsingter, so I can¡¯t leave for now. You go ahead, and please say hello to Natasha for me,¡± Edwin replied calmly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go have some fun then. I¡¯ll let you know the detailster, Quentin said and left without further ado. Soon, Quentin and Mr. Wangley arrived at the Harmon family¡¯s press conference. When they walked in, they found the hall empty, with only a few people present. ¡°Cousin, I didn¡¯t expect you to really hold a press conference. But why is no one here? What the hell are you doing?¡± Quentin teased as he walked in. ¡°Did you note here? Aren¡¯t you a human?¡± Natasha replied coldly. Quentin¡¯s lips twitched, but he continued sarcastically, ¡°I see it¡¯s really empty here. Should I bring some friends over to liven up the atmosphere?¡± Despite his words, the sneer on his lips could not be concealed. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but it¡¯s unnecessary. My guests will arrive soon,¡± Natasha smiled faintly. ¡°Cousin, I think you shouldn¡¯t be too stubborn. How can youpete with Edwin with such a poor showing? In my opinion, I think you should just admit your defeat,¡± Quentin said with a smirk. ¡°Well, it seems like you¡¯re having a lot of fun!¡± Ruth piped in angrily. ¡°Ruth, I¡¯m doing this for your sister¡¯s own good. Rather than making an embarrassment of ourselves, we should stop our losses while we can. Like me, I¡¯ve bought a ton of Eternumax so that I can make a forter.¡± Quentin said confidently. ¡°You bought the Eternumax? How many did you buy?¡± Ruth was surprised and asked tentatively. ¡°I invested all my money and took out many loans to purchase the stocks. This time, I¡¯m going to make a killing!¡± Quentin raised his chin proudly, waiting for them to rain praise on his intelligence and prowess. After hearing this, Ruth pped her forehead and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all over!¡± Eternumax wasplete garbage! It was pure stupidity for Quentin to buy so much Eternumax, moreover with money that he didn¡¯t have! What an idiot Quentin was! Chapter 170 ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t you speak more clearly? I¡¯m about to make it big!¡± Quentin rolled his eyes. With the poprity of Eternumax, making a fortune was in the bag. These guys reallycked business acumen! ¡°Sis, did you not remind our cousin not to buy Eternumax? Ruth turned her head and looked at Natasha. ¡°I did remind him, but he didn¡¯t listen. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Natasha shrugged. ¡°While there¡¯s still time, quickly sell all your Eternumax, even if it¡¯s at a low price. It¡¯s better than getting nothing back.¡± Ruth advised. ¡°Sell at a low price? Are you talking nonsense? This is an opportunity for me to multiply my worth by ten times. How could I give up so easily?¡± Quentin frowned. ¡°Cousin, I don¡¯t think you can increase your worth by that much. You are more likely to go bankrupt. Don¡¯t you know that my sister has developed a new drug called Immortunol?¡± Ruth shook her head helplessly. ¡°What Immortunol? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Quentin sneered. ¡°Immortunol has the same benefits as Eternumax, but its medicinal properties far surpass those of Eternumax. Besides, it¡¯s even cheaper. Just think about what would happen once this drug hits the market.¡± Ruth analyzed. ¡°Hmph! Nonsense! There¡¯s no such drug in this world that canpare to Eternumax. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Quentin didn¡¯t believe it at all.. ¡°It¡¯s true! I¡¯ve tried it myself!¡± Ruth insisted anxiously. Quentin interrupted coldly. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Ruth, I always thought of you as an innocent child who would never lie. I did not expect that you would lie to help your sister!¡± ¡°Hmph! If you don¡¯t believe me, then forget it!¡± Ruth snorted and turned away without another word. It¡¯s impossible to change his mind. She had said everything she needed to say, and if he refused to listen, it was not her fault. ¡°You guys are better off thinking about how to bring more people here to liven up the atmosphere instead of worrying about my affairs. Look at this press conference, it¡¯s as empty as a ghost town. What an embarrassment!¡± Quentin¡¯s face was cold as he spoke sarcastically. the ¡°Who said we don¡¯t have any guests? Look, there they are!¡± Natasha suddenly pointed her chin toward th door. The others followed her gaze. Several people dressed in luxurious clothing walked in, turning around as if they were looking for something. ¡°Excuse me, is Dr. Shane here?¡± ¡°We heard that Dr. Shane has developed a medicine called Immortunol, which could maintain youthfulness and increase longevity. Is it true?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Look, Dr. Shane is sitting on the stage.¡± Natasha smiled and stood up. ¡°Oh?¡± The group looked closely and their faces lit up with joy. ¡°It¡¯s really Dr. Shane! It seems like we¡¯vee to the right ce!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! I didn¡¯t believe it at first when I heard the rumors, but it turned out to be true!¡± They spoke excitedly to each other. After all, it was extremely difficult to meet a highly skilled expert like Dr. Shane, who was often elusive and rarely seen. ¡°Dr. Shane?¡± Quentin was startled and turned back in surprise. On the stage, there was a fat old man who was reading a book. He hadn¡¯t paid much attention before, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the old man was none other than the famous miracle doctor, Dr. Malcolm Shane! What¡¯s going on? Did Natasha actually invite Dr. Shane? Quentin mulled it over as more guests streamed in. People were crowding into the hall to see the renowned Dr. Shane. Many of them were initially skeptical and curious; however, once they saw that it was really him, their hearts were convinced. Even without saying a word, just having Dr. Shane sit there was the best advertisement for Immortunol. ¡°Is it possible? Could Immortunol really be better than Eternumax?¡± At first, Quentin was able to remain calm. but as more guests arrived, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. After a short while, the empty hall had be lively. ¡°It¡¯s about time, let¡¯s begin,¡± Natasha ordered the butler to bring out all of the Immortunol that had been prepared. With a smile, she stepped onstage and stood beside Dr. Shane. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the highlight of our press conference today is this new drug, Immortunol! This is a miraculous medicine jointly developed by Harmon Pharmaceuticals and other medical experts, including Dr. Shane. Not only does this medicine improve one¡¯s longevity, but it also has anti¨Caging and health¨Cpromoting benefits, making it suitable for people of all genders and ages. As for its effects, you¡¯ll know after trying it. Your opinion is what matters.¡± Natasha did not waste time and briefly introduced the Immortunol before having the butler distribute it to all of the guests. Without question, each person who was present in the hall received a pill. When everyone took the Immortunol, the entire hall erupted in excitement. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh my god! The effect of Immortunol is amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Just after taking one, my whole body is filled with energy! I have never felt so young!¡± ¡°My goodness! Honey, your face seems to be whiter and more radiant; even your dark circles have disappeared!¡± Everyone was enthusiastically discussing the mind¨Cblowing effects of the drug. Initially, many had turned up due to Dr. Shane¡¯s reputation. However, now they werepletely convinced by the apparent effects of the Immortunol! ¡°I don¡¯t believe this drug could be so incredible! Seeing everyone¡¯s positive response, Quentin scoffed angrily and stuffed an Immortunol into his mouth. At that moment, he was dumbstruck. The indescribable sense of warmth spread throughout his body, strengthening his muscles and boosting his energy. This drug was really out of this world! ¡°H¨Chow could this be?¡± Quentin widened his eyes in disbelief. He had initially thought that Natasha was just bluffing. He didn¡¯t expect that in just a few days, Natasha had actually developed a new medicine. In addition, the effects of Immortunol far exceeded those of Eternumax! Realizing this, Quentin suddenly turned pale and turned to Mr. Wangley. ¡°Mr. Wangley! Hurry up and sell the Eternumax at a low price! Sell them all! Don¡¯t leave a single one! If we don¡¯t sell them right now, we¡¯re done for!¡± Chapter 171 At the Hummer family¡¯s press conference, the once bustling hall began to slowly empty out. Initially, everyone was talking about Eternumax, but gradually the conversation switched to another topic. ¡°Hey, have you heard? The Harmon family also held a press conference tounch their product, Immortunol. They partnered up with Mr. Shane, and its effects are incredible! It¡¯s said to be the best supplement ever developed!¡± ¡°Is it true? Can itpare to Eternumax?¡± ¡°Eternumax is garbagepared to Immortunol! To tell you the truth, my friend¡¯s great¨Caunt just ate one pill of Immortunol, and she jumped out of her wheelchair!¡± ¡°Are you exaggerating?¡± ¡®Don¡¯t believe me? Let¡¯s go and see for yourself!¡± As news of Immortunoll spread, more and more people left to gather at the Harmon family¡¯s press conference. In contrast, the number of people at the Hummer family¡¯s conference dwindled. Gradually, Edwin finally realized that something was wrong. ¡°Butler, what¡¯s going on? Why did the number of our guests suddenly decrease so much?¡± Edwin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s strange.¡± The butler was puzzled by the situation. ¡°What are you standing there for? Go and find out!¡± Edwin snapped. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The butler dared not hesitate and ran out in a hurry. He returned after a moment, sweating profusely. ¡°Sir Hummer! Something terrible happened! Natasha is holding a press conference tounch a new product called Immortunol. Those missing guests have all gone over to their conference!¡± ¡°What? We¡¯ve been going all out on marketing and promotion. How could Natasha have the ability to steal my clients?¡± Edwin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It¡¯s because of Dr. Shane! It¡¯s said that Immortunol was developed by the Harmon family and Dr. Shane, so people are flocking to it!¡± The butler wiped away his sweat. ¡°Dr. Shane? Let¡¯s go and take a look for ourselves!¡± Edwin frowned. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity any longer. Eternumax was the result of years of research by the Harmon family, and it was top secret. Even if it was Dr. Shane, he couldn¡¯t develop a new medicineparable to Eternumax in just a few days! When Edwin arrived, he was shocked by the scene before him. He realized that the Harmon family¡¯s press conference was far more lively than his own. All the bigwigs and celebrities had turned up. Most importantly, everyone who had tried Immortunol gave it high praise. Edwin was curious and stopped a young man, who was passing by. ¡°Young man, did you try the Immortunol?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. What¡¯s wrong?¡± The young man nodded. ¡°What do you think of the effects of the medicine?¡± ¡°What do I think about it? Of course, I feel like I¡¯m on top of the world!¡® ¡°Is it really that powerful? How does itpare to Eternumax?¡± ¡°Eternumax? No one would eat that now!¡± The young man chuckled. Edwin froze, his eyes twitching frantically. Unwilling to ept it, he asked several more people in session. They all said the same thing. ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°How could a new medicine like Immortunolpare to Eternumax?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Edwin frowned deeply, still unconvinced. As he looked around at the people praising Immortunol, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little annoyed. After thinking for a moment, Edwin whispered a few words to his butler, who nodded and left immediately. As time passed, the conference at the Hummer family gradually quieted down. Chapter 172 Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the Harmon family¡¯s press conference became increasingly lively. Just when Natasha thought that everything was going smoothly, a scream suddenly rang out from the crowd. Everyone turned to look. An old man had suddenly copsed to the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Within moments, he was unconscious. ¡°Dad! What¡¯s wrong with you? Please get up!¡± Cried a middle¨Caged man next to him, panic¨Cstricken. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, let me take a look!¡± A bald man quickly stepped forward to check the old man¡¯s breathing and pulse. With a sigh, he shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± Everyone was shocked by the news. ¡°How could this happen? He seemed perfectly fine just a moment ago.¡± ¡°Who knows? He looked energetic: it¡¯s so strange that he died suddenly.¡± ¡°Could it be a heart attack?¡± Whispers and murmurs of suspicion filled the air. ¡°It can¡¯t be! My dad couldn¡¯t have died! We made sure he had regr checkups, and he was always healthy!¡± The middle¨Caged man sobbed. ¡°It looks like he might have been poisoned. Did he eat anything earlier?¡± The bald doctor asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t eat anything today. The middle¨Caged man trailed off before suddenly remembering something. Wait! My dad took Immortunol earlier, and now he is dead! The medicine must be toxic!¡± ¡°Toxic?¡± Everyone was shocked to hear this. After all, they had all taken the same medicine earlier. ¡°How could this be?¡± Natasha frowned. Having such an incident during the press conference was not a good sign. Regardless of whether the old man¡¯s death was rted to Immortunol, it would have a huge impact on Harmon Pharmaceutical¡¯s reputation. Once thebel ¡°toxic¡± was attached to Immortunol, it would not be able to sell at all. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! It¡¯s all your fault! You killed my father by selling fake medicine! You owe me his life!¡± The middle¨Caged man stood up and roared at Natasha. He rushed forward to attack her but was stopped by the Harmon family¡¯s bodyguards. ¡°The cause of your father¡¯s death is not clear yet. Whether it is rted to Immortunol still needs further investigation,¡± Natasha said sternly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to investigate! Everyone saw it clearly just now. My father was healthy before he took your medicine. After taking it, he suddenly died!¡± The man shouted. ¡°My father was killed by you! You wicked businesswoman! You look my father¡¯s life!¡± He kneeled beside the body, crying bitterly. ¡°My poor father, you died in vain! I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t avenge your death. I hope that they will get divine retribution from the heavens!¡± It was a heart¨Cwrenching sight that moved everyone to tears. At that moment, everyone turned to Natasha. Their gazes had changed from ones of respect to ones of scorn. ¡°Natasha! I never knew you were such a despicable person. For the sake of profit, you would actually sell fake medicine!¡± Quentin jumped to his feet and used her loudly. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Immortunol is not poisonous. Natasha frowned. *Then how do you exin the old man¡¯s sudden death after taking your medicine?¡± Quentin pressed. ¡°Natasha was at a loss for words. ¡°The old man¡¯s death has nothing to do with Immortunol,¡± Dustin spoke up. He had been watching from the side all along. ¡°Who are you to say that the medicine is not at fault?¡± Quentin retorted coldly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can show you that the medicine had nothing to do with his death. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can ask the old man personally.¡± Dustin stepped forward with a calm expression. Chapter 173 ¡°Ask the old man?¡± Quentin first looked stunned, then his face darkened. ¡°Punk! Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? The old man is already dead; how could you ask him anything?¡± ¡°He may be dead, but his body is still warm. Coincidentally, I have a way to bring the dead back to life.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°Nonsense! Do you think you¡¯re a god? Bring the dead back to life? Why don¡¯t you say you know how to fly?¡± Quentin sneered. ¡°Who is this young man? How dare he speak so arrogantly?¡± ¡°Yeah! Even Dr. Shane wouldn¡¯t dare say that he could bring the dead back to life. This kid is really too conceited!¡± ¡°In my opinion, he just wants to show off in front of Ms. Harmon and impress her.¡± In response to Dustin¡¯s words, the people around him were filled with . The old man was already dead, how could he bring a dead person back to life? Wasn¡¯t he spouting nonsense? ¡°Whether it¡¯s nonsense or not, we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t exin further and walked up to the old man. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? I¡¯m warning you¨Cdon¡¯t mess around with me! My father¡¯s body is still warm, so no one can touch him. I¡¯ve reported this to the authorities, and the police will be here soon!¡± The middle¨Caged man looked wary. ¡°Don¡¯t be so agitated, I just want to take a look at your father. Maybe I can give you the justice you deserve!¡± Dustin said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are, why should I let you examine him?¡± The middle¨Caged man shouted. ¡°Mr. Rhys is the chief physician of Harmon Pharmaceuticals. If your father really had an ident because of ingesting Immortunol, we are willing to take full responsibility,¡± Natasha spoke up. Although she didn¡¯t know what Dustin was going to do, she supported him unconditionally. ¡°If he¡¯s a doctor, then let him take a look.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s really Immortunol that killed him, we can testify for you!¡± Many others chimed in as well. Dustin piped up when he saw the man¡¯s hesitation, ¡°What, do you want your father to die under such vague circumstances?¡± ¡°Alright! I look forward to seeing what tricks you can y!¡± The middle¨Caged man gritted his teeth and stepped aside. Dustin squatted down and examined the body brielly. ¡°There¡¯s no breath or pulse. It seems like this old man is truly dead. Since the deceased is foaming at the mouth, it appears to be a case of death due to poisoning.¡± ¡°Listen! Did you all hear that? Even the Harmon family¡¯s physician said it was death by poisoning! My father was poisoned to death by Immortunol!¡± The middle¨Caged man shouted. As soon as the people heard his ims, their faces were filled with shock. They started pointing fingers at Natasha and whispering in hushed voices, their eyes full of suspicion. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Dustin! What nonsense are you talking about?! Did you even do a proper examination? You are obviously trying to throw the Harmons¡± under the bus!¡± Jessica hissed under her breath. She couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Dustin was a spy nted by the Hummer family. In such a critical moment, he actually said that the old man died of poisoning. Wasn¡¯t he just adding fuel to the fire? ¡°Cousin, it seems like your little boyfriend here has rocks in his head. With his statement, he is confirming that you did sell fake medicine, which caused someone¡¯s death!¡± Quentin almostughed out loud. Could such stupid people actually exist? He was just making matters worse! ¡°What an interesting development¡­¡± Edwin smirked to himself as he stood among the crowd. He couldn¡¯t believe that Dustin would add insult to injury. This was more than what he expected! ¡°Based on your reactions, I believe you all trust what I said, right?¡± Dustin stared directly at the man. ¡°We believe it! Of course, we believe it! You are an honest and upright man by publicly exposing the dark side of the Harmon family!¡± The middle¨Caged man nodded vigorously. While he was praising Dustin, the man couldn¡¯t hide the faint smile on his lips. Although his smile quickly disappeared, it was still caught by Dustin. ¡°Now that you believe me, I¡¯m going to save your father,¡± Dustin dered with a cheeky smile. ¡°Save? My father is already dead; how can you save him?¡± The middle¨Caged man was stunned. ¡°I have my ways,¡± Dustin said. All of a sudden, he pped the old man¡¯s face. There was a loud crack as the old man¡¯s dentures flew out and fell directly into someone¡¯s ss. Before everyone could react, Dustin continued pping the old man until his cheeks were swollen and his nose was bleeding. ¡°Hey! Are you crazy? Why are you hitting my father?¡± The man¡¯s face turned as pale as a sheet. ¡°I¡¯m trying to save your father. This is a secret technique that can bring people back from the dead. You shall see for yourself soon,¡± Dustin said as he pped the old man a few more times, increasing the intensity. The old man¡¯s head swelled up like a balloon from Dustin¡¯s assault. Tears were flowing down his cheeks. ¡°Stop it! You lunatic, stop it!¡± The middle¨Caged man was furious and rushed forward to hit Dustin, but Dustin pushed him away easily. ¡°Is this guy a real doctor? I¡¯ve never seen such a way of saving people before.¡± ¡°What bizarre technique is this? He¡¯s clearly just beating up a dead body!¡± ¡°Is he insane? How could the doctor beat up the old man so violently when he is already dead?¡± ¡°The doctor¡¯s character is corrupt! The Harmon family ispletely rotten to the core! What is the worlding to?¡± In response to Dustin¡¯s absurd behavior, the crowd began condemning him, filled with righteous indignation. The deceased should be respected! Beating up a corpse like this was simply inhumane! ¡°This guy¡¯s crazy! He¡¯s beating up my father¡¯s corpse! The Harmon family killed my father, and now they are treating his body with disrespect! Is there anyone who can help me?¡± The middle¨Caged man slumped on the ground, crying bitterly. ¡°Dustin, stop it!¡± Jessica¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°He¡¯s gone mad! This guy is out of his mind!¡± Quentin shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ruth was stunned. ¡°This is getting more and more interesting.¡± Edwin gloated. Just as everyone thought that Dustin had gone insane, there was suddenly a cry of surprise from the crowd. ¡°Hey, I think I just saw the dead man¡¯s finger move!¡± ¡°Did you see it too? I thought I was seeing things.¡± ¡°Not only did his fingers move, but look! Tears are flowing out of his eyes too.¡± Incredulous, the crowd noticed something strange about the dead body. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Could pping someone¡¯s face really bring them back from the dead? ¡°He¡¯s pretty resilient.¡± Dustin sneered as he stopped the assault. ¡°It seems like I need to go all out to wake him up. Ruth, bring me my knife, the one I used to ughter pigs. I would have to make a cut on his head to bring him back to life.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the ¡®corpse¡± on the ground couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and sat up with a scream. Chapter 174 When the old man suddenly sat up, all the guests were startled. Some of the women screamed frantically, losing theirposure. ¡°It¡¯s a zombie!¡± Shocked to the core, the crowd scattered in all directions. No one expected that the motionless corpse would suddenly spring to life. It was such a terrifying moment! ¡°Dad? Y¨Cyou¡¯re not dead?¡± The middle¨Caged man pretended to be shocked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not dead.¡± The old man gave a forced smile. an was His voice was slurred as his dentures were knocked out. Combined with his swollen cheeks, the old man aical sight. ¡°Oh my god! This young man could even revive the dead! How could this be?¡± ¡°No words could express my amazement right now!¡± ¡°What a strange way to treat people! Are medical techniques nowadays getting more straightforward?¡± Staring at the old man, who was obviously alive and kicking, there was pandemonium in the hall. Some of the onlookers were shocked, and some were curious. ¡°Hey, I saved your father¡¯s life! Is it too much to ask for you to show some gratitude?¡± Dustin smirked. ¡°You bastard! Even if my father survived this ordeal, it¡¯s because of his good luck! It doesn¡¯t change the fact that Immortunol is poisonous!¡± The middle¨Caged man was livid. ¡°That¡¯s right! I almost died after eating your medicine. Now, I¡¯m still feeling sore all over!¡± The old man gritted his teeth and looked resentful. After enduring such a fierce beating, he couldn¡¯t let Dustin go without extorting sufficientpensation. ¡°Oh? Where else do you feel ufortable? Let me have a look.¡± Dustin stepped forward. In fright, the old man backed away repeatedly. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m warning you, stay away from me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous! Your illness is not fully cured yet, as you have just regained consciousness. Here, let me diagnose you for aplete recovery, just in case.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Dustin, the knife you wanted is here!¡± At that moment, Ruth ran over excitedly. In her hand was arge kitchen knife that she somehow managed to find. ¡°Perfect timing. Although it¡¯s bigger than what I¡¯m used to, it¡¯s just right to crack open a skull¡± Dustin took the kitchen knife and swung it around. ¡°Crack open my skull?!¡± Hearing this, the old man trembled all over. ¡°Son, let¡¯s not waste any more time! I think I need to go to the hospital for a full examination right away!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, right! Of course, we have to go to the hospital first!¡± Seeing the unfavorable situation, the middle¨C aged man quickly helped the old man to his feet and tried to run away Inconspicuously. ¡°Did I say you could go?¡± Dustin took a step forward and grabbed the old man by his hair, pulling him back. ¡°I always treat my patients to the best of my ability, even after their deaths.¡± How can I ignore it when you are so sick?¡± With that, he started brandishing the kitchen knife back and forth. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t! I¡¯m not sick, I¡¯ve already recovered!¡± The old man shivered in fright. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn: your illness is life¨Cthreatening. Everyone witnessed it just now.¡± Dustin said earnestly. ¡°That¡¯s right, old man. If you¡¯re sick, you should seek treatment as soon as possible. You shouldn¡¯t refuse his good intentions!¡± Someone piped up. ¡°That¡¯s right, this young man is highly skilled in medicine. You should trust him. Nothing bad will happen.¡± The others agreed and began to persuade the old man. ¡°I¡¯m fine; I¡¯m really fine.¡± The old man shook his head frantically, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Lie down and don¡¯t move. Let me see where to make the first incision,¡± Dustin ordered, pinning the helpless old man down. ¡°Let him go immediately! You¡¯remitting murder!¡± The middle¨Caged man panicked and tried to stop Dustin. but was held back by several bodyguards. ¡°ording to my diagnosis, you are in grave condition! Let¡¯s start by cracking your skull open, and then we will move on to cutting your abdomen¡­¡± Dustin trailed off, lifting his knife to strike. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m not sick, I¡¯m really not! Someone paid me to pretend to be dead!¡± Realizing his life was at stake, the old man finally revealed the truth with a wail. ¡°He was paid off?¡± ¡°Pretended to be dead?¡± As soon as everyone heard this, their faces went red with fury and outrage. ¡°What a bunch of scammers! How dare you have the audacity to cause trouble here?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I felt sorry for you just now. It turns out that you¡¯re all liars!¡± ¡°Young man, just chop them up. Trash like them deserves to die!¡± After learning the truth, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some of them even threatened to get physical. ¡°Tell me, who put you up to this?¡± Dustin held his knife to the old man¡¯s neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know, we were just paid to do this. We don¡¯t know anything else.¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°Please spare us, we won¡¯t do this again.¡± The middle¨Caged man spoke up, frightened for his life. They were just scoundrels who preyed on the weak. Once their true identities were exposed, they lost all their courage. ¡°Take these troublemakers away!¡± At Natasha¡¯smand, the two were quickly taken away. She didn¡¯t need an answer. She already knew who was behind all this. ¡°Useless idiots!¡± In the crowd, Edwin snorted coldly and left. He knew he had lost today. All his schemes hade to nothing. ¡°It¡¯s over, we¡¯re done for.¡± Quentin¡¯s face was pale with despair. The initial glimmer of hope was instantly dashed in the blink of an eye. If Immortunol was sessfullyunched, how could he sell his Eternumax? He had put in his entire fortune! ¡°Dustin, how did you know that the old man was pretending to be dead? I saw that he wasn¡¯t breathing.¡± Ruth couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity. ¡°That old man was using a technique called Breath¨Cholding; that¡¯s why he could pretend to be dead. I¡¯m familiar with many of these tricks used by scammers everywhere, it¡¯s not even worth mentioning.¡± Dustin replied with a faint smile. ¡°Oh, I see. It¡¯s a good thing you figured it out, or else things would have gone terribly today!¡± Ruth patted her chest in relief. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you are indeed amazing. You exposed the deception of those two ruffians effortlessly! My admiration for you is immeasurable!¡± At that moment, Malcolm came over to tter Dustin. Just sitting there quietly wasn¡¯t really his thing. ¡°Dr. Shane, he just stumbled upon the solution by chance. How can you lower yourself to his level?¡± Jessica gave Dustin a cold nce before smiling at Dr. Shane. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your help in developing Immortunol, the Harmon family would be in huge trouble! You are the biggest hero of the day!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Who said I developed the Immortunol?¡± Malcolm frowned. ¡°What?¡± Jessica was momentarily stunned. She eximed, ¡°Who else has the ability to do that besides you?¡± ¡°You really have no eye for talent! The mastermind behind Immortunol is none other than Mr. Rhys beside you! *Malcolm rolled his eyes. ¡°What?¡± At this revtion, Jessica was instantly dumbfounded. Chapter 175 After a stormy event, the Harmon family¡¯s press conference ended sessfully. On the other hand, the influential Hummer family¡¯s press conference ended in dismal failure. The emergence of Immortunol dealt a huge blow to the sales of Eternumax. Compared to another medicine with better efficacy and a cheaper price, Eternumax was regarded as garbage. The Hummer family¡¯s Eternumax couldn¡¯t be sold at all. In the end, they were stuck with piles of rotting. inventory. The meticulous game nned by Edwin was aplete failure. Although this disaster was unable to weaken the Hummer family¡¯s foundation, it still caused them heavy losses. After the press conference, Dustin was about to say goodbye when he was stopped by Ruth at the door, ¡°Dustin, I need a favor from you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dustin asked suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m going to a reunion with some of my ssmatester, can youe with me and be my bodyguard?¡± Ruth was very straightforward. ¡°The Harmon family has so many bodyguards, why do you need me? I¡¯m not interested,¡± Dustin refused. ¡°How can those menpare to you? Well, to be honest with you, there¡¯s a really annoying guy among my ssmates who¡¯s been pursuing me. I told him I have a boyfriend, but he doesn¡¯t believe me. That¡¯s why I need you toe along.¡± Ruth pouted. ¡°In conclusion, you¡¯re just using me as an excuse! That makes me even less interested.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Hey! I consider you a friend, and you won¡¯t even help me with this small matter? Where¡¯s your loyalty?¡± Ruth had a displeased expression on her face. ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Dustin¡¯s expression changed as he looked around nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t hear me!¡± Ruth crossed her arms smugly. Dustin opened his mouth to exin, but Ruth interrupted him. ¡°I don¡¯t care! If you don¡¯t help me out, I¡¯ll tell my mom!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin nodded in rm. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll just keep youpany. Are you happy now?¡± He didn¡¯t expect this little girl to resort to such a move. He really had to admire her persistence. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Ruth smirked and pulled Dustin out the door. It was the evening at the Phoenix Karaoke, in a private room. She sat on the sofa listlessly, propping her chin on her hands. 1/7/3 Before her, a group of young men and women were singing and rapping, having a great time. *She, you said you were bored out of your mind in the vi. I took a huge risk to bring you out, but why are you still being mopey?¡± udia, who was sitting next to her, couldn¡¯t help feeling puzzled. Ever since her illness was cured, She, who was usually lively and cheerful, seemed to be acting weird. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. These past two days, she had no appetite and seemed to wander around mindlessly. ¡°Maybe my body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet,¡± Shezily replied. ¡°Is that so?¡± udia looked skeptical. ¡°She, can I ask you something?¡± At that moment, a young man suddenly cut in with a bright smile. ¡°Did you inform Ruth about this gathering? I haven¡¯t been able to contact hertely.¡± ¡°Of course I did. We¡¯re all good friends, how could I leave her out?¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯vest seen Ruth, I wonder how she is doing?¡± The young man smiled in relief. ¡°Nigel I advise you to give up on Ruth. She¡¯s not interested in you.¡± She was very straightforward. ¡°Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. Maybe one day, Ruth will be moved by my true feelings.¡± Nigel wasn¡¯t perturbed at all. ¡°True feelings? Nigel you seem to have a new girlfriend every month. It¡¯s possible that you change girlfriends as frequently as someone changes clothes.¡± udia sneered. ¡°udia! Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I¡¯m a loyal person!¡± Nigel looked embarrassed. ¡°Okay, okay! You¡¯re loyal, you¡¯re not a yboy.¡± udia didn¡¯t bother to argue. Her duty was to protect She. She had no interest in the love affairs of these young men and women. Just as they were talking, the door to the private room suddenly opened. Ruth, who was dressed luxuriously, entered the room, followed closely by Dustin. ¡°Ruth, you¡¯re finally here! Please, have a seat!¡± Nigel was overjoyed when he saw Ruth arrive. He quickly poured Ruth a ss of juice, fawning over her. ¡°Dustin?¡± She eximed and stood up suddenly.. Her overreaction took udia by surprise. Why was she so energetic all of a sudden? Following her gaze, udia noticed Dustin standing there. She couldn¡¯t help furrowing her brows. Could it be that She liked him? ¡°Dustin, why are you here?¡± She greeted him with joy, to the point of ignoring Ruth¡¯s presence. ¡°Ms. Murray?¡± Dustin was slightly surprised. What a coincidence! He didn¡¯t expect to meet her here. ¡°She, do you two know each other?¡± Ruth stared at the both of them in astonishment. ¡°I had fallen ill two days ago. It was Dustin who saved me!¡± She smiled sweetly. Chanter 175 ¡°Is that so? As fate would have it, both of you have met again!¡± Ruth had a meaningful smile on her face as well. ¡°Yes, it must be destiny!¡± She nodded energetically. Shepletely forgot about being bored. ¡°Ruth, who is this guy? I haven¡¯t seen him around before.¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes and stared at Dustin with an unfriendly expression. Two beautiful women were both fussing around Dustin and being so affectionate with him. This made Nigel green with envy. ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce him. This is my boyfriend, Dustin.¡± Ruth raised her chin proudly. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Upon hearing this, Nigel¡¯s face darkened, As for She, the happiness she had shown earlier was instantly reced by disappointment and sadness. Who knew that Dustin had already been taken by her good friend? Chapter 176 ¡°Ruth, when did you get a boyfriend? Why wasn¡¯t I informed?¡± Nigel¡¯s face turned ugly as he stared at Dustin with hostility. ¡°Do I need to report to you when I have a boyfriend? You really think too highly of yourself.¡± Ruth rolled her eyes. She had already rejected Nigel multiple times, but he just wouldn¡¯t give up and continued to pester her. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you might be deceived. There are a lot of con artists these days who use their good looks to cheat people out of their wealth.¡± Nigel said in a mocking tone. ¡°That¡¯s not true! Dustin is not a con man!¡± She quickly defended him. When everyone fixed their gazes on her, She realized that she had spoken out of turn and immediately shut her mouth. ¡°Ms. Murray, what¡¯s with the sachet on your neck?¡± Dustin suddenly noticed something unusual. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± She picked up the sachet and examined it. ¡°Throw it away. It¡¯s a little suspicious.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Hey, what do you mean? This aromatic sachet can calm the mind and improve sleep. How suspicious can it be?¡± udia was displeased. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth, Dustin replied calmly. ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, then shut up and stop being a smart aleck!¡± udia didn¡¯t mince her words. ¡°udia!¡± She pouted in annoyance. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s just a sachet. What¡¯s there to argue about? Come on, let¡¯s sit down and enjoy ourselves.¡± Ruth pulled She to sit down beside her and started chattering away. Dustin was left feeling a little left out. udia red at him and turned away in a huff. For some reason, she always felt uneasy around Dustin. ¡°udia, who is this guy anyway?¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes at Dustin. ¡°He¡¯s nothing special, just a doctor from the countryside. If you really want to know about him, he¡¯s skilled in the use of obscure hidden weapons,¡± udia said coldly. ¡°I thought he was some big shot. Turns out, he¡¯s just a doctor. Hey, you there! Don¡¯t me me for not warning you, you won¡¯t fit in our circle. If you have some brains, you¡¯ll leave on your own initiative!¡± Nigel sneered with disdain. ¡°That¡¯s right, a burn like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be Ruth¡¯s boyfriend, let alonepete with Mr. Lincoln!¡± Another girl dressed in yellow taunted Dustin. ¡°Oh, so what?¡± Dustin remained expressionless. ¡°So, you better have some self¨Cawareness. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself. Do you see the Patek Philippe watch on Mr. Lincoln¡¯s wrist? You¡¯ll never earn that much money in your lifetime!¡± ¡°Oh, so what?¡± ¡°It seems like you still can¡¯tprehend Mr. Lincoln¡¯s background. Let me educate you then. Mr. Lincoln¡¯s family dabbles in real estate located within Millsburg, owning assets worth several billion dors. Their family¡¯swork is spread throughout the marketce and the underworld.¡± The girl in yellow said arrogantly. ¡°Oh, so what?¡± ¡°Not only does Mr. Lincoln have a strong family background, but he¡¯s also extremely outstanding. He graduated from Oxford University and earns millions of dors every year. Besides that, he has practiced martial arts since a young age. Due to his natural talents, he was invited to be a member of the Martial Arts Association. He¡¯s truly aplished in both literature and martial arts!¡± ¡°Oh, so what?¡± ¡°With Mr. Lincoln¡¯s identity and abilities, he is in the spotlight wherever he goes. A loser like you can never ¡°Oh, so what?¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you say anything else?¡± ¡°Oh, so what?¡± The girl in yellow rolled her eyes. Her face turned red with anger and disgust. It was so damn infuriating to talk to this guy! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Punk, you¡¯ve got a sharp tongue, but what good does it do? You will always be inferior to me in every way. In the face of myplete dominance, sweet talk and ttery will get you nowhere!¡± Nigel sneered. ¡°Oh, so what?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°You¡­¡± Nigel¡¯s mouth twitched, feeling annoyed. Damn it, why was this punk repeating the same sentence over and over again? Couldn¡¯t they have a decent conversation? Just as they were talking, they were interrupted by amotion outside the door. ¡°Stop right there! This ce has been booked for another event. Everyone who is not involved, please leave-!¡± ¡°Surround them! Don¡¯t let anyone escape!¡± Amidst curdling screams and cries, the door to the private room burst open. A group of masked assassins dressed in ck rushed in with an imposing aura. The bodyguards guarding the door were all taken out. ¡°Who are you people? Who let you in? Get out!¡± The girl in yellow stood up angrily. ¡°Fuck you!¡± The assassins¡® leader pped her and sent her flying. ¡°What arrogance! How dare you have the audacity to stir up trouble here?¡± Nigel jumped up in a rage. ¡°Our target is She Murray. Anyone who is not involved, get out of here!¡± The assassins¡® leader shouted. ¡°What?¡± udia frowned, on high alert. Judging from their attire, these assassins were most likely the same ones who ambushed them a few days ago. ¡°Bastards, who do you think you are, demanding to hand She over? If you don¡¯t want to die, get the hell out of here!¡± Nigel¡¯s gaze was ferocious. ¡°What, are you trying to save the damsel in distress?¡± The assassins¡® leader eyed Nigel carefully. ¡°So what if I do?¡± Nigel puffed out his chest. ¡°You foolish idiot! Kill him!¡± The leader ordered his men without hesitation. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The other assassins drew their swords and attacked Nigel. ¡°How dare you show off such petty tricks in front of me?¡± Nigelughed coldly. He rushed towards the assassins and gave them a roundhouse kick in the guts. His attack was swift and vicious. In a matter of seconds, he had defeated all of the assassins. After finishing them off, he struck a confident pose. ¡°Oh my god! Mr. Lincoln is amazing!¡± Everyone¡¯s spirits were lifted upon seeing his victory. Some of the girls couldn¡¯t help but scream with adoration on their faces. ¡°These punks are no match for me! Nigel turned around and shed a handsome smile to his fans. However, at the next second, a fist the size of a sandbag hit him square in the face. Nigel was caught by surprise. The attack caused him to be disoriented and his nose to bleed profusely. Nigel¡¯s high spirits were short¨Clived. Chapter 177 ¡°You attacked out of turn!¡± Nigel held his bleeding nose and scowled at the assassins¡± leader. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Damn it, he didn¡¯t even have a chance to show off in front of Ruth! Where were his manners! ¡°It¡¯s your fault for getting distracted in battle! Are you tired of living?¡± The leader sneered. ¡°Scumbag, you are getting on my nerves! I¡¯ll give you onest chance to kneel and beg for mercy, otherwise. I will roundhouse kick you in the arse! Nigel red at him viciously. As he threatened, Nigel leaped into the air and did a somersault, looking quite impressive. ¡°Arrogant fool!¡± The assassins¡® leader¡¯s eyes were cold as he and his remaining men rushed toward Nigel at once. ¡°Be careful, Mr. Lincoln!¡± The girls eximed in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate yourself!¡± Nigel reared fearlessly as he took a step back to perform his special move. He spun around like a spinning top, attacking the assassins ferociously. His kicks were merciless and deadly; anyone who got close to Nigel was knocked down easily like dominoes. Even the assassins¡® leader could not withstand Nigel¡¯s attacks and was blown off his feet. In just a minute, all the assassins were defeated. For that moment, Nigel seemed unrivaled and invincible! ¡°Wow, Nigel is amazing!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, his fighting technique is cut of this world!¡± ¡°As expected of Mr. Lincoln, he is truly a terrifying martial artist!TM Looking at the number of assassins were lying incapacitated on the ground, everyone started ¡°This victory is not worth mentioning. They are just small fries!¡± Nigel stood with his hands behind his back, feigning nonchnce. However, he couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at Ruth while he spoke, with a haughty expression on his face. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, you were incredible! You make all of us feel safe just by having you around! Any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend!¡± The girl in yellow held her hands to her chest, looking up at Nigel with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡± Nigel smiled modestly. ¡°It¡¯s only natural for a man to protect a woman. I¡¯m not like some coward who hides at the back and relies on women for protection. That¡¯s really pathetic!¡± Nigel looked at Dustin intentionally to prove his point. ¡°Hey, you! Cidn¡¯t you have a sharp tongue? Why are you not saying anything now? Are you dumb?¡® The girl in yellow sneered, her face full of disdain. Chamber 177 ¡°If you ask me, someone here is all talk and no action. Most of the time, he is as arrogant as a peacock. However, when things go wrong, he is the first person to flee.¡± ¡°Ruth, now it¡¯s obvious which choice is better, right? If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Lincoln, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight against these vicious people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! When looking for a boyfriend, we should find a real man like Mr. Lincoln! As for the guy next to you, you should forget about him, What¡¯s the use of having a cowardly and timid man around?¡± At that moment, everyone was gossiping about the two of them. Nigel proved his bravery and strength, while Dustin did nothing like a coward. Comparing the two, it was clear who was better. ¡°Dustin, why didn¡¯t you do anything just now?¡± Listening to the harshments of those around her, Ruth couldn¡¯t help but frown. She knew that Dustin was skilled in martial arts, although not necessarily stronger than Nigel. However, dealing with a few petty assassins shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°These small fries don¡¯t interest me.¡± Dustin said nonchntly. ¡°Small fries? You may be a coward, but your words are quite the opposite!¡± ¡°Just admit that you are pathetic. How dare you find excuses for yourself?¡± ¡°He only knows how to talk big, but he¡¯s actually just a coward!¡± ¡°What a wimp, disgusting loser!¡± Remaining silent would have been better for Dustin, as anything he said only led to contempt. ¡°Punk, it¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t have the guts nor the ability to fight. Why pretend to be tough? If you kneel down and beg. I might teach you a few moves so you won¡¯t wet yourself from fear the next time.¡± Nigel. sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, then take down those two behind you first.¡± Dustin pointed his chin to the door. Nigel turned around in surprise and saw that there were indeed two more people. Both of them were bald, one dressed in green and the other in ck. They were muscr and burly men, with fierce eyes and bulging biceps. ¡°Oh! Who are these two men who don¡¯t fear death?¡± Nigel smirked scornfully. ¡°Was it you who injured our men?¡± The bald man in green spoke first. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. What are you going to do about it? What, do you want to have aste of my roundhouse kick too? Nigel replied arrogantly. ¡°Roundhouse kick? Heh, trash!¡± The green baldy sneered. ¡°Fool! How dare you look down on me? Today, I¡¯ll let you witness my special move, the Whirlwind Kick!¡± As Nigel spoke, he leaped into the air. Whirling around, he kicked up a fierce tornado that looked very impressive. The girls around him were dazzled by his moves. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, go for it!¡± ¡°Take them down!¡± Full of admiration, they cheered Nigel on. Gathering his strength, Nigel smashed a powerful blow into the bald man¡¯s skull. A muffled sound was heard. However, the bald man in green was unscathed by the attack. He didn¡¯t even move a muscle, just slightly tilted his head. On the other hand, Nigel¡¯s bones were fractured, and his whole body went numb. ¡°You-!¡± Nigel was stunned, his face full of disbelief. Even when he attacked using his full power, he still couldn¡¯t break his opponent¡¯s defense. In contrast, his leg was shattered by the reaction force. What kind of monster was this that popped out of nowhere? ¡°Whirlwind Kick? Is that all?¡± The bald man in green sneered and grabbed Nigel¡¯s leg. He flung Nigel up into the air, smashing into the ceiling. After that, his body fell to the ground, ttened like a mere bug. Before Nigel could get up, a deafening sound was heard as the bald man mmed Nigel¡¯s face deeper into the ground, causing the floor to crack. Blood spurted out from his mouth and nose, and he couldn¡¯t even scream in agony. His body was severely injured, with countless fractures all over. ¡°You¡¯re not even worth my time!¡± The bald man in green sneered with an expression of disdain. When they saw Nigel lying motionless on the ground, everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened in shock. Chapter 178 There was pin¨Cdrop silence in the private room. At a loss for words, everyone was aghast at what had happened. No one expected the twist of events. Just a minute ago. Nigel was their hero, unting his strength and skills, but now he was lying helplessly on the ground like a dead dog. How could this bald guy be so powerful? ¡°H¨Chow dare you hurt me? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Nigel Lin¡ª¡± ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± With a crack, the bald man stepped on Nigel¡¯s leg and broke it. Nigel wailed in pain, with cold sweat appearing on his forehead. ¡°If you¡¯ve got the nerve, tell me your names!¡± Nigel gritted his teeth, his eyes shing with rage. ¡°Listen up! My name is Brent Garcia, and this is my brother, Wade Garcia!¡± The bald man in green announced loudly. ¡°Brent Garcia, Wade Garcia? Could it be¡­are you guys the Four Scoundrels?¡± Nigel¡¯s pupils shrank in fear. ¡°The Four Scoundrels!¡± Everyone was shocked at the revtion. The Four Scoundrels was a notorious group of merciless and vicious ouws that terrorized the Southern province. These ruffians were infamous for their ruthlessness, and they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals! Wherever they went, destruction and cmity followed. Countless elites in the Southern province were terrified of the Four Scoundrels, living in constant fear and anxiety. After learning the identities of the two men, all the girls panicked. ¡°This is bad!¡± udia furrowed her brows. The Four Scoundrels were all martial artists with incredible internal energy. Brent and Wade were said to be even stronger than Thor. It was already difficult enough to deal with one person. Now, there were two of them at the same time, undoubtedly making things worse. If she were alone, she might still have a chance to escape. The problem was that she had to protect She as well. With her previous injuries, udia had no chance of winning if she had to go up against two viins simultaneously. ¡°Brent! I¡¯m warning you, everyone here Is of elite status. You¡¯d better not mess around!¡± Nigel shouted bravely. ¡°Who cares if we cause trouble? You¡¯re nothing but a plece of shit!¡± Brent kicked Nigel forcefully, sending him flying into the crowd. Amidst the screaming and chaos, udia suddenly sprang into action! She drew her dagger and lunged like a cheetah toward Brent¡¯s throat, hoping to take out one of the two opponents. In a fair fight, she knew that she was no match for either of them. By taking out one person, her chances of winning would significantly increase! Although it was a good n, Brent was no fool. As the dagger came at him, he quickly dodged aside and mmed his shoulder into udia¡¯s chest. She grunted and staggered back, but before she could regain her footing, Brent punched her again with tremendous force. Desperately, udia lifted her arm to block the blow. There was a loud thud as udia was thrown back once more. Her arm hanging limply, she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her internal injuries had opened up again. ¡°Ms. Doyle, if you were at full strength, you might be able to put up a fight with me for a few rounds. In this state, however, I suggest you surrender,¡± Brent sneered at her. udia¡¯s face darkened, and she rushed at nim again with her dagger. After they exchanged blows for a few rounds, udia was punched heavily in the stomach. She fell to the ground, unable to stand on her feet. ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over!¡± ¡°Even Mr. Lincoln and Ms. Doyle were defeated. Who else can stop them?¡± ¡°What should we do? I don¡¯t want to diel¡± Seeing udia defeated, the girls were on the verge of tears. Theirst glimmer of hope was now gone. ¡°Wade, take Ms. Murray away. I want to have some fun with the beautifuldies here first,¡± Brent said with a wicked grin. ¡°Listen up. all of you. If you don¡¯t want to die, take off your clothes. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences of inciting my anger!¡± As soon as he spoke, all the girls turned pale with fear. Were they going to be vited by this pervert? ¡°Ms. Murray,e with me.¡± Wade, the bald guy in ck, stepped forward and approached She. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Suddenly, Ruth grabbed a fruit knile and stood in front of She. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯te any closer, or Ill stab you!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Without saying another word, Wade swung his hand toward Ruth. The energy gathered around Wade¡¯s hand was strong enough to whip up a wind around them. At the crucial moment, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Wade¡¯s wrist. Wade¡¯s palm was frozen, inches from Ruth¡¯s face. ¡°You can bully the others, but you can¡¯t touch these two,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°How dare you meddle in other people¡¯s business? You¡¯re asking for it!¡± Wade¡¯s expression turned ugly, and he raised his other fist to strike at Dustin¡¯s head. Dustin snorted lightly and made the first move. He punched Wade in the chest, his moves as quick as lightning. With a dull thud, an invisible beam of energy pierced through Wade¡¯s back, shattering a wine bottle several feet away. Wade shuddered and slumped to the ground, unconscious. ¡°Wade!¡± Brent¡¯s face contorted with anger. ¡°How dare you hurt my brother? I¡¯ll send you to hell!¡± He charged forward like a wild bull and threw a punch directly at Dustin¡¯s face. Dustin caught his fist with one hand and squeezed it gently. With a loud crack, the bones in Brent¡¯s fist shattered. Blood and flesh sttered everywhere. Before he could register the pain. Dustin grabbed his cor and mmed him hard against the wall like a sandbag, creating a gaping hole. Brent hung helplessly on the wall, bleeding profusely and unable to move. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I wanted to have a decent conversation with you guys, but you had to resort to violence.¡± Dustin patted the dirt off his clothes indifferently, as if defeating both of the bald guys was a trivial matter. Everyone present was dumbfounded was stunned at Dustin¡¯s nonchnce, including She, udia, and Nigel. Dustin managed to defeat both of them with just two moves. It was unthinkable that two of the invincible Four Scoundrels would be trounced and beaten up by a thin, frail guy like Dustin. Were they dreaming? Was he the cowardly and useless guy they were making fun of before? Chapter 179 ¡°H¨Chow was this possible?!¡± Nigel gasped, his mouth wide and his face full of disbelief. He finally witnessed how formidable the Four Scoundrels were in person. Either one of them could quickly snuff him out. It was perhaps fate that an expert like himself had been crippled by a doctor they looked down upon. Such a thing was practically unheard of! ¡°How is this guy so powerful?¡± udia¡¯s eyes widened in shock and bewilderment. Initially, she had assumed that Dustin was an unsavory character who only knew how to resort to using dirty tricks up his sleeve, so she hadn¡¯t expected him to be so skilled in martial arts. He was miles better than her! He wielded such strength at such a young age, too. She was frozen on the spot once the revtion hit her that she was no longer a goddess among men. ¡°Dustin¡¯s way too cool!¡± She cheered as her eyes sparkled. After exchanging nces with one another, the rest of the girls also started looking at him in a different light. Not used to everyone¡¯s starstruck gazes on him, Dustin walked up to Brent before asking. ¡°Tell me, who sent you here?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s my day of reckoning anyway, so kill me all you want!¡± Brent screamed through gritted teeth. ¡°It¡¯s not like killing you guys will do me any good anyways. As long as you¡¯re willing to talk, I¡¯ll let you all live to see another day.¡± Dustin said. ¡°I¡¯ll die either way if I reveal anything!¡± Brent replied solemnly. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the spider venom in your stomach, right?¡± Dustin asked with raised eyebrows. He then pulled out a golden needle and stabbed it directly into Brent¡¯s abdomen, Immediately, a bulge was seen on Brent¡¯s abdomen. The bulge began moving violently as if something inside him was fighting for their lives. A few exhalester, the writhing stopped, and the bulge could no longer be seen moving. When Dustin pulled out the golden needle, it was now stained with a sliver of ckish liquid. ¡°The venom is gone. You should be able to speak now,¡± Dustin said tly. ¡°H¨Chow did you do that?¡± Brent gasped, and his expression Immedtely turned into one that was fearful and horrified. That was because the Four Scoundrels had actually been controlled by someone who led them venom all this time. The mere thought of resistance could inflict pain that was worse than death on the host. They had tried various ways to get rid of the venom, but not only did none of them have the slightest effect, they even aggravated the pain. However, the person in front of him had gotten rid of the spider venom in his body with a mere needle. These kinds of miraculous means were simply unheard of! ¡°I¡¯m skilled in the art of poisons and venom, so if you wish to regain your freedom, you need to be honest and tell me everything.¡± Dustin stated indifferently. After hesitating for a long while. Brent finallypromised, saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you the truth, but you must promise to spare the both of us,¡± Which sensible human would choose death over life? ¡°Done.¡± Dustin nodded his head. ¡°To be honest with you, the person who ordered us to kidnap you was- Before Brent could finish his sentence, the doors to the room were forcefully kicked open. Xavier rushed hastily inside the room with a group of elite guards. He scanned the room and quickly found Brent. ¡°It¡¯s the Four Scoundrels again! Prepare to die!¡± Without waiting for the crowd to react. Xavier bashed Brent¡¯s skull in with his fists. He was swift and brutal. Now, his hands were drenched in blood. ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. Did Xavier just kill him to silence him? ¡°She! udia! Are you guys alright?¡± Right after killing Brent. Xavier immediately turned around and asked She and udia while wiping the blood off his hands. ¡°We¡¯re fine. It was a good thing Dustin came to our aid just now.¡± She forced a smile. ¡°Dustin?¡± Xavier asked as he suddenly turned his head to look at the man. ¡°What are you doing here? Xavier asked with a condescending gaze. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Dustin replied indifferently. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what a coincidence? You were there thest time She got ambushed, and you¡¯re here yet again, so how can this be a coincidence?¡± Xavier scoffed, ring down at Dustin. ¡°Your point exactly?¡± Dustin shot back. ¡°I suspect that you colluded with the Four Scoundrels toe up with a n to get close to She!¡± Xavier used. ¡°I can assure you it¡¯s not like that- She spoke up before being interrupted by Xavier again. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled, She! We don¡¯t know where this guy is from or what his intentions are. Thus, he must be interrogated thoroughly for your safety. Apprehend this man for me at oncel¡± At hismand, the group of elite guards proceeded to cock their guns. ¡°Stop! I was the one who brought Dustin here, so I can guarantee that he isn¡¯t a bad guy!¡± Ruth stepped forward, attempting to mediate the situation. ¡°Whether he¡¯s a bad guy or not, we¡¯ll know once we catch him!¡± Xavier retorted. ¡°Hey, do you still have any sense left in that brain of yours? Can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re being cruel by apprehending an innocent person?¡± Ruth was getting annoyed with Xavier¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°Who are you to talk sense to me? Get lost!¡± Xavier screamed before lifting his hand to give Ruth a hard p across her face, causing her to stagger and fall to the ground. Everyone could see five visible, bright red fingerprints on her face. ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin gasped as his expression sank. His eyes shed with anger. ¡°Are you crazy, Xavier? Why did you hit my friend?!¡± She scolded Xavier while helping Ruth up. ¡°I was thinking about your safety, She. I refuse to spare anyone who acts even remotely suspicious! Even if I have to be a viin today, I¡¯ll make sure to get rid of every threat to you! Arrest that punk! Kill him on the spot if he dares to put up a fight!¡± At Xavier¡¯s order, all the elite guards attacked Dustin at once. Dustin merely let out a cold snort and started gesturing with his hands. ¡°Phew! Phew! Phew!¡± Golden needles shot out from his hands and urately navigated their way to the various acupuncture points on the bodies of the guards. In no time at all all of the guards seemed to be bound by a spell of some sort, as they stood frozen in ce, unable to move. ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± Xavier shrieked as a scowl appeared on his face. He then immediately fished out his gun and fired at Dustin¡¯s chest. However, with a mere flick of a finger, Dustin swiftly sent two needles flying into the air. One needle landed on Xavier¡¯s shoulder, and anothernded on his neck. His body instantly stiffened as his arms and legs became paralyzed, and this made it difficult for him to move a bit. ¡°W¨Cwhat kind of sorcery is this?¡± Xavier cried, his face full of shock. He was one of the top martial artists out there, so how could he be rendered immobile by two tiny golden needles just like that? ¡°Not only are you not that skilled or powerful, you still have the audacity to show up here and start hurling insults and beating the shit out of people? Dustin asked with an icy stare as he slowly approached him. ¡°Rhys! You¡¯d better let go of me if you know what¡¯s good for you, if not, I¡¯ll make sure that you never leave here alive!¡± Xavier sneered fiercely. ¡°You dare threaten me? This is for speaking out of turn!¡± Dustin scoffed as he lifted a hand to p Xavier¡¯s face. He then gave him another p. ¡°This is for cursing me!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. After that, he gave him a harsh third p. ¡°This is for your audacity to eveny a linger on a woman!¡± The pping continued non¨Cstop for a while. Dustin showed no mercy as he kept delivering blow after blow onto Xavier¡¯s face. He delivered a p after every sentence he uttered. The atmosphere in the room became tenser and tenser by the second. ¡°And this is for your stupid fucking face!¡± Dustin roared as he delivered the most powerful p he could muster, smashing Xavier to the ground. Everyone in the whole room became dead silent for a moment! Chapter 180 Everyone in the room was bbergasted as they stared at Xavier, who¡¯d been mercilessly battered and bruised. No one had expected Dustin to be so bold as to p Xavier. Everyone knew that the Horst family was among the five most powerful families in the Southern province. They were the top of the top! They were essentially untouchable! As an immediate heir, he was the rising star of the Horst family. So, no matter where he went, he¡¯d have the starsid out at his feet. No one had ever dared to humiliate him in public like this, much less p him like a maniac so many times. Was this guy batshit crazy? ¡°Y¨Cyou dare hit me?¡± Xavier asked rhetorically. The corners of his eyes started twitching as he tried to put on a fierce expression. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to beat you, I¡¯m going to make sure you can never use your hands ever again!¡± Dustin snorted and proceeded to stomp on his wrist, breaking it. ¡°Argh!¡± Xavier wailed in pain as he broke out in a cold sweat, his expression twisted. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t even move a muscle at the moment. ¡°Stop! Have you lost your mind, Rhys? Do you have any idea who Xavier is? How dare you hurt him?¡± udia shouted angrily at Dustin. ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is. Anyone who dares mess with me will get a beating from me,¡± Dustin replied tly. ¡°Didn¡¯t he just p you, Ruth? Come here and give him ten ps for me!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ruth eximed and started adjusting her shirtsleeves before going up to Xavier and pping the shit out of him. ¡°How dare you hit me! How fucking dare you hit me! I¡¯ll beat your ass up!¡± Ruth cursed with gritted teeth while venting her anger as she continued pping him. ¡°Stop!¡± udia yelled in rage and immediately stepped in to put a stop to everything. ¡°Get lost!¡± Dustin sneered and pped her after, sending her flying into the air. ¡°Y¨Cyou dare hit me too?¡± udia whimpered while covering her face as if she were in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you deserve it? Dustin let out a snort. ¡°I saved your life on more than one asion, and this is how you repay me? You didn¡¯t say a word when Xavier framed me, and you also acted as if nothing had happened when Ruth got pped. So, why is it that you¡¯re turning against us after seeing Xavier get beaten up? Are all of the families who practice martial arts always this vengeful? Dustin snapped at udia. ¡°I-¡°udia stuttered as her face turned bright red. She was stunned and speechless after being bombarded with a series of valid usations. This even caused She to be at a loss for words, as she simply did not know what she should do now. On one hand, there was the savior of her life, and on the other, a long¨Ctime friend. After getting caught up in the middle, she was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯m done with him, Brother¨Cinw!¡± Ruth announced after she finally came to a stop. Her hands had be numb from all the brutal pping. As for Xavier, his face had long since swollen enough to resemble a pig¡¯s head. He felt dizzy all over, as he didn¡¯t get any chance to catch his breath the whole time. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. The fact that youid a finger on Xavier means that you¡¯re now an enemy of the Horst family. I¡¯m afraid no one will be able to save your asses if you don¡¯t state your case right now!¡± udia shrieked. Despite everything, the Doyle family had been friends with the Horst family for generations, so she couldn¡¯t possibly stand up for mere outsiders now. ¡°You want us to state our case, right? Fine, I¡¯ll grant you your wish,¡± Dustin said and suddenly turned to face She before continuing. ¡°May I know if the sachet in front of your chest is a gift from Xavier, Miss Murray?¡± ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not sure. All I know is that udia gave it to me.¡± She said with her head lowered. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°What if I told you it was from Xavier?¡± Dustin continued to probe. udia felt that she had nothing to hide, so she immediately shot back, ¡°Xavier had to beg an expert to procure this sachet, and he had me deliver it to She afterward. It was said to aid in one¡¯s sleep and nourish the soul, so why are you finding fault in this?¡± ¡°It was said to aid in one¡¯s sleep and nourish the soul? What a load of crap!¡± Dustin snickered before snatching the sachet off her chest and throwing it into a ss of wine. ¡°Gurgle gurgle.¡± The sound of bubbles could be heard as the sachet suddenly started expanding in size, as if hinting that there was something inside. Immediately after, a thin, red¨Ccolored snake slithered out of the sachet and began thrashing about wildly in the wine. ¡°W¨Cwhat is that?!¡°. ¡°It¡¯s a snake! My goodness, it¡¯s a snake!¡± ¡°How horrifying! How can there be a snake inside the sachet? What if it bites someone?¡± A sea of horrified looks could be seen almost immediately from the crowd. More and more started to murmur among themselves at the sight before them as their hearts raced with fear. ¡°How could this be?¡± udia gasped and didn¡¯t know how to react to this. ¡°Do you know what this is, Miss Murray?¡± Dustin probed while pointing at the small red snake. She remained frozen on the spot as she shook her head, still reeling from her shock. Chanter 1ED ¡°This is called a Serpent Love Charm and it can be used to confuse people¡¯s minds. Once the snake enters one¡¯s body, the charm will slowly take effect until the hostpletely falls head over heels for someone. The host¡¯s heart could even stop beating after that!¡± Dustin exined inly. ¡°That was a ¡°Serpent Love Charm¡°?¡± Everyone in the room was stunned after they heard this. Even udia started feeling a little uneasy after hearing that. She did not expect that there would be a Serpent Love Charm inside the sachet. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard stories about it before, but I didn¡¯t know that such a thing even existed in our world!¡± ¡°Utterly ridiculous, right? To think that he put a Serpent Love Charm on her so that he could manipte her feelings toward him. How shameless!¡± ¡°So, Miss Doyle, do you still think that this sachet can aid in one¡¯s sleep and nourish their soul?¡± Dustin asked sarcastically. ¡°Well-..¡± udia frowned, and her gaze subconsciously shifted to Xavier. She couldn¡¯t believe what was happening in front of her right now. ¡°Stop listening to his nonsense!¡± Xavier spoke in defense immediately aftering back to his senses. ¡°What the fuck is a Serpent Love Charm? I¡¯ve never heard of this in my life! This sachet was gifted to me by someone else! I¡¯m the victim too here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if there was a Serpent Love Charm in the sachet, that doesn¡¯t prove that Xavier was the one who put it there. For all we know, some bigshot could¡¯ve set him up!¡± udia roared. ¡°Yeah! Xavier¡¯s always been an upright and honest person, so he would never stoop this low!¡± Nigel and the others also backed her up. ¡°Him? ¡®Honest¡® and ¡®upright¡®? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Dustin snickered. ¡°The Serpent Love Charm only works if there is a pair of snakes, one female, and one male snake. Now that the female snake has appeared, we¡¯re only missing the male snake. Since you all still don¡¯t believe me, allow me to show you!¡± With that, he waved one hand and sent two needles flying toward the arca between Xavier¡¯s chest and abdomen. His body spasmed as a pained expression took over his face. Soon after, he spat out a dark, ck liquid. And thrashing around inside the ck liquid was a thicker, reddish snake. The crowd was dumbfounded the moment they witnessed this! Chapter 181 ¡°S¨Cso that was a charm after all?¡± Everyone at the scene was frozen in ce as they stared at the red snake that Xavier vomited. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. One by one, their faces showed looks of disbelief. No one could¡¯ve ever imagined that the esteemed heir of the Horst family, who had a bright and promising future ahead of him, had stooped this low just to court someone. ¡°Xavier, I never thought you¡¯d be like this!¡± udia yelled angrily in shock. Who knew that she¡¯d be the one who would be deceived by trusting him too much in the end? She almost became an aplice in his schemes too! ¡°¨C¡± Xavier was at a loss for words as his face turned pale. The truth was alreadyid bare for all to see, so even if he still insisted on denying it, his attempts would be absolutely futile. ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s a good thing Dustin has a good eye to see through your evil schemes. Otherwise, She would¡¯ve fallen right into your trap!¡± Ruth spat, her expression full of contempt. She hated cespicable and shameless men like him the most, the type who was incapable ofnding a girl for himself, and yet insisted on using unorthodox methods to do so. Absolutely disgusting! She said nothing to all of this and merely looked at Xavier with disgust and a heightened sense of awareness. ¡°Yeah, so what if I gave her the charm? The only reason I did that was because I liked She so much! I assure you that I¡¯m the only person who¡¯s the best match for She in the entirety of South City, so much so that Uncle Caden already treats me like his son¨Cinw! I only did this to expedite the marriage between both of our families, so what¡¯s so wrong with that?¡± Xavier roared, clearly irritated. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re such a hypocrite! It still doesn¡¯t change the fact that you had to stoop so low to get what you want. You¡¯re disgusting!¡± Ruth spat on the ground. ¡°What do you know? What I have is true love for She, a love that can¡¯t bepared with anyone else!¡± Xavier retorted angrily. ¡°True love? If it really was true love as you proimed, why¡¯d you have to kidnap Miss Murray in the first ce?¡± Dustin snorted. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, kid?¡± Xavier scowled. ¡°Miss Murray had been attacked twice, and your timing was right on the dot, which meant that someone secretly tipped you off. And as for the Serpent Love Charm and the Spider Venom you put inside the Four Scoundrel¡¯s bodies, they both came from the same person. So, I¡¯ve concluded that you have close ties to the Four Scoundrels,¡± Dustin exined as a matter of factly. ¡°What a load of bullshit!¡± Xavier yelled in response. ¡°If you really did nothing wrong as you imed, then would there still be any need to kill the man off just now? Dustin threw the question back. ¡°I¨CI was just worried about She¡¯s safety, which is why I struck him with my full power!¡± Xavier exined stubbornly. ¡°Is that so? We still have a survivor here, so what say we call them up to ask them their side of the story?¡± Dustin said before picking up a badly injured Wade with one hand. It was a good thing Wade was still semi¨Calive and notpletely out of the picture yet. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Everything ends here, right now!¡± udia shouted all of a sudden. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to state my case just now? Why the change of mind now?¡± Dustin snickered. ¡°You¡¯d better quit it now if you know what¡¯s good for you, Dustin! Tearing each other apart like this won¡¯t benefit anyone. Besides, this matter should be kept between the three of us and our families. We¡¯ll come up with the best way to deal with this, so we certainly don¡¯t need any outsiders butting into our business now!¡± udia roared at Dustin. The Murray family, Doyle family, and Horst family had always been longtime friends. The three families were basically married to one another as their interests were intertwined. If one of them went down, then the rest would go down together too. Thus, if the scandal got out today, then it wouldn¡¯t just be the Horst family¡¯s reputation that would be damaged, but the Murray family and the Doyle family too. Therefore, even if it were at She¡¯s awkward expense right now, they had to cease all questioning. immediately. ¡°Wait, this guy¡¯s rotten to the core, and yet you still insist on helping him? Have you ever considered She¡¯s feelings?¡± Ruth yelled back in frustration. ¡°Shut up, you don¡¯t have the right to butt into our business!¡± udia spat in disgust. ¡°Why you-¡± Just as Ruth was about to explode in fury again, Dustin stopped her by putting his hand in front of her. ¡°Just let it go already. She¡¯s right; it¡¯s their own steaming heap of shit to take care of. It has nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°But what about She?¡± Ruth frowned. The two of them had a good thing going, so she did not want her best friend to suffer like this. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Ruth. I¡¯ve decided to leave this matter in the hands of my father,¡± She said as she forced out at smile. Chapter 182 Even though she said that, she secretly knew that her father would take Xavier¡¯s side out of his great fondness for him. When one was born into a wealthy family, joy wasn¡¯t as much of a significant consideration as the family¡¯s interests. ¡°Alright. We all know how much Uncle Caden adores you, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t let you suffer,¡± Ruth replied. and she no longer pressed her for answers. ¡°Let¡¯s go back home and take a nice nap, Ruth,¡± Dustin yawned. After retrieving all of his golden needles, he spun around and was about to leave when a voice piped up again. ¡°Running away already?¡± Xavier taunted, his expression now full of furious rage and his gaze scorching. He immediately pounced on Dustin while he wasn¡¯t paying attention and stabbed him with a knife! ¡°Just die already!¡± Xavier roared as he pushed the tip of the de into Dustin¡¯s back. ¡°Behind you!¡± Ruth and She shrieked in horror, Everyone else at the scene was also stunned by Xavier¡¯s sudden attack. No one expected that he¡¯d launch a sneak attack against Dustin. ¡°Oh?¡± Dustin hummed as his footsteps came to a halt. He then slowly turned his back to meet Xavier¡¯s crazed gaze. ¡°You want to kill me?¡± ¡°So what if you die? I can kill trash like you whenever I want!¡± Xavierughed maniacally as he used more force to push the de further inside. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. But it was soon after that he realized that something was off. It was strange to him that he couldn¡¯t seem to push the knife in any further as he tried to put more force behind it. ¡°Since you explicitly said that you¡¯re cut for my blood, then don¡¯t me me for being merciless,¡± Dustin grabbed Xavier by the neck and lifted him off the ground. ¡°Urgh!¡± Xavier gasped for air as his face turned red. He struggled to break free from Dustin¡¯s grasp as he iled his legs wildly in the air. ¡°Dustin! Release him right now!¡± udiamanded, her face aghast, after feeling an urge to kill him. ¡°He wants to kill me though? Are you saying I should just stand here and let him kill me?¡± Dustin turned his head sideways, his gaze was as cold as ice. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! You just can¡¯t hurt Xavier, no matter what. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be making yourself an enemy of all three of our families!¡± udia threatened, ¡°That¡¯s right! Just let go of Xavier already! Or else, you won¡¯t like it when I¡¯m angry!¡± Nigel echoed. ¡°Mr. Horst is not someone you can mess with, Dustin. Just admit you¡¯re wrong, and who knows, you might just receive his forgiveness,¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you look at the situation and adapt? Just let Mr. Horst stab you with a knife to let off steam, and all of this will be over. As long as you dare put up a fight, you and your family will be faced with cmity in the future!¡± ¡°Yeah! In this world, it is useless to rely on strength alone. The most important thing is still power, so just kneel down to Xavier and admit your mistakes already. It¡¯s not anything shameful if it¡¯ll help you make it out of here alive, you know.¡± The crowd erupted in a flurry of scoldings toward Dustin. Although they all knew that Xavier was in the wrong, they understood that he was still the one with absolute power. At this stage, it wasn¡¯t important who was right or wrong. ¡°Heh, you hear that, Rhys? I¡¯m not someone you can simply cross, you know. So what if you can fight? You¡¯re just a puny martial artist, after all. One word from me, and your entire family goes poof! Kneel and bow down to me right now. Who knows¨Cif you manage to appease me, I might even spare your puny life!¡± Xavier sneered and believed that he already had this in the bag. ¡°What makes you so sure that I don¡¯t dare to kill you?¡± Dustin asked, amused. ¡°Do you, though? If you do so much as touch a single hair on my head, I¡¯ll have your whole bloodline wiped out! Come on then, kill me! Aren¡¯t you the one who kept saying they were so powerful? Then kill me if you have the balls! I want to see if you have the balls to-!¡± Xavier shouted profusely, taking it to the extreme, until he was rudely interrupted by a violent smack by Dustin, which decimated his neck. He died instantly! Chapter 183 ¡°Why don¡¯t you get a better brain in your next life.¡± Dustin spat as he looked at Xavier¡¯s corpse. And with one swift motion, he threw his dead body to the side with one hand, as if it were trash. Xavier¡¯s bodynded with a ¡°thump¡± near udia and the other¡¯s feet. Xavier¡¯s face was riddled with fear and disbelief. Even up to his death, he didn¡¯t understand why Dustin dared to make a move on him. Everyone gasped, petrified, as they stared at the corpse beneath their feet. Every single one of them was frozen in ce and was at a loss for how to respond to the scenario in front of them.. To think that an heir from an affluent family, who was also the pride of an entire city, had his life taken from him just like that? How was this remotely possible? After a brief silence, everyone at the scene erupted into a frenzy of chatter. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Dustin?! D¨Cd¨Cdid you actually just kill Xavier?¡± udia shouted with a face full of shock, looking at Dustin as if he were a maniac. The action of Dustin killing Xavier was akin to a peasant killing a king. It was simply treacherous and heartless! ¡°You¡¯ve done it this time, bastard! You¡¯ve really done it this time!¡± ¡°Since you were the one who killed Xavier, no matter where you go in this world from now on, you¡¯ve got nowhere to hide!¡± ¡°The Horst family would surely want to exact their revenge on you, your entire family, and your friends after this. Everyone whom you¡¯ve ever loved will be a target of the Horst family now, and they¡¯ll follow all of you to your graves!¡± Nigel hissed frantically. ¡°He¡¯s insane! This guy¡¯s truly gone off his rockers!¡± ¡°The Horst familyes from a long line of martial artists, and their influence spans the entirety of South City. They have countless disciples under their wing, so the fact that youmitted such a heinous act means that you made yourself an enemy of said countless disciples too!¡± ¡°Do you even know what you did? How dare you kill Mr. Horst? Even God can¡¯t protect you now!¡± The crowd was in an uproar. No one had expected that Dustin would be so bold as to kill someone. Did he want to die so badly? ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cross me, I won¡¯t do the same back to you, but if you do, then I¡¯ll return the favor. This Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Horst wanted to take my life, so how could I let him live?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression remained stoic. ¡°You¡¯re fucking insane! You madman! You¡¯ll definitely regret this!¡± udia roared; she was still in shock at the turn of events. She shot him a look as if she were looking at a dead man. ¡°I never regret anything I do. If the Horst family wants revenge, just tell them that they¡¯re free toe to me anytime.¡± Dustin snapped before turning around to leave. ¡°Hey, wait for me! You were so cool tonight, Brother¨Cinw, but Xavier¡¯s not some small fry, you know. I doubt if things are going to end well after killing him. But you shouldn¡¯t worry, with the Harmon family¡¯s help, I¡¯m sure we can take care of this matter for you!¡± Ruth eximed before running up to catch up to him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I was the one who dealt the killing blow, so I shouldn¡¯t be afraid if his family wants to get back at me. Even if we end up fighting again, who knows which side will emerge as the victor this time around?¡± Dustin was unconcerned. ¡°Are you for real? You don¡¯t need to put up a front, you know!¡± Ruth said while eyeing him suspiciously. The Horst family, while slightly inferior to the Harmon family in terms of power, was still a force to be reckoned. with in the city. While Dustin had great power himself, he was up against an affluent family that had been here for years. Thus, it would seem like a single person was unable to fight against such a powerful force. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Dustin let out a soft chuckle and refused to reveal too much. As soon as the two of them left, the room erupted into chaos once again. ¡°Quick! Notify the Horst family immediately!¡± ¡°To think that that madman dared to kill Mr. Horst. We¡¯ll make sure he pays the price for it!¡± Inside the council chamber at Fallridge Haven, Caden was drinking tea with a middle¨Caged man. ¡°I need to apologize to you about the Gozoraberry, Sir Gabriel. Unfortunately, the gem isn¡¯t in my possession right now, so I can¡¯t give it to you at the moment,¡± ¡°Oh, what happened?¡± Gabriel Horst asked with a puzzled look. The Gozoraberry was said to aid one in their quest to be a high¨Clevel martial artist. After hearing about this piece of news, he jumped at the first chance to obtain it for himself. ¡°Two days ago, this punk named Dustin got lucky and managed to cure She¡¯s illness, so he was rewarded with a Gozoraberry,¡± Caden exined. ¡°How can a mere brat have such a valuable item in his possession?¡® Gabriel spat as he narrowed his eyes, his gaze annoyed. ¡°I thought the same thing. Although I was the one who gave it to him, it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t get it back,¡± Caden insinuated. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Since you can¡¯t be the one who takes it back from him, allow me to take care of this,¡± Gabriel grinned. ¡°That would be the best course of action for now. However, try not to Involve the Murray family, I don¡¯t want anyone gossiping about this,¡± Caden replied. ¡°Consider it done! This won¡¯t be the first time I¡¯m killing someone just to get something I want, so I¡¯ll make sure that everything is done discreetly so that no one ever finds out about this,¡± Gabriel plotted as an evil glint shed across his eyes. Every man was considered innocent until a bounty was put on their head. How could a mere background character with no influence on his name possess such a valuable treasure? He definitely deserved to die.. ¡°Sir Gabriel! Something terrible has happened!¡± A guard from the Horst family suddenly interrupted the two of them with a panicked look. Because he ran too fast, he tumbled onto the ground after losing his bnce. His movements made Gabriel furrow his brows. ¡°You fool! What are you panicking for?¡± Gabriel snapped at the guard. ¡°I-¡°The guard wanted to say something but stopped himself. ¡°Spit it out! What the hell is going on?¡± Gabriel snapped, confused. *Sir! Something terrible has happened! M¨CMr. Horst has been killed!¡± The guard wailed as he fell to his knees. ¡°What?! What the hell are you talking about? My son seemed fine not long ago, so how is he dead now?¡± Gabriel shrieked and shot out of his chair, his face full of horror. ¡°But it¡¯s true, Mr. Horst had his neck broken, and his corpse is outside as we speak!¡± The guard cried. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Absolutely impossible!¡± Gabriel spat and frantically shook his head in utter disbelief. However, when they carried Xavier¡¯s corpse into the room, Gabriel felt as if he¡¯d been struck by lightning, and his face turned pale as a sheet. ¡°Who?! Who the hell did this?!¡± Gabriel yelled frantically after reeling from his shock. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he started acting like a rabid beast. Such senseless violence! Such madness! ¡°I¨Cit was done by a guy called Dustin Rhys.¡± The guard managed to sputter out. ¡°Dustin Rhys, you fucking dog! How dare you kill my son? I¡¯ll break your body into pieces! I¡¯ll tear you to shreds! ¡°Gabriel roared while gnashing his teeth, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. ¡°Pass on the order! Use up all your resources t o search the entire city if you must! We must find that bastard at all costs!¡± Chapter 184 After sending Ruth home, Dustin returned to the Peaceful Medical Center. However, he couldn¡¯t help but frown the moment he opened the doors to the building. The ce looked as if it had been ransacked. It was a mess. Boxes of medicine were scattered all over the ce, and Dahlia, who had been rushing here and there the whole time, had on a face that was drenched in sweat. ¡°Diarhica, Where did he put the Diarhica? Dahlia mumbled to herself with a prescription in hand. After looking around for a while, she finally saw a box of Diarhica that had been stored in a medicine cab high above the ground. Since it was out of her reach, she could only retrieve it by stepping on a stool. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dustin asked coldly. Dahlia was startled by his question and lost her bnce on the stool, Seeing as she was about to fall to the ground, Dustin instinctively grabbed hold of her before that could happen. It felt as if he was carrying something precious in his arms, as a nice smell wafted into his nostrils. After propping her up on her feet, he immediately without a moment of hesitation and let go of her. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± Dahlia asked as her expression lit up for a brief moment before she quickly snuffed it out. ¡°Where did you go in the middle of the night? Howe you didn¡¯t pick up my calls?¡± ¡°I just went out for a bit and didn¡¯t bother checking my phone. What are you doing here?¡± Dustin answered back with indifference. He assumed that she wasn¡¯t the type to take the initiative to search for him, especially with her arrogant attitude. ¡°I just so happened to pass by and saw Mr. Jones passed out at the entrance, so I helped him get inside.¡± Dahlia exined. ¡°He passed out? What happened?¡± Dustin asked with a frown. ¡°I heard that his house had been ransacked by thieves, and after fighting them off, he got severely injured in the process. I think you should head inside to take a look at him,¡± Dahlia urged. Dustin said nothing more as he immediatelyplied with her request. Sure enough, he saw Gregory Jones lying on the bed with a paleplexion. Inside the steel basin under his bed was a pool of contaminated blood. When he went up to him to check his pulse, he immediately frowned. Gregory¡¯s Celestial Decay seemed to be getting worse. It was also getting worse at a faster rate than he had expected. ¡°You¡¯re back already, kid?¡± Gregory asked as he slowly opened his eyes. He had a nonchnt expression on his face. ¡°I guess this condition is back again, but since that Dahlia girl gave me some medicine just now, I should be fine now.¡± Gregory exined. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Dustin asked as his brows furrowed deeply. To curb his Celestial Decay, he had specially ced several seals on Gregory¡¯s body. But now he could see that the seals had been loosened. This indicated that Gregory had been forced to use his true energy. ¡°Not long ago, a few scums arrived at the medical center and started bbering about arresting you and talking about taking this Gozoraberry or something from you. Naturally, I refused to tell them anything and even beat their asses before they fled. However, I didn¡¯t know that by doing that, I¡¯d be using my true energy. which would cause all of my old wounds to reopen. I really fucking don¡¯t know what to say!¡± Gregory huffed. To think that ten years ago, he could¡¯ve easily taken care of all of those scum with a flick of a finger. It seemed that his age had finally caught up to him! ¡°Oh right, before they fled, they left you a note. Take a look at it yourself.¡± Gregory added before pulling out a blood¨Cstained sheet of paper. ¡°What?¡± Dustin gasped after reading the paper over. Two lines of words were written on it. ¡°Meet me at the Horst Dojo at 10 pm! Remember to bring the Gozoraberry as well. If you don¡¯t show up, we¡¯ll get rid of your entire family!¡± were the words that were written on the paper. After he finished reading it, Dustin crumpled the paper into dust with one hand. It was fairly obvious that this was the work of the Horst family. He didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it, but since they were the ones looking for trouble in the first ce. they couldn¡¯t me him if he decided to y along. ¡°Anyway, it was a good thing that Dahlia girl came in clutch at the right time. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve been in serious danger by now!¡± Gregory let out a small sigh. Although the scoundrels didn¡¯t manage to scratch him, his internal injuries were quite bad. So, if it weren¡¯t for Dahlia¡¯s timely treatment, his life would¡¯ve been in jeopardy. ¡°Thanks.¡± Dustin muttered as he turned around to look at Dahlia with aplex look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Mr. Jones has always been good to me, so I felt that it was only right that I returned the favor,¡± Dahlia replied while wiping off her sweat. ¡°Regardless, I should still thank you for everything. Anyway, I have ces to be again, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of Gregory here,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Where are you headed to this time?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°To get my revenge!¡± Dustin dered. At night, in themander¡¯s room at South City¡¯s military headquarters, a handsome young general was analyzing his battle formations on a sand table. Standing behind him were several female lieutenants, all of whom merely stood guard as they allowed him to do his thing. All of their gazes were filled with admiration and worship towards the man. One must know that the person in front of them was actually the youngestmander of Dragonmarsh! Paired with the Goddess of War, Scarlet Spanner, they were known as the rising stars of the Spanner family! Not even thirty years old, he held power over hundreds of thousands of troops, he¡¯d won hundreds of battles, achieved countless merits, and was definitely worthy of the title God of War indeed! No one was more capable in the entirety of Dragonmarsh than him! He was known as the ¡°National Warrior¡°! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, his phone started ringing. He¡¯d received a call from an unfamiliar number. Adam Spanner raised his eyebrows slightly at this, as he thought that it was a bit strange. ¡°Hello, is this Adam Spanner?¡± A familiar voice asked him the moment he answered the call. ¡°Who are you? How dare you call thismander by his name? The nerve- ¡°This is Dustin Rhys speaking¡± Adam instantly froze on the spot and didn¡¯t know how to respond. He immediately swallowed his words back down. After staying silent for a while, he finally mustered the courage to reply in a stiff manner, ¡°Well, well, well, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Troublemaker. I thought you died in a ditch somewhere, I even brought flowers to visit your grave every year.¡± ¡°Stop talking shit. I need you to do something for me.¡± Dustin snapped. ¡°Hey, watch your tone! I¡¯m themander of an army now, not some puny mafia character you can brutally beat up!¡± Adam whispered. ¡°Oh, so what do you want me to do?¡± Dustin taunted in reply. ¡°I want you to give me more respect. Like when you ask me to do something for you, you need to word it in a way that sounds like you¡¯re pleading. You could, like, butter them up a little first,¡± Adam said while dusting the badges on his shoulder pad. It seemed to Dustin that he was still as arrogant as ever. ¡°Forget I said anything: I¡¯ll go find someone else,¡± Dustin spat, as he wasn¡¯t in the mood to y games with him. ¡°D¨Cdon¡¯t hang up on me yet!¡± Adam responded, all startled, before continuing with a face that was all smiles,¡± Look at you, can¡¯t you take a joke? Honestly, you get mad at everything I say. You know how it is between us: if you have anything on your mind, you know that you can just tell me! ¡°What was I thinking? You¡¯re themander and military god of the Dragonmarsh army now, after all. So, how could I possibly trouble you with this? Perhaps it¡¯d be better to just find someone else.¡± Dustin trailed off. ¡°No need to bother with that, Dustin! It would be an honor for me to do something for you. Just take it as your granting a favor for me, alright? Please give me a chance: I promise to do a good job for you!¡± Adam begged in a panicked tone. After waiting for so fucking long, he finally obtained a chance to show his strength. How could he let go of this opportunity so easily? ¡°Ha! Since you¡¯re the one doing the begging now, I¡¯ll give you a chance, as I can sense your sincerity through the phone,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Thanks a lot, Dustin!¡± Adam thanked him with a huge grin on his face. This disy of his soft side caused a few female officers near him to stare at him in disbelief. All of their eyes were wide with shock, and they all looked as if they¡¯d seen a ghost. Was this really their usual death stare and stoicmander? Who exactly was the person on the other side of the phone? How did they manage to make an esteemed military officer act so meekly like this? Chapter 185 At Fallridge Haven. ¡°Father! Please help Dustin; otherwise, he¡¯ll die!¡± She begged on her knees. ¡°Hmph! You have the audacity to request assistance for him?! He is responsible for Xavier¡¯s death! That is the gravest of offenses! The Horst army has already assembled all of Swinton¡¯s finest warriors! No one can save him now!¡± Caden spoke with a frigid tone. ¡°Father! Dustin has rescued me on numerous asions. Please help him, for my sake!¡± She pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Ever since she returned to Fallridge Haven, she hadn¡¯t stopped begging his father for his help. That was because only her father could go against the Horst army. ¡°It is exactly because he¡¯s saved you that I refrained from taking his life!¡± Caden retorted coldly. ¡°Father! I will do as long as you save Dustin!¡± She begged on all fours. or YOU SAN Soon, her knees started to bruise. ¡°You fool! You have no idea what you¡¯re doing!¡± Caden mmed the table as he stood up. ¡°Do you want me to cross the Horst family for a nobody? Have you no care about what might happen to the rest of us?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the others! I just know that Dustin saved me, and I must repay him!¡± She said with tearful eyes. ¡°You¡°..you¡¯re being foolish and naive! udia! Bring her downstairs and keep an eye on her. She is not allowed to leave Fallridge Haven!¡± Caden was fuming. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± udia replied as she dragged She away. ¡°udia! Please, help me, would you?¡± She¡¯s eyes were swollen red from her tears. ¡°Dummy, it¡¯s not worth it for a stranger.¡± udia sighed. She could see that She had fallen for Dustin. However, this love was destined to fail. She was from a rich family, and he was just an ordinary guy with no background. They were worlds apart. ¡°udia! Let me call Grandpa. As long as he agrees, Dustin will be saved!¡± She begged. ¡°She, General Murray has no longer been concerned with these matters. Your father is the one in charge of everything now.¡± udia shook her head. ¡°No matter what, I must give it a try. I won¡¯t give up!¡± She said, full of stubbornness. ¡°Alright then I hope you don¡¯t regret it.¡± udia could only pass her phone to She. From her standpoint, She was wasting her energy. General Murray was one of the highest¨Cranking generals in Swinton. Ten years ago, he had already retired and passed down all his responsibilities to Caden. Unless his family is threatened, he would never show his face. It was impossible for him to put in such great effort for such a small matter. 10.00 pm, at Swinton Horst Dojo. Gabriel, dressed in heavy armor, stood stoically within the ring, his fierce expressions sending chills down the spines of any who dared to meet his gaze. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Behind him loomed the elite members of the Horst family, their presencemanding respect and fear alike. As far as the eye could see, there were hundreds of them stretching across the horizon, a formidable force to be reckoned with. In the crowd. Nigel was whispering to a group of people. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, do you think that Rhys fellow would show up tonight?¡± The girl in a yellow shirt asked. ¡°Hmph! Even if he doesn¡¯t dare to show up, he¡¯s still dead meat! The only difference is whether he dies alone or with his entire family!¡± Nigelughed coldly. The Horst family reigned supreme at the apex of the martial arts world, their wealth and power cing them among the elite in Millsburg. How can a nobody from the countryside be able to fend against them? ¡°He¡¯s a fool who deserved death for crossing the Horst family!¡± ¡°Sure, he may bask in the glory for a few seconds, but eventually, he¡¯ll have to face the consequences of his actions!¡± A few people in the group shook their heads, waiting for the showdown to begin. ¡°Hey! I think someone¡¯sing!¡± At that moment, someone from the crowd shouted. Everyone looked over and noticed a silhouette slowly approaching them. Chapter 186 ¡°That fellow really dared toe? He really doesn¡¯t treasure his life!¡± ¡°Your bravery ismendable. But showing up here is a foolish move!¡± The crowd erupted into an uproar, with a variety of expressions on their faces. ¡°Dustin Rhys is it?!¡± A guard from the Horst family took a step forward, his voice booming with authority. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Dustin replied, unfazed. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who killed my son, Xavier?¡± Gabriel¡¯s fierce gaze remained fixed on Dustin, his expression. stern and unyielding. ¡°Yes.¡± Dustin nodded once again. ¡°Kneel down!¡± Gabriel roared. ¡°Kneel? You¡¯re not worthy of such respect.¡± Dustin retorted. Dustin added, ¡°Horst, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Hand over the people who trespassed at Peaceful Medical Center and apologize to Gregory. Then, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± The crowd went wild at his statement. ¡°Holy shit! Is he out of his mind? He¡¯s still acting so brazen even when his life is at stake?¡± ¡°Having killed Xavier, he dares to demand an apology from Sir Gabriel! He¡¯s wild!¡± ¡°Those who are ignorant are the ones who are fearless. This guy has no idea who he just crossed.¡± The crowd murmured as they pointed at Dustin. ¡°Punk! Do you know what you¡¯re saying? You are the one who is trapped now! If you don¡¯t want to suffer a painful death, hand over the Gozoraberry and beg for forgiveness on your knees. Otherwise, you will be erased from this world!¡± Gabriel¡¯s face darkened, and his voice became cold and ominous. ¡°I may not have the Gozoraberry, but I still have my life. If you think you¡¯re capable of taking it, then come and get it. Dustin motioned with his finger. ¡°Great! How absolutely fantastic! Since you don¡¯t value your life, then don¡¯t me me for what happens next! Guards! Cut off this insolent punk¡¯s limbs! I want his head on a stick as revenge!¡± Soon after his orders, a few guards rushed towards him, trying to get a head start. ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud stomp of his foot, the ground beneath Dustin shattered, sending debris flying across the room in all directions. As the debris flew across the room, some of it moved with such force that it struck the guards like bullets, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground. Within a matter of seconds, a few of the guards had fallen to the ground, groaning in pain as they clutched their wounds. ¡°Go! All of you!¡± Gabriel thundered, his voice filled with anger and frustration. ¡°Kill him!¡± At Gabriel¡¯smand, arge number of guards charged toward Dustin, their weapons raised and their faces filled with fury.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The guards surrounded Dustin like a tidal wave. ¡°Hmph! This punk is dead meat! The members of Horst dojo are all elites. He won¡¯t be able to fend them off no matter how skilled he is!¡± Nigelughed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see him defeated.¡± The girl in yellowughed along with him. ¡°He¡¯s not even running after being surrounded by that many guards. Does he n to fight all of them alone? Hahaha! Does he think he¡¯s Superman?¡± The group of peopleughed as they mocked Dustin, waiting for a good show. Yet, in a few moments, their smiles were frozen in ce. As the fight began, the match took a completely different turn from what they had expected. Dustin was unstoppable and invincible! One, two, three- Ten, twenty, thirty¡­ In just two minutes, more than half of the guards from the Horst family had fallen. Till that moment, no one could match Dustin¡¯s level ofbat. The whole scene was a massacre! Dustin alone was ughtering the bunch of them. ¡°H¨Che¡¯s on another level!¡± Chapter 187 Ten minutester. The entire Horst Dojo was filled with pained groans. Dustin stood amidst the crowd, emanating a presence akin to that of a god or demon. His presence was awe- inspiring,manding, and intimidating. A few people in the audience were stunned. They stared with widened eyes as if they saw a ghost. Everyone was taken aback by Dustin¡¯s strength. Single¨Chandedly, he had managed to sweep through the entire Horst dojo! It should be noted that these warriors were the elite of the dojo, capable of facing ten opponents alone. Yet, in the span of a few minutes, all of them were taken down. This was too absurd! ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s that strong? He¡¯s on an entirely different level!¡± ¡°My goodness, where did this demone from?!¡± Nigel and the others were stunned speechless, especially a few girls who covered their mouths in shock. Dustin alone faced off against a hundred soldiers, ughtering people from all directions. It was truly unbelievable! *The Horst dojo is nothing.¡± Dustin stood proudly as his gazended on Gabriel. ¡°I have to admit, kid, you¡¯re pretty good. I underestimated you earlier.¡± Gabriel took off his coat, revealing his muscr body and long sword at his waist. ¡°But it ends here. Today, I¡¯ll personally take your life!¡± As he spoke, he slowly drew his long sword, and a cold light shed around him. ¡°Sir Gabriel is unleashing his full strength. This kid is doomed!¡± Nigel became excited at the sight. ¡°Have you heard of the Hundred Immortals?¡± ¡°Of course! The Hundred Immortals is abat power ranking list in the martial world, In Dragonmarsh, there are millions of martial arts practitioners, but only one hundred can make it onto the Hundred Immortals. These one hundred individuals are all the cream of the crop, the most outstanding top¨Ctier experts!¡± Nigel arrogantly lifted his head and said, ¡°Good to know. Let me tell you, he is one of the top ten of the Hundred Immortals.¡± ¡°What? Top ten of the Hundred Immortals?¡± The others were all shocked at the news. They knew that Gabriel was powerful, but they never expected him to be ranked so high on the Hundred Immortals list. It was extremely difficult to even make it onto the list, and even more so to be one of its top members. Any one of the top ten could easily sweep through all the martial arts dojos in Swinton. Chanter 187 ¡°It seems that I underestimated Sir Gabriel¡¯s terrifying power. He truly is a martial art master born into a martial arts family!¡± ¡°This poor guy, he actually provoked Sir Gabriel, He¡¯s looking for death!¡± The onlookers were all full of surprise and pity, looking at Dustin as if he were already dead. ¡°I heard that Sir Gabriel¡¯s sword is faster than a bullet, and no one can block it. Is it true?¡± The girl in yellow suddenly asked. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Sir Gabriel¡¯s sword is famous for its speed, especially his ultimate move. ¡®Eclipse Strike¡°. Whenever he uses it, no one has ever escaped alive!¡± Nigel spoke boastfully. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing! I wonder if we¡¯ll have the chance to witness Sir Gabriel¡¯s ultimate move today?¡± The girl in a yellow dress looked on with anticipation and admiration. ¡°Quick, look! Sir Gabriel is about to make his move!¡± As the crowd discussed, on the stage. Gabriel¡¯s aura became more imposing, exuding an intense and sharp pressure. ¡°Kid, it¡¯s an honor to die by my sword!¡± Gabriel dered. ¡°Now, let me show you what it means to break allws with a single sword strike!¡± With a single step, Gabriel leaped high off the stage. Uponnding, he crouched slightly, gathering energy before springing forward like an arrow and hurtling towards Dustin. ¡°Eclipse Strike!¡± Gabriel roared, unleashing his ultimate move. Instantly, the air was filled with the glint of the sword and the howling of the wind. ¡°Here ites, Sir Gabriel¡¯s most powerful sword strike!¡± ¡°No wonder it¡¯s his ultimate move! It¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°No one can survive the ¡®Eclipse Strike¡®!¡± The crowd shouted in admiration and shock. Gabriel and his sword merged into a rainbow of light, piercing straight toward Dustin¡¯s chest. Right when it seemed like a killing blow was about tond, a light ¡°ding¡± sound was heard. Suddenly, two fingers appeared out of nowhere, gripping the sword. With a simple twist, the sword snapped in half. ¡°ng!¡± The wind ceased, and the light dispersed. ¡°Huh?!¡± Gabriel was stunned. He stood in ce, a little lost on what to do. ¡°My famous move was actually blocked just like that? And with just two fingers?¡± He thought. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± cried Nigel, his face turning pale. Chapter 188 ¡°Smack!¡± When thest p fell, Gabriel waspletely disfigured, with a crooked nose, a twisted mouth, and half of his teeth falling out, looking extremely miserable. He copsed on the ground,pletely powerless. He never expected Dustin to be so strong, to the point where he couldn¡¯t even fight back throughout the whole fight. He could only passively take the beating without any resistance. With this kind of strength, Dustin might even well be in the top three of the Hundred Immortals. ¡°D¨Cdid I see it right? Sir Gabriel was actually defeated? And so miserably?¡± ¡°Who is this guy? What kind of monster is he?¡± After a long silence in the martial arts gym, there was finally some sound. However, no one responded because the facts were alreadyid out in front of them. Gabriel had indeed lost and waspletely crushed throughout the entire fight. The so¨Ccalled top ten of the Hundred Immortals and his so¨Ccalled ¡°Eclipse Strike¡°, his ¡°ultimate¡± move, had be a joke at this moment. Dustin¡¯s strength was far beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. With just a p, he could render Gabriel completely powerless. ¡°Who are you?¡± Gabriel sat on the ground, his face twisted with fear. How could there be such a powerful person in a small ce like Swinton, and more importantly, one so young? This was simply abnormal! ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is, will you still be able to survive after this?¡± Dustin looked down at him coldly. Upon hearing this, Gabriel first froze, then burst outughing maniacally, his face distorted. ¡°Kid! I admit you are strong¨Ceven exceptionally talented! But the problem is, you are just one person, and behind me stands the entire Horst family! ¡°The disciples of the Horst family are well into the thousands, spread throughout the seventeen provinces of Swinton! Will you be able to defeat ten, a hundred, or even thousands of them? If you dare to kill me today, you will be the public enemy of the entire Horst family. By then, you will face countless warriors¡® relentless pursuit, day and night! You should weigh the consequences yoursell!¡± After hearing these words, Nigel and the others, who were initially shocked and confused, immediately came back to their senses. ¡°That¡¯s right, so what if Dustin is so powerful? He was still only a human being who has weaknesses and ws. The Horst family was a wealthy and powerful family in the capital with tons of skilled warriors, some even stronger than Gabriel himself. Once these strong warriors learn of the news and gather up, it would be easy to crush him.¡± The crowd thought. ¡°A person who acts recklessly will always remain so, and can never attain the heights of true strength!¡± Nigel. shook his head and retained his calm smile. ¡°Exactly! No matter how powerful he is, he is still an ant in front of the great Horst family. He¡¯ll be crushed easily! The girl in the yellow dress followed up in agreement. ¡°In this world, it is not strength that matters but power and connections. This kid will ultimately face death!¡± After realizing this, the group of people couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of excitement about Dustin¡¯s impending doom. ¡°Are you so confident that the Horst family can protect you?¡± Dustin looked at Gabriel with a meaningful smile on his lips. ¡°What, do you still want to challenge the entire Horst family with your own strength?¡± Gabriel sneered, with a condescending look on his face. ¡°Challenge? You are overestimating yourself a little. Give the Horst family a call and ask if they can protect you. Do they even dare to protect you?¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Huh?¡± Gabriel narrowed his eyes and, after confirming that the other party was not joking, immediately took out his phone. However, the dozens of missed calls on it made him frown slightly. He felt a sense of unease in his heart. He took a deep breath and dialed the number back. As soon as the call was connected, his father¡¯s roar came from the other side. ¡°Gabriel! Where the hell have you been? Your phone has been unreachable! You despicable animal! What the hell have you done? Our entire family has been ruined by you! If I had known this would happen, I should have strangled you to death earlier! So that you wouldn¡¯t bring disaster to our whole family!¡± His father¡¯s angry rant immediately stunned Gabriel, After a while, Gabriel tentatively asked, ¡°Dad, what happened exactly?¡± ¡°You still have the nerve to ask what happened? It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s all because of you, you despicable animal! Our entire family has been banned from killing by the military! Do you know who issued the kill ban order? It was Adam Spanner! It¡¯s the God of War, Adam Spanner! One of the twin stars of the Spanner family and the youngest chiefmander in Dragonmarsh! If the God of War personally takes action, what the hell have you done to offend him?!¡± As he listened to his father¡¯s shouting in his ear, Gabriel felt as if he had been struck by lightning and stood there stunned! God of War? Adam Spanner? Kill Ban? H¨Chow could this be possible? ¡°Die! Just go and die! No one can protect you! And no one dares to protect you! Only when you die can the Horst family survive!¡± His father¡¯s voice came through the phone again. Gabriel stood there, at a loss. His face was full of disbelief. How could the world¨Crenowned God of War, Sergeant Spanner, suppress the Horst family? Who could request Sergeant Spanner to intervene? ¡°So? Do you still think that the Horst family will stand up for you?¡± Dustin¡¯s indifferent voice sounded. ¡°W¨Cwas it you?! Was this¡­all your doing? W¨Cwho are you? Why would even Sergeant Spanner stand up for you?!¡± Gabriel trembled all over, raised his head, and looked at Dustin in horror. He couldn¡¯t believe it. How could such a deity¨Clike person be hiding in a small ce like Swinton? ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know who I am. Now, I¡¯ll give you a chance to take your own life, so that you can still save your family. As he spoke, Dustin kicked the broken sword on the ground toward Gabriel. ¡°Take¡­my own life?¡± Looking at his broken sword, Gabriel was stunned; his face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with despair. Then, in front of a group of people with shocked, astonished, and unbelieving eyes, Gabriel picked up the sword and directly severed his own neck. In an instant, his head rolled off and blood spattered on the ground.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Chapter 189 ¡°Uh¡­¡± Looking at the head rolling on the ground prompted a brief silence from those in the martial arts gym, followed by themotion and screams. No one expected that Gabriel would choose tomit 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 de sound could suddenly be heard from outside. A military helicopter descended from the sky andnded 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 umted influence Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. 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 orter 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. 1- Caden opened his mouth to exin 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 She.¡± 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. She 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?¡± She wiped away her tears quickly. ¡°Of course. When has Grandpa ever lied to you?¡± Christopher patted her head. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa!¡± Excited, She nted a kiss on her grandfather¡¯s face. This made the old man burst intoughter, 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?¡± She was stunned at first, then her face turned red in an instant. ¡°Grandpa! What are you talking about? I don¡¯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.¡± Christopherughed. ¡°Grandpa, Dustin saved me before. I¡¯m just grateful to him,¡± She 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 andughed. After all, Dustin was the kirin! ¡°If he can be my grandson¨Cinw, those old guys will be jealous and crazy, won¡¯t they? Hahaha ¡ª 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 aplicated 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 backte 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 rtionship became more and more estranged. Eventually, they ended up divorcing. ¡°Here¡¯s your spaghetti.¡± About 15 minutester, Dustin brought up a steaming te of spaghetti bolognese. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°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 be second nature to Dahlia. She had grown ustomed 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 toe out for ate¨Cnight 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¡¯lle 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 dered, leaving no room for argument. ¡°Alright then.¡± After thinking about it, Dustin finally agreed. Having someone around to apany Gregory would make it safer to avoid any further idents. ¡°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 sote at night, it seems like your rtionship with her is not ordinary.¡± Dahlia said in a sour tone. ¡°We¡¯re just-¡± ¡°Enough! You don¡¯t need to exin 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 popr 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 sheughed. ¡°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¨Cfor¨Cnothing. 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 thepany¡¯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 Ist 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 herees 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 ck. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mr. Marcs threw him a contemptuous side¨Ceye. ¡°To tell you the truth, Mr. Marcs, I¡¯m actually here for Immortunol. I¡¯m really interested in getting the Harmons¡±pany¡¯s rights.¡± Matt cut right to the chase. ¡°Mr. Laney. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t call the shots regarding thepany¡¯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 thepany¡¯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 form for Immortunol!¡± Mr. Marcs exined. ¡°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¨C¡± Mr. Marcs hesitated. ¡°Ah, right, I have a gift for you. Please have this.¡± Matt quickly pulled out a million¨Cdor 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 thepany¡¯s rights?¡± Matt prompted. ¡°Of course, there won¡¯t be a problem!¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 192 ?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!Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Hey! What are you sniggering at?" Mr. Marcs red at Dustin. "Ignore him, Harvey. He''s just a loser." Julie rolled her eyes. "Mr. Marcs, if you can get me thepany''s rights, I''ll be sure to repay you handsomely!" Matt promised. "Haha! No problem! I''ll get it done!" Mr. Marcs was beyond ted. "Thank you, Mr. Marcs!" Matt grinned too. Judging from the high demand for Immortunol, he would soon be filthy rich once he got thepany''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 thepany''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, ''Ourpany''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 n 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 happen, the Harmons'' would be the ones handling it. "Great! Since you''re interested, I''ll get them to you pronto!" Mr. Marcs left right away. A whileter, he came back with a box that opened up to reveal an entire box of substandard Immortunol. "Hold on!" As they were about to seal the deal, Dustin suddenly spoke. "Mr. Marcs, these are substandard products. Why are you selling them? Don''t you know that this will tamish the Harmons'' reputation?" "Who the heck are you, and what has this got to do with you?" Mr. Marcs shot daggers at Dustin. "You''re infringing on the interests of the Harmons and ruining their reputation! Have you considered the consequences of your actions?'' Dustin asked coldly. "Oh, you pompous scoundrel! I''m warning you, you better not meddle in my business or I''ll break your legs!" Mr. Marcs threatened. He refused to let a nobody like Dustin stand between him and his money. ''Get lost, Rhys! You don''t own Immortunol! What''s it to you whether or not we sell them?" Julie shot him a dirty look. "This is where you''re wrong, Julie. I do own Immortunol, and I have full authority over them," Dustin corrected her. "That''s crap! You''re really getting on my nerves here! I''m going to teach you a lesson so you don''t butt in where you''re not wanted!" Mr. Marcs'' temper red and he rolled his sleeves up, ready to get violent. "What a pig-head!" Dustin scoffed and lifted his hand, delivering such a strong blow that Mr. Marcs fell to the ground. 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 thepany. but look what you¡¯re doing! You steal from thepany 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. Themotion 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 exchangedments 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 Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. 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, arge 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 nce 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 anxiousnessing 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¡¯vee at the right time. This man here is stealing from thepany when he should be protecting it. He¡¯s stolen and sold substandard products. This will badly tarnish thepany¡¯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 thepany?¡± Dustin frowned when he heard what Morgan had to say. ¡°Mr. Finn, as vice president of thepany, are you not going to look into actions that will ruin thepany¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡°Whether or not I look into the matter is my call to make. What evidence have you got to im 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 fe 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 in for all to see that his subordinate was in the wrong, but he tantly put the me 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 ce? 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 the ¡°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. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. 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 oing trouble. He immediately forced a smile and went up to her. ¡°Why have youe?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to join in the fun! Am I not wee 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 exined awkwardly. How was he to that she would appear at such terrible timing? know ¡°A joke? It didn¡¯t sound like one to me. You sounded so sure of yourself back there,¡± Natasha said, unperturbed. ¡°Well¡ª 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 exin when he was cut off by a re from Natasha. ¡°Are you in a position to speak now?¡± ¡°Know your ce!¡± 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 hical 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¡¯smitted a grave offense by stealing the Immortunols! We need to ensure that justice is served!¡± Morgan dered in feigned righteousness. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll have you know!¡± Natasha¡¯s expression darkened over. ¡°This man whom you¡¯ve used 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¨Cno way! H¨Che¡¯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 toe up with the prescription form 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¡ªThis 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 thepany¡¯s products when he was supposed to be guarding them! He misused his authority and used Mr. Rhys before we even looked into the issue! We cannot tolerate such a vile person in thepany! Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I¡¯ll fire him right away!¡± ¡°Mr. Finn, I-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Just as Mr. Marcs was about to speak, Morgan gave him a hard p 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 himpletely, 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¨Cfree?¡± ¡°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 onest 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 thepany! 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¨Chow 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 thepany! Natasha said bluntly. ¡°Natasha Harmon! This is too much! I¡¯ve ved my ass off in thepany 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 andbor! Are you not afraid that this ¡°What? Is that a threat? Do you think that you are in a position to threaten me?¡± Natashaughed 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 toe here now? See if I¡¯ll cut him any ck?¡± Natasha threatened him domineeringly. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. 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 p 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 hisposure 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¡¯vebored for the 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 toote 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 thepany of anyone else bearing ill intentions. I don¡¯t want an insignificant employee of thepany to ruin our reputation.¡± Natasha gave Dustin a heads¨Cup 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 thepany¡¯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 red 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¨Ccousin¨Cinw! 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¨Ccousin¨Cinw? If my memory serves me right, not only did you not help me when I was used of theft earlier on, you even stepped out to vouch for those who ndered me. Why didn¡¯t you think about how I was your ex¨Ccousin¨Cinw 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 thepany¡¯s rights. Here¡¯s a million¨Cdor check. I¡¯d like to buy an allocation for the rights.¡± ¡°A million dors? Do you take me for a beggar? Dustin found it ridiculous. ¡°Hey! Are you saying that a million dors is too little? Aren¡¯t you getting greedy?¡± Julie protested indignantly.¡± Just because the Harmons¡® gave you a prescription form, you think that you can unt 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 thepany 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 thepany rights for Immortunol Dustin t¨Cout rejected him. ¡°What? You¡¯re rejecting money?¡± Matt narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well, it depends on the source of the money. Yourse 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 thepany 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 thepany rights!¡± Dustin said it in 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. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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 form. 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 wail, 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 toe 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¨Cno 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 me on Julie. Chapter 198 An hourter, 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 exined. ¡°Stealing drugs? No! That¡¯s impossible! Julie might be spoiled, but she would nevermit 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 mmed 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 Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. 1. 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¡¯vee 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. ¡°ording to my father, Dustin has the prescription form for Immortunol. If you can get the prescription form from him, then not only will my father be able to save Julie, but he will also give you thirty thousand dors as a reward!¡± Matt¡¯s offer was shocking. ¡°Thirty thousand dors? 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 form, 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 arge 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 ande 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¨Can 18¨Cyear¨C 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 nket, 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¨Care you of age?¡± Dustin was a little taken aback. He thought Natasha was going to send a middle¨C 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 doundry, 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 andforted 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 be yourborer!¡± ¡°Caitlyn, is there something that you¡¯re too embarrassed to share?¡± Dustin tried asking. ¡°Nothing of that sort. It¡¯spletely voluntary on my part.¡± Caitlyn exined 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 hardbor. 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.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 200 Dustin knew that Caitlyn deeplycked 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. ording to our investigation, she was your sister¨Cinw, 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, apanied 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 red 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 usations. ¡°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 youe 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 form for Immortunol!¡± James dered. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right! For getting Julie into trouble, you mustpensate us. I order you to hand us the form!¡± Florence demanded arrogantly. ¡°The form for Immortunol?¡± Custin 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!¡± Florencemanded unreasonably. ¡°Exactly! If the Harmon family can have it, then so can we. If you hand us the form, we won¡¯t hold the past. against you!¡± James yelled. ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t give you the form. 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 me 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¨Cyou¡¯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 bitche from? Get the fuck out of the way!¡± Angered, James gave Caitlyn a harsh p, and thetter 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,unching a kick at James¡® abdomen. Thetter 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 red 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. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Get off!¡± Dustin¡¯s body shook, and an invisible force pushed Florence to stagger backward. In the end, she lost her bnce, 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 pped you just now, so you can give him two ps 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¨Cshe had never hit someone else before. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t dare, I¡¯ll do it for her then!¡± Without another word, Dustin pped James hard in the face two times. Thetter was dazed from the blows, and his cheeks grew red and puffy. Chooter 201 ¡°You savage, you¡¯re even lower than an animal! Did you just smack your former brother¨Cinw 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 funnying 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 herpany three years ago, it¡¯s only been smooth sailing and sessful; 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 ughtered you long ago! So don¡¯t feel too happy now. Ms. Harmon will kick a useless gigolo like you to the curb sooner orter. And when the timees, you¡¯ll be the public enemy!¡± Hearing these words, Dustin simply shook his head andughed. 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 ipetent 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 wee 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. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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 Vi 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 hade anyter, 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 form, 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 thest glimmer of hope. ¡°Dahlia, things have alreadye 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 y. 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 pping 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 rtionship 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¨Cof¨Ca¨Cbitch. 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 mes. 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. Thest ray of hope in her heart waspletely extinguished. Instead, it was reced by fury! Without another word, she took out her phone and dialed Dustin¡¯s number. ¡°Hello? I demand an exnation!¡± ¡°An exnation? 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 ident.¡± ¡°By ident?¡± Dahlia¡¯s voice rose sharply. ¡°You say it like it¡¯s nothing! Not only did your so¨Ccalled ident cause my mother to break her hands and legs, she even suffered a severe concussion!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Dustin was suspicious of that im. She¡¯s lying in bed, unable to move due to her injuries. Do you think that¡¯s not serious? ording 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 be 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 form; 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 toozy to exin. 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 form? 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 dors 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 form away.¡± Dustin stated indifferently. ¡°Who did you give it to? Was it Natasha? So are you saying that you would rather give her the form 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 form in your eyes?!¡± Dah 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 form¨Clet¡¯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 nt 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¨Cminded 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¨Cdeprecating smile. He didn¡¯t want. to exin further, nor did he have the energy to do so. Once the seeds of doubt were nted, they could never be removed. There had always been a chasm between him and Dahlia. It was due to ack 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¨Cblown 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 questionst 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 orter!¡± Florence added another blow. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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 saidfortingly 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 vi. 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. ¡°Julic, 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 d to be back safe and sound. ¡°You were released after just half a day? That was quick¡± James said, a little bbergasted. ¡°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. ording to the n, his father would only help Julie after he got the form 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¨Cevery 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, slowlying 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 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 yed along. ¡°Give me your phone!¡± Dahlia demanded, her gaze cold. ¡°W¨Cwhat 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 yed 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¨Cyou 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 me on Dustin, deliberately twisting the truth and misleading her. 1 ¡°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 iting for him!¡± Florence shouted with conviction, her hands on her waist. As soon as she said that, a middle¨Caged 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¨Cfaced. 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 pped 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¨CDustin 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 p in the face! ¡°So Dustin never framed Julie in the first ce, 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¨Cwho 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 Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. about Dustin. That would be too humiliating. ¡°Mom, things have alreadye 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 me 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¨Cyou 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 me 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 iting for him!¡± Florence shouted with conviction, her hands on her waist. As soon as she said that, a middle¨Caged 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¨Cfaced. 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 pped 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 ¡ª Chapter 206 ¡°D¨CDustin 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 p in the face! *So Dustin never framed Julie in the first ce, 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¨Cwho 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 alreadye 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 me on him again and again. Could you really be so blinded to how good he is?¡± She e 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. Chanter 200 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 te stopped at the entrance. Soon after, a middle¨Caged man in a shy, 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 nce. ¡°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 ord. Dustin quickly made the connection. ¡°The Laney family? What¡¯s your rtionship to Matt Laney?¡± ¡°Matt Laney is my son and the heir of the Laney family.¡± Phineas pushed his sses up his nose and continued indifferently. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯te 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 form 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 dors. If you give me the form, 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. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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 dors, which makes it 50 million dors in total? Give me the form.¡± ¡°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 be 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 be 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 butugh 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 ying this game with you,¡± Phineas threatened with a nasty expression. ¡°I¡¯ll y 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 copsed 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 sshed all over both sides Chanter 207 of the main entrance, including the medical center¡¯s sign. Hanging a cat and sshing dog blood¨Cthis was no longer just humiliation. This was a tant 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. ¡°Congrattions! 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 me 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 ying right now.¡± Matt sneered. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Of course, all this is just a taste. The main event willeter! Aren¡¯t you always on your high horse? I have plenty of time to y with you! Of course, I¡¯m not just going to y 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 form, 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 ofint, 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 Ie to see you without a reason?¡± Natasha raised her eyebrows. ¡°Of course not. You cane whenever you like, and I¡¯ll always wee 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 youe.¡± Then, Natasha called out, ¡°Caitlyn,e, 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.¡± o the car. Natasha didn¡¯t force Caitlyn to tag along. Instead, she just tugged Dustin into 20 minutester, the car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to A¡¯roma. A¡¯roma was a high¨Css Stonian restaurant that was also one of the Harmon family¡¯s businesses, Natasha would usually choose this ce 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. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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¨Cthird of the cash flow in Millsburg. That¡¯s how he got his nickname. Big Bucks Brooks,¡± Natasha exined. ¡°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 exined. 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¨C made evening gown walking toward her, carrying a Hermes handbag. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mrs. Brooks. Where¡¯s Mr. Brooks?¡± Natasha nced left and right. ¡°What, do you miss my Roderick that much? Ever since thest 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 businesspetitors. 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 rtionship with Roderick, she would have gone up there and given her two tight. ps. ¡°Where did this witche 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 re 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, shites 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 p 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¨Cup. 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¨Chave you been experiencing headaches, fever, weakness in the limbs, asional 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¨CAIDS?¡± Chloe was frozen in ce, 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¨Caged 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¨Caged 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!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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? Howe 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 apletely different person than her unruly self earlier. She was a drama queen, in and simple. ¡°Okay, calm down. I will definitely get justice for you.¡± Afterforting his wife, he turned back to Natasha. Ms. Harmon, I need an exnation.¡± ¡°What exnation? 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¨Cwhat 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 p rang out. Roderick, who was known for being overbearingly protective of his wife, pped 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 toprehend 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! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°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 me all on me?¡± Wally was a bit upset. If he were to carry the me 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¨Cshut 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 ps. 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¡¯sck 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 andunched a kick straight at Chloe. After getting sick, she still wanted to pass it on to others. She really deserved a beating. ¡°Honey, he¨Che 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 thetter 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 ident.¡± 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. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. 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 footpared 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 apliment, 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¨Cyear¨Cold 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¨Caged 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 revtion 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 veryst 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 ce to talk?¡± Roderick asked, his facepletely 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. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Ms. Harmon, do you think Mr. Brooks can handle this shocking truth?¡± Dustin asked out of the blue. Il 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 tribtions. 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, arge 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 oue, 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 ted. ¡°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 circtory 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 exin. 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¨Cnew body. If he previously had doubts about Dustin¡¯s abilities, then now, he was utterly convinced! Any famous doctor was trash inparison to Dustin! ¡°Mr. Rhys, take the Gemiphen once every three days. After a month, your body willpletely recover.¡± Dustin took out a small ss 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 n to repay him?¡± Natasha said, half joking. As his other half, she knew that it was time to ask for remuneration. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Name whatever you need, Mr. Rhys. If I can do it, I won¡¯t say no!¡± Roderick said, cing 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 nced around, looking worried. ¡°Big Bucks Brooks is filthy rich and generous to boot. He¡¯s always had a good rtionship 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¨Cshot 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 mmed his palm into the table. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Their original n was to get the Immortunol form 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 n 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 shed through Phineas¡® eyes. ¡°Dad, how much money does our family need to operate normally?¡± Matt asked uncertainly. ¡°At least three billion dors!¡± 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¨Cthird of all the cash flow in Millsburg. What¡¯re three billion dors 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 ord 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 bepared 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 form 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 sheepishugh. ¡°Our family ran into some trouble recently, and we need some money to turn things around. That¡¯s why we¡¯vee to you, Mr. Brooks.¡± ¡°How much do you need?¡± ¡°About three billion dors?¡± ¡°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¨Cson duo was stunned, unable to believe their ears. There was no way Roderick would have lent that useless punk three billion dors! ¡°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 youpare yourselves to Mr. Rhys! You should really look in a fucking mirror!¡± Roderick snapped scornfully. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°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 be 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!¡± at this was Bi His words hit thether¨Cson 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. Nheless, 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 re. He had approached Roderick confidently but never expected this oue. ¡°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 dered: 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 canst.¡± 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 Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. dors elsewhere!¡± Phineas red 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 oue. ¡°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 avor.¡± ¡°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 imed 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¨Cweather 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! Theye 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. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°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 dors 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 dors.¡± 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 ttery. 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 exined 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 dered confidently. ¡°In your dreams, you moron! Don¡¯t drag me along your death quest!¡± With that. Tina hung up the phone. Chapter 218 ¡°Hello? Hello!¡± Matt held his phone by his ear with a dumbfounded expression. All he did was mention Dustin¡¯s name. Why did Tina sound so frightened? Matt had no idea that Tina was still traumatized from the time Dustin pped her. What¡¯s worse was that instead of getting her revenge, she had been forced to grovel for Dustin¡¯s forgiveness, which was nothing less than an utter embarrassment and a terror for her. Although she was bitter about it, she couldn¡¯ty a hand on Dustin because her family didn¡¯t dare seek revenge before her brother returned. Dustin was someone who could defeat a martial arts master like Mr. Milfroy with ease. If someone like him were to go crazy, he could destroy the entire Hummer family in a heartbeat! Because of this, they didn¡¯t dare seek revenge, and Tina shook in fear every time someone mentioned Dustin. ¡°What did Ms. Hummer say, Matt?¡± Phineas saw his son in a daze and asked. ¡°Fuck! That bitch is terrified of Rhys. There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll lend us money.¡± Matt scowled. ¡°The daughter of the Hummer family is scared of that brat? Is it because of the Harmon family?¡± Phineas pondered aloud. ¡°Possibly.¡± Matt nodded, thinking hard. He couldn¡¯t think of any other reason. ¡°This is bothersome¡­¡± Phineas frowned. ¡°Our family is doomed if we don¡¯t get any money soon. We might have to beg for that brat¡¯s forgiveness.¡± ¡°Beg for his forgiveness? Fuck, no!¡± Matt yelled. ¡°Why should we lower our heads to someone like him? I¡¯d rather suffer than beg!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rash, Matt!¡± Phineas warned gravely. ¡°He has the Harmon family to support him, and now, he has Roderick Brooks¡® support as well. We¡¯ll sink further if you do anything to him!¡± s, those words failed to reach Matt, who has lost repeatedly to Dustin recently. Today¡¯s incident only fueled his anger, and his hatred toward Dustin peaked. ¡°Matt, leave this matter to me. You should take a break for the next two days. Just don¡¯t get into any trouble.¡± Phineas instructed his son seriously, who didn¡¯t reply as he began to plot his revenge. Soon, night fell. Inside Midnight Rose, Dahlia downed shot after shot in a corner. Lyra sat beside her, her face full of worry. This was the first time she saw Dahlia like this. Dahlia refused to return to thepany or care about what was going on,pletely abandoning her strong woman character and letting herself go. Lyra heard that it was because of Dustin, but was it worth it? ¡°Please stop drinking, Ms. Nicholson. Let¡¯s go back. Your mother is worried about you.¡± Lyra implored. ¡°Leave me alone. I want to keep drinking. All my worries disappear when I¡¯m drunk.¡± Dahlia chuckled humorlessly before chucking another shot down her throat. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She was under constant pressure because of her family and had to fight her feelings for Dustin at the same time. Dahlia knew she misunderstood him, but she didn¡¯t know how to exin herself. Actually, it¡¯d be more urate to say that she was terrified of seeing Dustin¡¯s heartless expression, so she decided to use alcohol to numb herself. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She may be a capable leader in the business world, but when it came to her personal feelings, she realized she was an utter failure. Even though she knew that she had been the one who misunderstood Dustin, her pride wouldn¡¯t let her apologize. Instead, she expected Dustin to step forward and request a reconciliation. ¡°So this is where you are, Dahlia.¡± Matt entered the bar and spotted the twodies immediately. ¡°Mr. Laney, you¡¯re here. Please stop her. Her body can¡¯t take it if she drinks so much!¡± Lyra quickly stood up and greeted Matt, whom she called. She felt that Matt was a much better option than Dustin. *Please get her some water, Lyra. I¡¯ll talk to her,¡± Matt assured with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Laney.¡± Lyra nodded and darted off. ¡°Why are you drinking so much, Dahlia?¡± Matt asked with a concerned expression. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Go away!¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes were hazy, but her tone was colder than ever. Matt¡¯s smile froze for a second before he recovered himself. Without anyone noticing, he slipped a pill into her wine and smiled. ¡°You still want to drink, don¡¯t you. Dahlia? Let me join you.¡± He poured another ss for Dahlia. Dahlia, who was already tipsy, didn¡¯t notice anything wrong and downed the ss without a word. Soon, her head became heavy and her vision blurred, making her sway. ¡°Mr. Laney, I think Ms. Nicholson is drunk.¡± Lyra returned just then. ¡°It¡¯s a alright. I¡¯ll send her home now. Her family¡¯s worried sick.¡± Matt promised with a kind smile. ¡°Alright. Thanks, Ms. Laney.¡± Lyra didn¡¯t think too much about it and helped carry Dahlia into Matt¡¯s car. Since the car only had two seats, she could only watch as the car¡¯s headlights disappeared. ¡°Humph! You¡¯re finally in my arms. You like acting high and mighty, don¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯ll have some fun with you tonight.¡± Matt smiled sinisterly and headed straight to the hotel. Chapter 219 Meanwhile, at Peaceful Medical Centre, Dustin was reading a book in silence when a Maybach pulled up at the door. The car door opened, and Phineas came out holding some gills. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Rhys.¡± Phineas entered the building with a smile, no longer carrying the arrogance he had when they first met. ¡°Do you need me for something?¡± Dustin nced at the other man indifferently. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m really sorry about today¡¯s incident. Please forgive us for being so ignorant.¡± Phineas smiled apologetically. He finally understood that there was more than meets the eye when it came to Dustin, who had the support of the Harmon family and the friendship of Big Bucks Brooks. If Phineas wanted to borrow three billion dors, he had to first get Dustin¡¯s forgiveness. ¡°How could a nobody like me make the Laney family apologize?¡± Dustin replied, unconcerned. ¡°What are you talking about, Mr. Rhys? You¡¯re young but talented. We admit defeat proudly. Please give us a way out.¡± Phineas bowed his head. However, Dustin didn¡¯t respond. Gritting his teeth, Phineas fell to his knees. with a thud. ¡°Mr. Rhys, please ept our family¡¯s sincere apologies. As long as you give us another chance, you¡¯ll be our honored guest forever! I¡¯m willing to offer a third of¨Cno, half of our property as an apology.¡± Phineas quickly bowed lower, surprising Dustin, Dustin admired the older man for having the courage to put his pride aside to apologize. ¡°What should we do about the death of Caitlyn¡¯s cat?¡± Dustin asked coldly. ¡°We¡¯ll pay her back! We get her as many cats as she wants!¡± Phineas frantically vowed. ¡°Dusty¡¯s dead. It doesn¡¯t matter how many cats you get.¡± Caitlyn murmured sadly next to Dustin. ¡°Did you hear that? I don¡¯t mind forgiving you, but you offended Caitlyn.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Ms. Lawler. I swear I won¡¯t do it again! Please forgive me this once. I¡¯ve learned my mistake!¡± Phineas quickly dragged himself to Caitlyn without getting up, and he began to apologize. ¡°I forgive you on the condition that you never do anything evil again!¡± Caitlyn dered gravely. ¡°Definitely! I¡¯ve learned my mistake.¡± Phineas nodded frantically, having no choice but to lower his head toward them. ¡°Since Caitlyn forgives you, I¡¯ll let this matter go. You better remember your promise. Hall of your properties.¡± Dustin reminded calmly. ¡°Of course. As long as the Laney family is able to pull through, they¡¯re yours!¡± Phineas dared not object. Dustin hummed. He was about to say something else when his phone started ringing. Dahlia was calling him. Muffled noises could be heard as soon as he picked up. ¡°Let me go. I want to go home.¡± Dahlia demanded weakly. ¡°What do you mean ¡®go home¡°? Look at how pretty Estelle Hotel is. Let¡¯s keep drinking there.¡± Matt cackled. ¡°You can go alone. Piss off.¡± ¡°Fucking slut! You better appreciate the chance I¡¯m giving you. You don¡¯t have a say in this. You¡¯re drinking tonight. Get in!¡± As the phone fell to the floor, the cursing became softer until itpletely faded away. Dustin¡¯s face darkened immediately, and the air around him became unbelievably cold. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Rhys?¡± Phineas shivered. A loud p rang out as Dustin struck Phineas across the face, causing thetter to fall to the floor. ¡°You motherfucker! You better hope your son didn¡¯t make a mistake, or I¡¯ll destroy your entire family!¡± Dustin opened the door and dashed out. Chapter 220 ¡°Huh?¡± Phineas covered his cheek with a hand, dumbfounded. Meanwhile, inside a room in Estelle Hotel, Dahlia was lying strewn across the bed, nearly unconscious, her head heavy and her body weak. Matt stood next to her, grinning wickedly as he admired her voluptuous figure. ¡°Dahlia, I have to admit. You sure are a beauty.¡± He tsked. ¡°Your looks and figure are perfect. I¡¯ve fucked countless women, but none were as charming as you. Naturally, I¡¯m the perfect man for you. How dare Dustin Rhys try to im you as his! But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be mine after tonight.¡± Sneering, Matt began to unbutton his shirt before remembering something. He pulled out his phone and panned the camera toward Dahlia. ¡°I nearly forgot to record our wonderful night. I promised Dustin that I¡¯d send him a video of us making love. Men don¡¯t break promises.¡± Matt grinned excitedly. ¡°You despicable, shameless bastard! I¡¯ll throw you to jail if you touch me!¡± Dahlia seethed feebly. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind others seeing the video, go ahead. I don¡¯t mind. So what if I have to go in for a few years? At least I get to fuck you. Still, there¡¯s no need for us to take things that far. You¡¯ll just have to marry me after tonight. That way, you¡¯ll be able to protect your reputation while having the honor of being fucked by me. Isn¡¯t that a great deal?¡± Matt sniggered confidently. ¡°In your dreams, fucker! I¡¯d rather die than marry a hypocritical asshole like you!¡± Dahlia tried to get up several times but flopped back to the bed pathetically each time. Soon, her face flushed from the exertion, and the drug was still doing its job. ¡°Huh?¡± Matt¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Are you still thinking of that loser right now? I don¡¯t get it. How is he better than me? Why do you keep thinking of him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s better than you in every way. You don¡¯t even deserve topete with him!¡± Dahlia fumed. ¡°He¡¯s a fucking nobody. If someone hadn¡¯t supported him, do you think he would have made it to where he is. today? That dickhead ruined my ns so many times. I swear I¡¯m going to kill him one day!¡± Matt snarled. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you touch a hair on his head!¡± Dah swore, her expression ferocious. ¡°You¡¯re still protecting that asshole? I better teach you a lesson!¡± Matt tugged his belt off and began to lash out at Dahlia. ¡°You whore! I¡¯ll kill you! You beller say that I¡¯m the best and that I¡¯m the man you want!¡± Soon, Dahlia¡¯s fair skin turned bloody as whip marks littered her body. Still, she kept silent, digging her teeth into her lip stubbornly. ¡°Fuck! You¡¯re stubborn, eh? I¡¯ll fuck you up tonight!¡± Infuriated, Matt yanked his clothes off and lunged toward her. As he was tearing at Dahlia¡¯s clothes, the room door flew open with an ear¨Csplitting boom, and a formidable figure stormed in murderously. Instantly, the freezing wind whistled in, and lightbulbs exploded. Chapter 221 Bang! As the room door was kicked open, the lightbulbs in the room exploded simultaneously, shattering into pieces of ss, and an ominous chill nketed the room. ¡°Who the fuck is it? Who¡¯s ruining my fun?¡± Matt spun around, scowling. He was unable to identify the person due to the sudden darkness in the room. ¡°Matt Laney, you have a death wish!¡± An icy voice growled as the shadow approached. The moonlight peeked through the window, and Matt saw the other person¡¯s face. It was Dustin! ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Matt¡¯s expression changed, and he hastily pulled out a handgun from the bedside drawer. He yelled. ¡°You imbecile! I haven¡¯t paid you back for ruining my ns so many times, yet you approached me first!¡± ¡°Dustin? Hurry up and go. Don¡¯t care about me ¡ª Dahlia cried out weakly. When she saw Dustin, she thought she¡¯d finally be saved, but she never expected that Matt would have a gun, so she instantly panicked. ¡°Weren¡¯t you talking so big, dipshit? Ha, you still have to admit defeat to our family. I guess you¡¯re scared now, eh?¡± Matt raised his gun and sniggered. ¡°You better grovel if you don¡¯t want to die, or I¡¯ll send a bullet straight through your head!¡± ¡°Grovel? As if you¡¯re worthy of that.¡± Dustin red at the other man. ¡°Worthy?¡± Matt grinned maniacally and fired two shots near Dustin¡¯s feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to just grovel. I¡¯ll fuck your woman right in front of you!¡± ¡°Y¨Cyou shameless bastard!¡± Dahlia¡¯s chest rose and fell violently as she fumed. However, because of the drug, her flushed face looked more alluring than ever. ¡°So what? I¡¯ll have my fill with you before dealing with that brat!¡± Matt dered. ¡°I nned to finish you off in one go, but I changed my mind.¡± Dustin approached calmly, his overwhelming presence making it hard for Matt to breathe, and Matt¡¯s hand began to tremble uncontrobly. ¡°Stop right there! You better stop, or I¡¯ll fucking shoot your Matt yelled. However, Dustin continued his way forward as if he hadn¡¯t heard the other man. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Matt gritted his teeth and aimed the gun at Dustin¡¯s head before pulling the trigger. Ear¨Csplitting bangs rang out as the chamber was emptied of bullets. However, Dustin had disappeared. Abruptly, he appeared less than two feet away in front of Matt. ¡°You-¡± Startled, Matt tried to jerk backward, but Dustin grabbed his hair and mmed his head into the wall with bang. Matt immediately passed out, his head bleeding. ¡°D¨CDustin Now that the danger had passed, Dahlia¡¯s body finally rxed, and she fell into slumber. Dustin nced at the fallen man and pulled out his phone to call someone. 15 minutester, Hunter and a dozen bulky men walked into the room. ¡°Mr. Rhys, here are the men you wanted.¡± Hunter said politely. These men were not onlyrge, but they were also studs who only had an interest in pretty boys. ¡°Good job.¡± Dustin nodded in approval before waking Matt with acupuncture. ¡°W¨Cwhat are you guys doing? I¡¯m warning you. I¡¯m the heir of the Laney family, so you won¡¯t get away if you do something to me!¡± Matt began making threats as soon as he woke up. ¡°Mr. Laney, I purposely asked these men to serve you. Enjoy.¡± Dustin gestured with his hand, and the men instantly pulled Matt away, beaming sinisterly. ¡°Let me go!¡± Matt paled, terrified. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dustin! Please forgive me! I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Matt shrieked before being hauled into a car. All that awaited him was pain and misery. ¡°Mr. Anderson, tell your men to take good care of him. I want him to suffer as much as possible!¡± Dustin ordered coldly. ¡°No problem!¡± Hunter promised before leaving. Matt¡¯s ass was going to be gaping after tonight for what he did to Dustin¡¯s woman. After everyone left, Dustin walked over to the bed and began applying ointment to Dahlia¡¯s wounds. ¡°Dustin. I¨CI¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Dahlia finally mumbled the long¨Cawaited apology dazedly. Dustin¡¯s body stiffened. and a sense of loss glinted in his eyes. After a second, he shook his head and continued applying the ointment. All of a sudden, the door opened again with a boom. Florence, James, and many others barged into the room. their faces darkening as they spotted Dahlia¡¯s unconscious body. ¡°Rhys! How dare you touch my daughter, you despicable man! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Florence darted forward to p Dustin, but the man grabbed her hand with ease. ¡°What? Are you going to strike me back? You disgusting asshole!¡± Furious, Florence kicked Dustin in the shin instead. The man frowned but didn¡¯t fight back. ¡°Call the police right now! We need to arrest this motherfucker!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! A hypocritical asshole like him should be in jail!¡± Several people shouted, and James pulled out his phone to call the police. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe me or not, but this has nothing to do with me,¡± Dustin stated. indifferently. ¡°Bullshit! Why would she be here if you didn¡¯t kidnap her?¡± Florence shouted, ring at him. ¡°Exactly! Everyone here can tell that you were nning to do something nasty to her!¡± ¡°You dare to defend yourself even though we caught you in the act? I guess you refuse to give in until the end!¡± Chanter 221 The crowd threw out usations indignantly as they red at Dustin like they wanted to skin him alive. They were disgusted that Dustin stooped so low because he couldn¡¯t have Dahlia. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Whatever. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong anyway.¡± Dustin shook his head and got up to leave. He knew that these people wouldn¡¯t believe him if he tried to exin himself anyway. ¡°Hold right there. Who said you could leave? You¡¯re not stepping out of this room without exining everything!¡± James put himself between Dustin and the door, but with a shove from thetter, James went tumbling to the ground. Chapter 222 ¡°You fucker!¡± James got up and was about to spew insults when he realized that Dustin was already gone. Damn it! That kid¡¯s lucky he got away, or I¡¯d have taught him a lesson!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t run away forever! After doing something like this, I¡¯ll make sure he stays in jail for the rest of his life!* Florence gritted her teeth. ¡°That¡¯s right! You can¡¯t let him go!¡± Julie and the others quickly agreed. Dustin had gone too far! ¡°Hmm Just then, Dahlia began to wake up. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡± Florence lit up. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°What are all of you doing here, Mom?¡± Dahlia rubbed her aching temples, her memory was a mess. ¡°Lyra called and told us that you might be in danger, so we hurried here. Thank God we made it in time, or Dustin would have raped you!¡± Florence got angry again. ¡°Dustin?¡± Dahlia frowned, seeming to have recalled something. She asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We chased him away.¡± Florence reassured Dahlia. ¡°That¡¯s right. We called the police too. We¡¯ll catch that asshole!¡± James nodded. ¡°Why would you arrest him? He was the one who saved me!¡± Dahlia blurted. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? He saved you?¡± Everyone was shocked to hear that. Exchanging incredulous looks with each other. confusion was written across their face ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right, Dahlia? He can¡¯t be the one who rescued you. We clearly saw him touching you and was about to do something nasty!¡± Florence obviously didn¡¯t believe Dahlia. ¡°She¡¯s right, Sis. He tried to take your clothes off while you were unconscious!¡± James fanned the mes. ¡°We can all testify that Dustin was the one who did it!¡± Julle and a few others agreed. Dahlia shook her head frantically, which made her alcohol¨Cridden head heavier. ¡°Who else could it be? There were only two of you in this room when we came in,¡± Florence said. ¡°It was Matt Laney, that bastard!¡± Dahlia struggled to organize her memories. ¡°You must be drunk, Dahlia. Matt¡¯s a decent man. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d do something like this.¡± ¡°Sis, did Dustin slip you a drug? Is that why you¡¯re so confused?¡± ¡°I heard that some drugs can cause hallucinations. That must be why your memory got jumbled up.¡± One after another, the people in the room refuted what Dahlia said, making her doubt herself. ¡°Did I really remember wrongly? But how could that be?¡± she thought. Staring at her injuries, she had a hard time believing that Dustin was the one who did this. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a phone here, and it¡¯s recording a video.¡± Julie spotted the phone on the television cab and brought it over. ¡°It must be that asshole¡¯s!¡± Florence fumed. ¡°He was even nning to record himself assaulting Dahlia! How disgusting!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that brat can defend himself now that we have this evidence!¡± ¡°We have to put that guy in jail!¡± The crowd began to hurl insults at Dustin. ¡°It can¡¯t be. Dustin wouldn¡¯t do that Dahlia shook her head, unable to ept that. ¡°Why are you still defending him, Dahlia? Why do you still have feelings for that asshole? I¡¯m telling you, Matt¡¯s the better man for you. He¡¯s leagues above Dustin! I¡¯ll show you Dustin¡¯s true colors right now!¡± Florence yelled and began the yback, showing exactly what happened. By the time they reached the middle of the video, everyone had frozen in dismay. ¡°Matt Laney?¡± Florence was rooted to the spot as she stared in disbelief at the man violently assaulting Dahlia in the video. Everyone else¡¯s jaws had dropped as well. Never in their dreams would they have imagined that the person who kidnapped Dahlia and tried to assault her would be Matt, a respectful man from a noble family. How could this be possible? However, the video was right before their eyes. It turned out that the despicable person had been the ¡°decent¡± man, Matt, instead of Dustin. Everyone¡¯s faces began to burn in shame as they recalled what they had said just now, and they fell silent. ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t Dustin, but none of you believed me! How about now? Who¡¯s the despicable person? Who¡¯s the hypocritical asshole now? I¡¯m sure all of you should know.¡± Dahlia cried exasperatedly. ¡°I might have made a mistake, but so what? You two were once married, so it¡¯s his duty to protect you. We didn¡¯t ask him to do that! Besides, why didn¡¯t he exin himself? We wouldn¡¯t have misunderstood if he had.¡± Florence insisted stubbornly, having no intention of apologizing. ¡°Exin himself? Dahlia chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°Would you have believed him if he had?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up for us to decide, but it¡¯s his fault for not exining. He had iting!¡± Florence defended herself. ¡°That¡¯s right! He deserved it! James agreed. So what if they misunderstood a loser? ¡°All of you are incorrigible!¡± Dahlia was utterly disappointed. She staggered to her feet and bumped past the two of them to run out. She wanted to stop Dustin from leaving. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the hotel entrance, he was already nowhere to be found. Chapter 223 At the Laney vi. Phineas paced back and forth in the living room, looking extremely anxious. It was the break of dawn, but he hadn¡¯t slept a wink since he lost contact with Matt, who left at midnight. It was as if Matt had vanished into thin air. Phineas sent a group of bodyguards to search, but there was still no news of Matt, which told him that something was wrong. Suddenly, someone¡¯s car beeped at his door. He nced outside and saw a ck SUV parked outside. The car door opened, and a figure wrapped in a bup sack was dumped out as the car drove away. ¡°Huh?¡± Confused, Phineas nodded to the bodyguards at the entrance, who quickly opened the sack to reveal a naked man with a swollen nose and bruised body. ¡°Dad ¡­The young man opened his eyes dazedly and cried out hoarsely. ¡°Matt?¡± Phineas was bbergasted. ¡°W¨Cwhat happened to you?¡± ¡°It was Dustin Rhys H¨Che Matt burst into tears. No one knew what he¡¯d been throughst night. There had been many times when Matt wanted to kill himself but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He had no idea how he pulled himself through the agonizing pain. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Tell me what happened. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Phineas quickly told his men to bring Matt inside. Because of the adrenaline shots he received. Matt was still conscious despite his injuries. So, under his Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. to finish, withholding some details. father¡¯s questioning, he told Phineas everything that happened from 5/ ¡°That bastard! How dare he do that to you! He¡¯s gone too far!¡± Phineas pped the table furiously. A shiver went down his spine every time he thought of what Matt had to endure. ¡°Dad. I want you to tear him to pieces, no matter the cost!¡± Matt seethed loathingly. ¡°Matt, that asshole is being protected by the Harmon family and the Brooks family. It¡¯ll be hard to deal with him.¡± Phineas considered. ¡°Do you expect me to pretend like nothing happened?¡± Malt scowled, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°I want my revenge no matter what!¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll avenge you!¡± Phineas decided to light after seeing how miserable his son looked. As long as he was willing to pay a hefty sum to hire a killer, getting rid of Dustin should be easy. Suddenly, someone knocked on their door. Phineas signaled for the guards to open the door, and three men strolled into the house. One of them wore a dated suit while carrying a cane with a dragon head attached to it. He was followed by Hunter and a burly man with an overwhelming aura. ¡°Who are you?¡± Phineas was puzzled, ¡°Dad!¡± Matt pointed at Hunter. ¡°That¡¯s the guy who helped Rhys!¡± He could clearly recall the man watching him get ravaged. ¡°So you¡¯re Dustin Rhys¡® men. Are you here to apologize?¡± Phineas growled. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if you grovel. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll forgive that punk!¡± Phineas¡® expression was murderous. What happenedst night would be his nightmare for the rest of his life, so he had to avenge Matt. ¡°Apologize?¡± The old man in the suit smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m here to collect a debt.¡± ¡°A debt?¡± Phineas sniggered. ¡°With just the three of you? You¡¯re delusional!¡± He pped his hands. Immediately, a few dozen ferocious and bulky men engulfed the vi. Phineas had been prepared since Matt went missing, and it came in handy now. He chortled. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, did you? You¡¯ve fallen into my trap! I¡¯ll make sure none of you make it out alive today.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± The strong man flung out his arm at lightning speed, and Matt immediately went flying. ¡°How dare you hit someone on my tur!! You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Phineas was outraged. Just as he was about to order his men to attack, a gold badgended near his feet with a clink. He picked it up and froze in terror at the sight of the majestic five¨Cwed golden dragon emblem on the front of the badge. On the back of the badge, ¡°Rhys¡± was engraved in bold. In Dragonmarsh, the five¨Cwed dragon meant utter domination, while ¡°Rhys¡± was the pinnacle of power. Many people shared the same surname, but there was only one family that held the Emblem of Drakon. That family incurred fear from countless others, and no one dared to challenge them. ¡°The Rhys Drakon Emblem! W¨Cwho are you?¡± Phineas gripped the badge with both hands, his body began to shake, and beads of sweat ran down his forehead. ¡°You must be blind! This is Sir Albert Horst!¡± Therge man hollered. ¡°Albert Horst?¡± At the sound of the name, Phineas immediately paled in fear. Not many knew of that name, but that man had a popr nickname¨Cthe Executioner! He had an infamous reputation for being the human butcher who sliced people like butter. There were three great generals in the Rhys family¨Cthe Executioner, the Sword Whisperer, and the Drunken Maniac. Each one of them was enough to shake the country. The Executioner, Alfred Horst, was the strongest of them all. He was so terrifying that kids would cry at the mention of his name. Rumor had it that he had his first battle when he was 18 years old and ended up ughtering tens of thousands of foes. His cruelty and violence earned him the title of the Great Executioner. After he started working for the Rhys family, not many got to see him, but his reputation did not diminish in the slightest. This was because he was the one who got rid of anyone who offended or threatened the Rhys family. Not many knew what he looked like because the majority of those who saw his face were already dead. His ruthlessness made him the leader of the three great generals. And he terrified the officials in Dragonmash. Everyone knew that once the Executioner visited someone¡¯s home, that family would never see daylight again. Still, Phineas couldn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d done that led the Executioner to his home. Chapter 224 It was at that moment that Phineas felt pure terror. Who would have thought that the in old man in front of him was the Executioner? Why had the Executioner visited them personally? ¡°How dare you hit me!¡± His head spinning, Matt pulled himself up and roared. ¡°You¡¯re dead! It¡¯s over for all of you! Men, finish them off!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Phineas yelled before falling to his knees before the old man. He frantically begged. ¡°Sir Albert, we don¡¯t know what we¡¯ve done to incur your wrath, but please forgive us.¡± ¡°Have you gone crazy, Dad? Why are you groveling?¡± Matt was in disbelief. He didn¡¯t understand why his dad was begging the old man for forgiveness when they were on the winning side. ¡°What do you know, you moron! We can¡¯t afford to mess with them, so hurry up and kneel!¡± Phineas frantically signaled Matt. ¡°I¡¯m not kneeling!¡± Matt looked around maniacally. ¡°What do you mean we can¡¯t afford to mess with them? There are only three of them. We¡¯ll be able to drown them with just the piss of our men alone!¡± ¡°Y¨Cy¨Cyou dumbass! Do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying? This is the Executioner we¡¯re talking about!¡± Phineas¡® face was ashen. In front of the Executioner, they were merely ants waiting to be squashed. ¡°What executioner? I¡¯ve never even heard of him! He¡¯ll still die today even if he¡¯s God!¡® Matt shouted arrogantly. Alfred chuckled when he heard that. ¡°Interesting. I almost don¡¯t wish to kill you now.¡± ¡°You think losers like you can kill me? Arrogant bastards!¡± Matt sniggered. Last night¡¯s events had twisted him inside, and he yearned to let that hatred out. ¡°It¡¯s over. Everything¡¯s over.¡± Phineas copsed onto the floor, his face pale. Why did he have to have such a stupid son? How could Matt hurl insults at the Executioner? Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯re trying topete in numbers? Alright, then. Let¡¯s see who has more men!¡± Therge man waved his arm, and synchronized footsteps were heard immediately. Soon, armed men charged into the ce from all directions, surrounding everyone instantly. The guards were fully geared up and donned ck masks. Their gazes were sharp, and they gave off at murderous aura that made people turn their heads away instinctively from fear. The Laney family guards were nothingpared to these men. No words or threats were exchanged, but ngs rang out as the Laney family¡¯s guards, who were terrified by the new arrivals, threw their weapons down and stood aside. Matt froze at the sight of the geared men, his haughtiness vanishing rapidly, and terror took its ce. What happened? Where did all those mene from? ¡°Aren¡¯t wepeting by numbers? Who has more men now?¡± The bulky man waved again, and the men drew their swords in unison, overwhelming everyone with their presence. Matt felt the strength leave his legs, and he copsed to the ground. ¡°Sir Alfred, please go easy on us!¡± Phineas crawled toward Alfred and begged. ¡°My son has lost his mind and doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing. Please spare his life!¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll have to die in his stead.¡± Alfred drew a sword from the burly man¡¯s back and threw it to the floor. Calmly, he said. ¡°Only one of you can live. Make your decision.¡± Chapter 225 ?Chapter 225 "What?" Phineas froze, and he cried. "Sir Alfred, we did nothing to you. Why are you doing this?" "It''s true that I have nothing against you. However, you offended the young master in my family, so I cannot forgive you." Alfred looked at them calmly. "T-that''s impossible! We would never dare to do that!" Phineas suddenly froze. "The Rhys family? Rhys? Don''t tell me... You''re talking about Dustin Rhys?'' "Bingo. That''s the eldest son of the Rhys family, Logan Rhys." Alfred smiled.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ''L-Logan Rhys? The kirin? H-how is that possible?!" Phineas looked like he was about to have a heart attack at any time. He''d done his research before. Dustin was merely a pretty boy who depended on the Harmon family to get to where he was today. How could he possibly be Logan Rhys? Logan Rhys, the man who nearly brought on the war that could have destroyed a nation. The man who received the title of "Legendary Demon'' a decade ago. No wonder the Executioner was here. It turned out that they had offended Logan Rhys. "Now, choose. Will you die, or will it be your son?" The old man was still smiling. However, it was now more like the devil''s grin. "Dad, I don''t want to die! I''m still young. I have a bright future ahead of me. Please save me!" Matt knelt before his father and begged; tears and snot stained his face. Phineas'' lips parted, but he was at a loss for words. It seemed like the only choice left was to die for his son. Just as he was going to announce his choice, a de pierced him through the back and emerged from his chest. With a gurgle, Phineas froze and stared at the de protruding from his chest before turning to look at Matt, who had a crazed look in his eyes. Phineas expression slowly transformed from dismay to shock, before stopping at disbelief. He never expected his son to be so impatient, going as far as to kill his father! "Why? Why?" Phineas'' eyes were wide with disbelief. "You''re over 50 years old, Dad. You''ve lived long enough, so please die! If you don''t, I''ll be the goner." Matt beamed maniacally as tears streamed down his face. "You treacherous spawn!" Phineas wailed anguishedly before drawing hisst breath. Matt giggled gleefully. "He''s dead, Sir Alfred. Dead! You can let me go now, right?" Matt knelt on the floor, looking crazed. *I''ve seen many assholes, but you''re one of the rarer kinds. Leaving trash like you alive will only pollute the air, so we should still get rid of you." With that, Alfred turned around and left. "Y-you''re not keeping your fucking word! You said you''d let me live, Horst! Why? Why?!" Matt wailed bitterly. However, the only reply he got was the strike of a cold de. As they stepped out of the vi, Alfred asked abruptly, "How many members are then in the Laney family''s main lineage?" "The report says 35 of them," the burly young man replied. ''I see. Well, get rid of all of them." Chapter 226 In the morning, at the airport. Edwin and Tina waited in front of a Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom. ¡°Dad, we¡¯ve already been waiting for two hours. Why isn¡¯t Joshua here yet?¡± Tina nced around, looking anxious. ¡°It¡¯s normal for flights to be dyed. Let¡¯s wait it out a little longer. Edwin looked calm. Last night, he¡¯d suddenly received a call from Joshua, saying he¡¯dpleted his refinement, which meant he was now the Hummer family¡¯s trump card. As they spoke, a young couple exited the airport. The man was handsome and dignified, giving off an air reminiscent of a sharp de, making one unable to look him in the eye. The woman beside him was dressed in red and equally outstanding. She was beautiful, elegant, and looked powerful. ¡°Dad, he¡¯s here!¡± Tina¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. She¡¯d been eagerly anticipating his return. ¡°Josh, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Edwin approached him with a bright smile. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Dad.¡± Joshua smiled and gestured to the woman beside him. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to Jade Grant, my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡ª ¡°Jade Grant?¡± Edwin looked taken aback before asking tentatively. ¡°Is she the third daughter of the Grant family?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Joshua smiled. ¡°Nice to meet you. Mr. Hummer.¡± Jade nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, nice to meet you, too. As expected of a daughter of the Grant family¨Cyou¡¯re the very embodiment of beauty and grace!¡± Edwin looked delighted. He never would¡¯ve expected his son to be able to win the Grant family¡¯s favor. The five wealthiest families in Millsburg were known as the Fabulous Five, but there were three other families seven more powerful than them¨Cthe Tremendous Three. The Grant family was one of them. If the Hummer family could form an alliance with the Grant family through Joshua¡¯s marriage with Jade, they¡¯d have a bright future ahead! ¡°Dad, why did you summon me home so urgently?¡± Joshua asked when they were all in the car. He¡¯d justpleted his refinement the night before when he¡¯d been told to return immediately. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I hate to say this, but Swinton has a new kid on the block. He¡¯s powerful beyond our expectations and has defeated all my men. Our family¡¯s been having a tough time recently because of him. I had no choice but to Summon you home.¡± Edwin sighed, looking helpless. ¡°Exactly! You have no idea how obnoxious he is, Joshua. He even beat me up on my birthday over the smallest things!¡± Tina started toin. ¡°Look at what he did to my arm¨CI¡¯ve yet to fully recover! I¡¯ve never been treated like this in my life. You have to get back at him for me!¡± ¡°Who is this guy? How dare he bully a member of the Hummer family! Joshua¡¯s face darkened, and a menacing aura surrounded him. ¡°His name is Dustin Rhys, and he¡¯s not someone to be taken lightly,¡± Edwin said. ¡°He also has the Harmon family backing him up,¡± Edwin said, ¡°The Harmon family?¡± Jade chuckled lightly. ¡°They¡¯re only one of the Fabulous Five¨Cthey don¡¯t hold much weight. If you need any help, Mr. Hummer, just say the word.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary for the Grant family to get involved in something as menial as this.¡± Joshua said calmly. Now that I¡¯m back. I won¡¯t allow anyone to challenge the Hummer family¡¯s authority¨Cnot even the Harmon family!¡± ¡®Josh, have you have you have you had a breakthrough?¡± Edwin asked tentatively. ¡°Yes, I have. I¡¯ve now achieved divinity!¡± Joshua smiled proudly. ¡°A divine¨Clevel martial artist?¡± Edwin was delighted. ¡°That¡¯s great! I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down!¡± Joshua was probably the only divine¨Clevel martial artist in all of Swinton. Low¨Clevel martial artists were no match for divine¨Clevel martial artists¨Cthey could refine their martial arts prowess, but physical abilities could only take one so far. Chapter 227 Divine¨Clevel martial artists, on the other hand, could manifest their energy externally and use it to harm or even murder others without anyone realizing it. Low¨Clevel martial artists weren¡¯t even in the same league as them. Even in Millsburg, where powerful martial artists converged, divine¨Clevel martial artists were existences to fear. It was no wonder Joshua had won the Grant family¡¯s favor¨Chow could he not when he possessed such talent and potential? Which family wouldn¡¯t want to have something to do with him? ¡°Dad, are divine¨Clevel martial artists truly that powerful? How will Joshua fare against Dustin?¡± Tina asked curiously. *Joshua can destroy that brat with a snap of his fingers!¡± Edwin said proudly. ¡°That¡¯s great! Joshua, you have to teach him a good lesson on my behalf!¡± Tina said excitedly. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry to deal with Dustin¨Che¡¯s a weakling that can be ughtered at any time. What¡¯s more important now is that we have to give Joshua and Jade a proper wee.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s head home.¡± At this moment, at Peaceful Medical Center. Dustin received a call from Ruth. ¡°Dustin, something¡¯s happened at Harmon Pharmaceuticals. You¡¯ve gotta get over here right now.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s happened? What is it?¡± Dustin asked curiously. ¡°A bunch of people suddenly showed up and demanded that we partner with them for the production of Immortunol,¡± ¡°Is that so? Where¡¯s your sister? I¡¯ll leave the decision up to her.¡± ¡°She went to Millsburgst night and won¡¯t be back so soon. In any case, she was the one who told me to call you, saying that you had thest say.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Dustin hung up and drove to Harmon Pharmaceuticals. When he arrived. twenty minutester and strode into the conference room, he saw some people already seated inside. Jessica, Quentin, Ruth, and Mr. Wangley sat on the left, while a distinguished man was on the right. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re finally here. Have a seat, quick.¡± Ruth stood up and gestured for him to sit. The others looked at. him coolly. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Dustin nced around curiously. ¡°I have a question for you,¡± Jessica said. ¡°I heard Natasha gave you 50 percent of the shares for Immortunol. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°d to hear that. Now, hand the shares over,¡± she said coolly. ¡°What? Why?¡± Dustin was taken aback. ¡°Because you don¡¯t deserve them.¡± Jessica didn¡¯t mince her words. ¡®The Harmon family handles everything from the production, sales, and marketing for Immortunol. You don¡¯t contribute anything to this process¨Cwhy should you deserve 50 percent of the profits? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too greedy?¡± ¡°Mrs. Harmon, there must be a misunderstanding somewhere. Ms. Harmon was the one who decided that the shares-¡± Jessica cut him off with a wave of her hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough! I don¡¯t want to hear it. Hand the shares over if you know what¡¯s good for you; at least you¡¯ll be able to walk out of this unscathed.¡± ¡°Does Ms. Harmon know about this?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew what was going on now- they¡¯d obviously tricked him here to snatch the ownership of the shares away from him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether she knows. This has to do with our family¡¯s interests; her word isn¡¯t the only one that matters. Rest assured that we¡¯llpensate you handsomely for this. We¡¯re willing to pay you 50 million dors if you hand over the shares.¡± Jessica looked like she was talking about something inconsequential. ¡°Hey, just hand them over when we tell you to and stop fucking around!¡± Quentin said impatiently. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression became icy. ¡°Then you won¡¯t leave this room today!¡± Quentin mmed a hand on the table. The next second, a group of security guards barged into the room, circling Dustin with menacing looks. Chapter 228 ¡°What, are you gonna resort to physical violence?¡± A cold smile curved Dustin¡¯s lips at the sight of the security guards surrounding him. He¡¯d always been the type who was open to persuasion, not coercion. Perhaps he would¡¯ve given in to them if they¡¯d talked to him nicely, but if they wanted to opt for physical violence he didn¡¯t mind teaching them a lesson or two, well, ¡°So what if I am? Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself, you brat!¡± Quentin snarled. He¡¯d always harbored a grudge against Dustin for humiliating him at their first meeting. If not for Natasha keeping him in check, he would¡¯ve exacted revenge on Dustin ages ago. Now that Natasha wasn¡¯t around, it was his chance to get payback! ¡°Quentin, don¡¯t take things too far!¡± Ruth couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°It¡¯s up to Dustin whether he wants to sell the shares. If you dare do anything to harm him, I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± ¡°Ruth, this has nothing to do with you. Keep your nose out of this! Quentin didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Why, you- ¡°Ruth was about to say something else when Jessica stopped her. ¡°Dustin, a wise man knows how to adapt to the situation. You can¡¯t hoard all those shares for yourself, so cough them up when we¡¯re asking nicely, Jessica said. ¡°Many people have gotten into trouble not because of things they¡¯ve done but because they possess things that shouldn¡¯t belong to them. With your identity and ability, you¡¯ll only get yourself into more trouble if you keep these shares.¡± ¡°Is that a threat, Mrs. Harmon?¡± Dustin cidn¡¯t bat an eye. ¡°It¡¯s a piece of advice. One should know their limits¨Cdo you think you would¡¯ve achieved what you have if not for my daughter protecting you?¡± Jessica looked at him contemptuously. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that Ms. Harmon has given me plenty of help, but I didn¡¯t rely on anyone to get to where I am now, Dustin said coldly. ¡°As for Immortunol, I think there¡¯s something you need to get straight¨CI provided the form and was the first to develop it sessfully. I don¡¯t care about the shares, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll allow you to push me around like this!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Jessica mmed a hand on the table and shot to her feet. ¡°Dustin, I¡¯ve tried to y nice with you. Don¡¯t push me!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s pushing who?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°When the Hummer family sessfully developed and marketed Eternumax, the Harmon family had nothing and no way topete with them. I was the one who helped you make it past that crisis, yet here you are, burning bridges as soon as you get the chance. Is this how ungrateful the Harmon family¨Cor certain family members, at least¨Cis? ¡°Why, you- Jessica fumed. She didn¡¯t expect a brat who relied on the Harmon family¡¯s protection to rebuke her like this. ¡°Aunt Jessica, don¡¯t waste your breath on this brat. All we need to do is capture him; I have plenty of ways to make him give in!¡± Quentin fanned the mes.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t do anything rash. If youy a hand on Dustin, Natasha won¡¯t ever forgive you!¡± Ruth warned. Jessica stiffened. Ruth¡¯s words made her stop to think for a while. Her rtionship with Natasha was already strained; if she were to go ahead with this, Natasha would probably sever ties with her. At this moment, the man who¡¯d been sitting opposite Jessica and the others spoke. ¡°Mrs. Harmon, I thought it would be easy for you to retrieve the shares, but it seems I was wrong.¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± Dustin gave him a cold look. He¡¯d noticed this man as soon as he¡¯d stepped into the conference room. He supposed this guy was the cause of Jessica¡¯s sudden interference. ¡°The name¡¯s Williams, Brody Williams. I¡¯m from Boulderthorn Guild; my father¡¯s the second¨Cin¨C command,¡± the man said coolly. ¡°Mr. Williams is your father, huh?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow in surprise. He¡¯d met Oliver Williams earlier, it seemed Brody was his brother. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how powerful the Boulderthorn Guild is.¡± Brody lit a cigarette and took a drag. Then, he waved a hand around and said arrogantly. ¡°So, you¡¯re left with two options¨Ceither you hand over the shares and take the 50 million or make an enemy out of me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give the shares up unless Ms. Harmon personally asks me to.¡± Dustin said coolly. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Brody¡¯s expression became frosty. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about, you brat? Have you thought about the consequences you¡¯d bear if you make an enemy out of the Boulderthorn Guild?¡± ¡°Firstly, you don¡¯t represent the Boulderthom Guild. Secondly, so what if I make an enemy out of you? Do you think the Boulderthorn Guild runs the world?¡± Dustin didn¡¯t bat an eye. ¡°I admire your audacity, brat. It¡¯s been a while since someone had the nerve to speak to me like that. Still you¡¯ll have to pay for your arrogance! As for the rest of you.¡± Brody grinned menacingly as he turned to Jessica and the others. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make an enemy out of the Boulderthorn Guild, you¡¯d better show me some of your sincerity in forming an alliance. If this brat refuses to give us ownership of his shares, you¡¯re the ones who¡¯ll have to cough it up. Either way, we¡¯re definitely getting our hands on 50 percent of Immortuncl¡¯s shares!¡± Jessica¡¯s expression changed at his words, as did the others. Il Dustin refused to hand over his shares, he¡¯d drag the rest of them down with him. Boulderthorn Guild was backing them into a corner. ¡°I¡¯ve already said everything there is to say: I¡¯ll leave the final decision in your hands. See you around.¡± Brody snorted and stood up. ¡°Hold it!¡± Dustin said. ¡°What, changed your mind already?¡± Brody sneered. ¡°I thought you were a tough cookie, but it seems you¡¯re a bigger pushover than you look.¡± Then again, it made sense. How many people in Balerno dared to stand up against the Boulderthorn Guild? ¡°At least you haven¡¯t lost all sense of rationality. Dustin. We could¡¯ve avoided all this hassle if you¡¯d just. agreed to it earlier.¡± Jessica heaved a sigh of relief. Not even the Harmon family wanted to get on the Boulderthorn Guild¡¯s bad side. Quentin scolled. ¡°So you were just pretending to be a tough guy. You had to give in to the Boulderthorn Guild in the end anyway, didn¡¯t you? Stop acting like you¡¯re such a big shol.¡± The way he saw it, Brody only had to threaten Custin a little to make him pee his pants. ¡°Brody Williams from the Boulderthorn Guild, right?¡± Dustin slowly got to his feet. ¡°Do you think you own this Chanter 228 ce,ing and going as you like? Did you bother asking me for permission?¡± ¡°What?¡± Brody raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean, brat?¡± ¡°Do you think you can march in here, act all high and mighty, then leave whenever you want? What made you think you could do that?¡± Dustin gave him the stink¨Ceye. Brody snorted and pointed at his face. ¡°What, do you wanna start a light or something? Go on, then. I dare you toy a punch on me, you-¡± Before he finished his sentence, he was sent flying by a crisp p to the face. He spun a few times midair beforending headfirst in a gigantic vase in the corner. It wasrge enough for his whole body to fit inside. leaving his feet sticking out of the mouth, Jessica and the others were stunned to see that. Their jaws dropped, and silence descended upon the room. Chapter 229 Nobody expected Dustin to suddenly get physical and attack someone from the Boulderthorn Guild. Had he lost his mind? ¡°Dustin, are you out of your mind? How dare you attack Mr. Williams¡® son! Do you have a death wish?¡± Jessica red at him with a mixture of shock and fury. Attacking Brody was equivalent to issuing a challenge to the Boulderthorn Guild. ¡°You may have a fucking death wish, but the rest of us don¡¯t! Mr. Williams isn¡¯t someone you can afford to offend!¡± Quentin bellowed. Though he wanted nothing more than for Dustin to get in trouble, that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to perish with him. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯ve really done it now!¡± Even Ruth looked panicked. The Boulderthorn Guild was much too powerful; even the Harmon family wouldn¡¯t survive a retaliation from them, ¡°He¡¯s nothing but a piece of trash. What does it matter if I¡¯ve attacked him?¡± Dustin said coolly. ¡°You¨Cyou¡¯re so thickheaded!¡± Jessica red daggers at him. At this moment, Brody had finally managed to free himself from the vase. Compared to his previous dignified appearance, he looked disheveled, with his face red and swollen from the p and being stuck in the vase. How dare youy a hand on me, you brat!¡± he bellowed. pointing at Dustin. Never in his life had he been on the receiving end of a beating: he was always the one beating people up. ¡°So what if I did? Do you really think no one has the nerve to teach you a lesson just because you throw Boulderthorn Guild¡¯s name around like it means nothing?¡± Dustin scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re fucking dead!¡± Brody¡¯s blood boiled. He raised a list and swung it at Dustin, Earlier, Dustin had managed to get him because his guard was down; now that he knew what to expect, he wouldn¡¯t losel Dustin snorted and caught his fist easily before kicking him in the stomach. Brody howled in pain and bent over, falling to his knees as the pain coursed through him. He curled into a ball on the floor. ¡°Dustin, stop it!¡± Jessica¡¯s expression changed drastically. Wasn¡¯t it enough that he¡¯d attacked Brody once? He was digging his own grave by doing it again! ¡°Fucking hell! Capture that psycho!¡± Quentin roared. At his words, the security guards in the room whipped our electric batons and held them up threateningly. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± At this moment, Natasha barged into the room. Her domineering aura was overpowering enough to make everyone stop what they were doing. ¡°Natasha, thank goodness you¡¯re here.¡± Jessica said grimly. ¡°This man was obnoxious enough to attack a member of the Boulderthorn Guild in public. He¡¯s unforgivable!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll only be keeping a ticking time bomb around if we let him go. I say we get rid of him right here and now,¡± Quentin snarled. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard about everything that¡¯s happened today. I don¡¯t think Dustin did anything wrong.¡± Natasha said calmly. ¡°What?¡± Jessica was taken aback. ¡°Natasha, have you lost your mind? How can he not have done anything wrong when he attacked a member of the Boulderthorn Guild?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Natasha said calmly, ¡°He had valid reasons for doing so, Brody was throwing the Boulderthorn Guild¡¯s weight around to coerce us into giving up what belonged to us. Doesn¡¯t he deserve to be beaten up? If everyone were to throw their weight around and use a measly amount of money to purchase our shares, we might as well. just give them Harmon Pharmaceuticals for free!¡± The others had nothing to say in retort. Chapter 230 Buying 50% of the shares with 50 million dors was like robbing. It was that they didn¡¯t want to displease Boulderthorn. Therefore, rtively speaking, they could only sacrifice Dustin. With that, they didn¡¯t really need to pay the price and could also take the opportunity to be on friendly terms with Boulderthorn. However, they didn¡¯t expect that Dustin would be so unyielding. Not only did he refuse to hand over the shares. but he also attacked Brody, Plus, Natasha also happened to be strongly supporting what he had just done after she hurried back. Everything was such a mess that they couldn¡¯t resolve the situation. ¡°Natasha Harmon! Break his arms and legs right now! This is an order! If not, we won¡¯t have mercy on the Harmon family!¡± Brody stood up and staggered to his feet with a sullen look. ¡°Mr. Williams, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do it.¡± Natasha spoke calmly. ¡°Boulderthorn is indeed powerful, but the Harmon family isn¡¯t weak either. Nobody is able to harm the family easily.¡± ¡°So, are you trying to set yourself against Boulderthorn because of him?¡± Brody gritted his teeth. ¡°Dustin is the Harmon family¡¯s quest. It is our responsibility to protect him. If Boulderthorn still insists, you¡¯ll This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. have to defeat me first.¡± Natasha was upromising. ¡°Very well! Since you must stand in our way, do not me us for turning against the Harmon family!¡± Brody threw a note to Natasha, which threw down the gauntlet, and said fiercely, ¡°My father had said that if you refuse to agree, we¡¯ll meet at the battle ring. We will settle things with deathmatches! ¡°If you win, the Boulderthorn will never speak anything about it again. However, if you lose, you must hand over Immortunal¡¯s shares! This is your only chance. I challenge you!¡± Brody exuded an intimidating aura, He looked like he was sure to win. ¡°Why not? I will ept it. You¡¯ll decide on the time and venue.¡± Natasha did not bat an eye. ¡°We¡¯ll have the battle at Williams Dojo tonight, at eight,¡± he said coldly and left immediately. ¡°Natasha Harmon! Have you lost your mind? How dare you provocate Boulderthorn just because of this little boy toy?¡± Quentin was flustered and exasperated. ¡°Boulderthorn¡¯s connections were more important than that country bumpkin!¡± he thought. ¡°It is not your ce to interfere with my decisions,¡± Natasha sneered, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know who involved Boulderthorn in this?¡± ¡°You¡± Quentin, shifty¨Ceyed, looked guilty because of her usations. ¡°Natasha, Boulderthorn is one of the most powerful guilds in Balerno. You¡¯ll put yourself in trouble.¡± Jessica knitted her brow. It would be difficult to predict what would happen once the battle started. If they lost the battle, they needed to give the shares away, and it would also bring the Harmon family into disrepute. ¡°Mr. Williams himself is powerful indeed, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t stand a chance of winning against them.¡± Natasha replied. ¡°Win? But how? Skills and strength aside, we don¡¯t even have enough people to fight, Jessica grumbled. Natasha wasn¡¯t worried about her concern. ¡°Who said so? I¡¯ve already invited an expert from The Hundred Immortals.¡± ¡°The Hundred Immortals? Who is it?¡± Jessica asked. She was desperate for the answer. Natasha didn¡¯t reply directly. She pped her hands, and an old man with gray hair and a hawked nose strode out quickly. He was wearing a ck shirt with a tall and muscr physique. He made no sound when he walked, exactly like a ghost. ¡°Is this the King of Kicks, who was ranked ninth among The Hundred Immortals?¡± Quentin couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the old man¡¯s presence. The Hundred Immortals, especially those ranked in the top ten, were all equipped with powerful skills. The King of Kicks, ranked ninth, was famous for his kicks. He had worked on his legs for years. His kicks were second to none. Quentin once saw The King of Kicks flip a car by kicking it casually. There was no doubt that he was extremely skilled. Chapter 231 ?Chapter 231 The conference room was in an uproar after the hawk-nose elder came in. Everyone looked at him with a sense of respect after knowing he was the King of Kicks, whether they knew him or not. After all, he was the expert who was ranked ninth in The Hundred Immortals. Not anyone would have the chance to meet him, even once in a lifetime. "You actually invited the King of Kicks?" Jessica was surprised. She didn''t expect Natasha to bring a master from The Hundred Immortals back after returning from Millsburg. It was known that the King of Kicks was an arrogant man. It wasn''t easy to invite him. Natasha probably made much effort to get him to agree toe to Swinton. "There were lots of people eyeing Immortunal these days. Of course, I had to take precautions as soon as possible. This is also our chance to lure the tiger out of the mountains, Natasha said impassively. She had always been keeping an eye on what Boulderthorn was up to. That was why she had made preparations earlier. "We need at least three people for a battle. With King of Kicks, we still need two." Quentin burst the bubble. Although the King of Kicks was very skillful, he was still unable to fight with more than one person himself. "You can count me in if there aren''t enough people." Dustin volunteered himself. He wouldn''t sit on his hands as he was the culprit. "You? Who do you think you are? You don''t deserve to fight for the Harmon family," Quentin scorned. "Will you be going instead?" Dustin mocked. Quentin was at a loss for words. He couldn''t think of something to refute right away. *This is an important battle. You''re not even a real doctor. You better not be in this just to go along for the rice." Jessica nced sideways and said calmly, "I think Mr. Wangley and Mr. Chapman are safe choices. With their assistance, the King of Kicks will definitely exert his skills better."@ "Dustin, you had just beaten Brody up. They might be aiming for you. It would be better if you don''t take the risk, Natashaforted him. Although she knew Dustin was quite skillful, Boulderthorn wasn''t easy to deal with. She didn''t want to put him in danger by joining the battle. "Alright. It''s your decision." Dustin smiled and didn''t insist. After confirming the list of names joining the battle, Mr. Wangley stepped forward and paid his respects to the King of Kicks, "Sir Cavaliere, I wish us good cooperation!" The King of Kicks snorted, "I never work with anyone. I can win the battle just by myself. You weaklings, just stand aside and watch." Mr. Wangley frowned. "Sir Cavaliere, even though you are the King of Kicks and have excellent skills, it will still be tough for you to fight a crowd. Besides, I am also one of The Hundred Immortals. It is true that my ranking is lower than yours, but I don''t think I am that weakpared to you." "You? How dare youpare yourself to me?" The hawk-nosed old man gave him a disdainful look. *Sir Cavaliere, don''t sell me short!" Mr. Wangley''s temper grew. He had always been looked up to. He was never disregarded. "What? You don''t ept the fact?" The hawk-nosed old man sneered, "For someone like you, you can be proud of yourself if you could stand just one of my kicks." "Great! I''d love to experience your skillful moves!" Mr. Wangley couldn''t stand it anymore and attacked. "Amateurs." The King of Kicks held his hands behind him and delivered a kick like a lightning bolt. Mr. Wangley clenched his fist and hit his leg. The King of Kick''s leg and Mr. Wangley''s fist hit each other. There was a bang. Mr. Wangley was drawn back by force. His arm was dislocated right on the spot. Blood surged up his face, and he grew weak. "You ..." He opened his mouth, and before he was able to speak, blood spurted out from his mouth. His face turned pale immediately. "Can you see the difference now? To be honest, I didn''t even use half of my strength on that kick," the old man said arrogantly. "What?" Mr. Wangley was shocked. His face fell.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 232 The King of Kicks made Mr. Wangley spurt out blood without even using half his strength. If he did it with full strength, Mr. Wangley would probably die on the spot. Were experts from the top tenths of The Hundred Immortals so scary? ¡°Brilliant! King of Kicks, you¡¯ve just blown our minds!¡± Quentin was surprised at first, then put up a smile and blew the King of Kicks with ttery. He thought that if he could be on good terms with masters like the King of Kicks, he could solve problems easily in the future with his help. ¡°Mr. Wangley, are you okay?¡± Natasha frowned slightly. One of their allies was hurt before the battle even started. She thought that the King of Kicks had gone too far. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Mr. Wangley wiped off the blood at the corner of his mouth and paid his respects. ¡°King of Kicks, I expected no less from you. I concede defeat from the bottom of my heart.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°At least you know your limits.¡± The old man raised his head with a sense of arrogance and defiance. ¡°Alright. Everyone, time to go back and prepare. We cannot afford to lose tonight¡¯s battle!¡± Everyone left right after Natasha gave the order. As Boulderthorn intentionally spread the news of the battle. Williams Dojo was already crowded with people at 7 pm. Everyone interested in martial arts came to watch the battle. People were dueling at the battle ring before it started. They were excited about the battle. Dustin and Ruth were the first to enter the dojo. They sat and waited at the seats. ¡°Rhys, why are you here?¡± Dustin heard a familiar voice beside him. He turned and saw Julie approaching him with a crowd of young people. ¡°You¡¯re here. Why can¡¯t I?¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°Julie, who is this?¡± a muscr man beside Julle asked. ¡°Otto, this is my ex¨Ccousin¨Cinw. My cousin dumped him since he¡¯s useless.¡± Julie demeaned Dustin intentionally. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Otto sized Dustin up and mocked, ¡°Such slim arms and legs, what a sissy. No wonder no woman wants him.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m a sissy, are you a chimpanzee? Dustin asked coolly. ¡°Chimpanzee?¡± Everyone was stunned by the statement and looked at Otto. He was a hairy man with tanned skin. He actually did look like a chimpanzee. However, they recovered from the thought quickly. ¡°Hey! What do you mean? Otto is such a line¨Clooking man¨Che doesn¡¯t look like a chimpanzee at all!¡± ¡°Do you know who he is? He¡¯s the kickboxing champion of our city! Show some respect!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Look at your arms and legs; Otto could easily break them!¡± The crowd mored aggressively. Otto put on a gloomy face due to Dustin¡¯sment. ¡°You! You savage! Stop being a smart mouth. Let¡¯s have a battle and fight like a man!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that,¡± Dustin rejected without hesitation. ¡°Not interested? I bet you are afraid,¡± Otto sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be beating you to death since we can learn from each other from fighting.¡± Dustin replied nothing. Julia macked, ¡°Rhys, aren¡¯t you cocky? Why are you afraid of Otto? You don¡¯t even dare to fight with him.¡± ¡°I can just fight with one of my hands if you are afraid. Or only with my legs, if you like. How is it? I dare you!¡± Otto provoked. ¡°Such a coward! He doesn¡¯t dare to fight with Otto even if he¡¯s only fighting with his legs!¡± ¡°Definitely! What a shame to us men!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just be a woman?¡± The crowd of young peopleughed as if they had just listened to a hrious joke. Chapter 233 Dustin was speechless by the moring crowd. ¡°Where did these psychopathse from?¡± he thought. They looked like they had just gone insane and were howling and shouting nonstop, like dogs. ¡°Hey, enough!¡± Ruth, who was sitting beside them, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Gosh, there¡¯s a beauty here!¡± Otto¡¯s eyes lit up with a burning desire. Her outstanding figure and visuals attracted him. ¡°Hey beautiful, you should break up with such a coward. He¡¯ll probably be busy saving his own life when you¡¯re in danger,¡± Otto taunted. ¡°Exactly! You should find a boyfriend like Otto. Look at his muscles. It¡¯ll make you feel secure!¡± the crowd jeered. ¡°He¡¯s so tanned and ugly. Why would a woman like a man like him?¡± Ruth snorted with a contemptuous look. ¡°Hey, what nonsense are you talking, you little bitch! Watch your mouth!¡± ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll probably beat you up if you are not a woman!¡± The crowd grew angry after listening to what she had said. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t bother her. She¡¯s just a woman. We should act like gentlemen.¡± Otto held his hand up to stop them from arguing, acting like a gentleman. He didn¡¯t want to lose his manners in front of a beauty like Ruth. ¡°Dustin, I thought you were hiding your light under a bushel. It turns out that you are a good¨Cfor¨C nothing after all. You¡¯re such a wimp. You only dare to pick up a fight with people weaker than you and even rely on women to protect you. There¡¯s no doubt why Dahlia had to dump you!¡± Julie scoffed and shooked her head. Her upper lips curled with disdain. ¡°He didn¡¯t even dare to ept the battle with Otto. How useless!¡± she thought. ¡°Are you done? If yes, get as far away from me as you can. You¡¯re so noisy and irritating, buzzing non¨C stop like a fly.¡± Dustin stuck his finger in his ear. He thought she was so noisy. ¡°You¡± Julle gritted her teeth. Her face flushed. She nced at Otto and acted coquettishly toward him. Otto, have you heard what he had just said? He said I am a fly! How could he?¡± ¡°Insolence! How dare you say something like that to my girl! Apologize immediately, or don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡± Otto¡¯s face fell. He had always disliked Dustin, but he never had the chance to make a fuss about it. It was perfect timing for him now as he had the reason to do so, which was to protect Julie, his girlfriend. ¡°Apologize? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of that?¡± Dustin sneered. He looked like he was looking at an Idiot. ¡°You! You better give up before it¡¯s toote! I¡¯ll show you the power of a kickboxing champion!¡± Otto was mad. He said nothing more and attacked. He made a small step and jumped, preparing to attack with his stealth ack, Hot Knees. That movement of his was strong but cool at the same time. The opponent could easily be deleated if targeted precisely. It was the best movement for fronting. ¡°Such badass! Otto!¡± ¡°Did you see that? This is Otto¡¯s masterstroke! He¡¯s unstoppable!¡± ¡°One must stay as far away from him as possible when he uses Hot Knees!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The crowd was ttering Otto when he had just started his movements. However, the next moment, Otto¡¯s body, which was still in midair, was flipped by Dustin with a smack and hit the ground. He took a huge spill and was lying on the ground, motionless, like he was dead. ¡°Otto!¡± They were stunned by the scene. They didn¡¯t expect Otto, a kickboxing champion, to be defeated by just one move. It was insane. ¡°How weak.¡± Dustin dusted his hands off and sat down. He thought that he could finally be in peace. ¡°Otto! Otto!¡± The crowd of young people quickly helped Otto up after they realized what had happened. They tried waking him up by pping and pinching him. Chapter 234 After struggling for a while. Otto gradually regained consciousness. Since he¡¯d fallen face¨Cfirst. he had lost his front teeth, contributing even further to his disheveled appearance. ¡°What happened?¡± He shook his head, confusion lining his features. He remembered the surge of power he felt as he reveled in his mastery barely seconds ago before weakness seized him, and he found himself lying on the floo ¡°Otto, you were knocked out by that guy just now!¡± Julie told him, her expression strange. She¡¯d initially thought Otto would be able to defend her¨Ccontrary to her beliefs, the first punch found him sprawled on the floor, unconscious the next instant. ¡°Knocked out?¡± Otto was slightly taken aback. He touched his throbbing face, an argument bursting forth. Fuck that! I must have slipped and lost my bnce. That brat would never have been able to hurt me otherwise!¡± His deration elicited a flurry of nods through the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s right! With Otto¡¯s strength, it would¡¯ve been beyond effortless for him to take that guy down. If it hadn¡¯t been for a moment of carelessness on his part, how else could that guy manage to sneak in an attack?¡± ¡°Exactly! Otto must¡¯ve been careless and didn¡¯t dodge it on time!¡± Otto¡¯s strength and skills weremon knowledge among them all. After more than a decade of professional kickboxing training and championship titles under his belt, his capabilities were unquestionable. If it hadn¡¯t been for him underestimating the opponent, he would never have been taken down in just one move. ¡°Oh, just admit that you lost and move on. What¡¯s the use in trying to make all sorts of excuses for yourself? With your mediocre martial arts skills, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold your own against Dustin even if he only used one hand.¡± Ruth rolled her eyes. She¡¯d never seen anyone so shameless¨Chis defiance and feigned bravado despite having been taken down squarely by the opponent irked her to no end. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t talk to me like that!¡± Otto red in response. ¡°People make mistakes. Hell, even the strongest. horses stumble. You think that little brat is impressive? You think he¡¯s better than me? Fine! Let him fight me again¨Cfair and square. I, for one, am interested in seeing what he¡¯s capable of.¡± ¡°What he said! If you have the guts, let Rhys fight Otto in the battle ring and see who¡¯s the real man!¡± Julie and the others chimed in. At the end of the day, all of them were convinced that Dustin had only won out of sheer luck. When it came to strength and pure skill, Otto reigned superior. ¡°What? Do you not have the guts to face me like a man?¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The longer Dustin remained silent, the more arrogant Otto became. ¡°I knew it! That brat had always been all talk and no show. He would never be able to stand up to the challenge!¡± ¡°He only knows how to attack when someone¡¯s back is turned. He¡¯s evidently too much of a coward to fight. head¨Con. Guess that¡¯s the most people like him can ever achieve anyway.¡± Disdain took over the room instantly. Any surprise they¡¯d initially felt was soon reced by contempt. To them. Dustin¡¯s reluctance to rise to Otto¡¯s challenge was the greatest sign of his quilt. ¡°Look! The Harmons are here!¡± someone eximed out of nowhere. The rest of them followed the direction of their gaze, only to behold a group led by Natasha entering from the passageway on the left. The King of Kicks, Mr. Wangley, Stephan, Jessica, and Quentin, among others, were present as well. ¡°No way! I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d bring Mr. Chapman along today. Now that they did, they must be determined to win!¡± Otto¡¯s face was a picture of surprise when he caught sight of Stephan in the crowd. ¡°Who¡¯s Mr. Chapman? Is he a good fighter?¡± Julie asked tentatively. ¡°He is much more than that,¡± Otto began. ¡°Mr. Chapman is the best of the best. He¡¯s one of the best among The Hundred Immortals¨Cskill¨Cwise, it¡¯s hard to find someone in Swinton who can rival his abilities!¡± ¡°The best among The Hundred Immortals? No wonder his aura stands out! The way he carries himself is truly remarkable.¡± A group of disciples watched Stephan make his entrance fervently, their eyes gleaming with respect. After all, anyone who could make it into The Hundred Immortals demanded every shred of respect they could possibly offer. Otto, do you know Mr. Chapman?¡± Julie asked with interest. It was, undoubtedly, an honor to be acquainted with such a renowned master of martial arts in Swinton. ¡°Do I know him? I don¡¯t just know him¨CI had the privilege to learn a few tricks from him, and I¡¯m still reaping the benefits from his invaluable lessons today!¡± Otto¡¯s voice dripped with pride. ¡°Of course you did! To have learned from Mr. Chapman is such an incredible achievement in itself. I envy you!¡± ¡°No wonder you fight so well, Otto. The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, indeed!¡± The praisesvished upon him made Otto feel rather high and mighty. As they were still engaged in conversation, Stephan walked over suddenly. ¡°Otto! Herees Mr. Chapman! He seems to be walking toward you!¡± Julie said with excitement. ¡°Quick! Prepare to wee Mr. Chapman properly!¡± Otto¡¯s face lit up. He adjusted his clothes hastily and went up to Stephan with the rest of his followers. ¡°Mr. Chap-¡± he began fawningly. Unexpectedly, Stephan barely spared him a single nce. Instead, he sidestepped him and, under the watchful and somewhat astonished gaze of the bewildered group, the renowned master walked up to Dustin, raised his arms in the universal gesture of respect, and intoned gravely, ¡°Greetings, Mr. Rhys-¡° Chapter 235 ¡°Mr. Rhys?¡± Otto and hispany were entirely dumbfounded by Stephan¡¯s disy of respect toward Dustin. Never in their wildest dreams had they ever anticipated the renowned Mr. Chapman to havee forward specifically for Dustin, let alone greet him with such reverence.. What was happening? ¡°Mr. Chapman, it¡¯s been a while. Your abilities seem to have improved.¡± A quick nce from Dustin drew his attention to the differences he spotted in the other man almost at once. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the Gemiphen you gave me, of course. Not only did it heal my internal injuries, it gave me ample power to have a small breakthrough.¡± Stephan¡¯s face was filled with gratitude. ¡°Really? I suppose congrattions are in order, then.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Rhys, where you¡¯re sitting now doesn¡¯t seem befitting for your status. How about we head over to the reserved seats for the Harmon family?¡± Stephan gestured with one hand, still courteous as ever. ¡°Very well. This ce is infested with flies anyway. I¡¯d rather sit amidst humans¨Cless tiresome.¡± Dustin nodded, not refusing the offer. Just as they prepared to leave, Otto couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Mr. Chapman-¡± ¡°What?¡± Stephan turned, his expression cold. The way he treated Otto was theplete opposite of when he¡¯d been conversing with Dustin earlier. ¡°Mr. Chapman, I¡¯m Otto Marsh. We met before, and you gave me a few pointers too.¡± Otto attempted to turn the situation in his favor. ¡°I¡¯ve given pointers to a lot of people. As for you¨CI have no recollection at all.¡± Stephan left after replying dismissively. Otto stood paralyzed, awkwardness creeping up his features. To have boasted for so long only to be brutally rejected was humiliating beyond words. ¡°Who¡¯s that little brat anyway? How could he turn out to be acquainted with Mr. Chapman?¡± someone asked. ¡°He looks like a pretty boy taken in by Ms. Harmon. If it hadn¡¯t been for his rtionship with the Harmons, Mr. Chapman would never stoop down to this level otherwise, let alone treat someone like him so respectfully!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Julie said indignantly. ¡°After all that fuss, he turns out to be nothing but a leech, basking in the glory of the Harmon family. To think that I, for a second, genuinely believed him to be someone important!¡± Otto released a sigh of relief, though his expression was contemptuous. There was no glory in depending on women to climb the ranks. A real man depended on no one else but himself and his own strength! ¡°Finally, Come sit.¡± As Natasha caught sight of Dustin, she immediately patted the seat next to herself, signaling for him to sit. Dustin didn¡¯t hesitate either. He gracefully took his seat and said, ¡°Boulderthorn is well¨Cprepared this time. I advise you to be more cautious.¡± Natasha had yet to reply when Quentin, who was sitting beside her, scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. With the King of Kicks on our side, victory is guaranteed to be ours!¡± ¡°If that is indeed the situation, I suppose it couldn¡¯t be more perfect, then.¡± Dustin smiled lightly and said no more. Amid the low hum of conversation, another group emerged from the right passageway. At their very front was a man about thirty years of age, d in white. The man¡¯s eyebrows were sharp, his demeanormanding along with those strongly piercing eyes. The crowd parted around him easily, allowing his presence to stand out with minimal effort. This man was the principal disciple of Mr. Williams, Maximus Kane. Behind him, Brody Williams and his tropes followed as well. As soon as the two sides met, tensions rose immediately. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I admire your courage to rise to my challenge, but today, victory belongs to none other than Boulderthorn!¡± Brody was the first to speak.. ¡°Words are futile. Prove it to me with your actions if you really believe so.¡± Natasha returned indifferently. ¡°I will! Today¡¯s fight will be something else¨Cthere shall be no limits on the number of rounds and participants. Thest person standing in the battle ring is the victor. How does that sound?¡± ¡°I have no objections to that.¡± Natasha nodded. In order to make it count, they had to make the other party submit to them wholeheartedly. Upon reaching an agreement, both sides began their preparations. Shortly after, the first matchmenced. Boulderthorn was the first to mount the ring. Their first contestant was an exceedingly heavyset beast of a man. Every step he took sent shudders down the loosely¨Changing flesh on his body. The sight of him was ratherical, to say the least. When he climbed up the battle ring and took his position, he even held the leg of roasted mutton in one hand. his teeth tearing into the meat voraciously. Chapter 236 ¡°What¡¯s going on with Boulderthorn? Why would they send that chunkster on stage? With his physique, he¡¯ll be out of breath after taking just a few steps¨Ccan he even handle the Battle Royale?¡± Quentin scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the opponent. Since Boulderthom dares send him into the ring, he must have some extraordinary qualities that could potentially push the tide in their favor. Which one of you wants to go first?¡± Natasha asked the three of them. ¡°Ms. Harmon, let me handle the first round.¡± Stephan stood and strode into the battle ring. Among the three of them, his strength appeared to be the weakest. Because of that, it was only natural that he took the lead. After all, if he could secure their victory in the first match, he might as well have laid the foundation for their eventual win, ¡°Dustin, who do you think would win? Ruth asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell. The chunkster looks peculiar enough, but if Mr. Chapman can find his weaknesses and attack. focally, he might still stand a chance.¡± Dustin analyzed. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s so close¨Cminded!¡± Quentin pursed his lips. ¡°What right does he have to fight against Mr. Chapman? A few rounds of simply running around, and he¡¯ll be as good as dead!¡± Dustin did not argue against that. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the battle ring, seemingly deep in thought. Meanwhile, in the battle ring, both parties prepared themselves as the referee mounted the stage. ¡°There are no rules in this ring. Live or die¨Cthat¡¯s on you. Surrendering, severe injuries, death, or being thrown out of the ring will result in a loss of said round. Do the both of you understand?¡± The referee threw his hands down as soon as the two contestants nodded. ¡°Let the games begin!¡± With a frenzied shout, the atmosphere around the ring instantly surged to a new peak. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard about the many talents cultivated under the lead of Mr. Williams. I¡¯m honored to be able to witness them with my own eyes today!¡± After a firm salute, Stephan took a step forward andunched his first attack. The strategy he elected was to take control of the fight and exhaust his opponent. As the man¡¯s physique was beyond massive, his strength was apparent. Direct attacks were not a smart option if he wanted tost in the ring. To be on the safe side, he had to fully leverage the advantages of his lightweight body and the subsequent agileness it inevitably brought him. Stephan inched closer toward his opponent but did notunch a frontal attack. Instead, he rounded to t back of the chunkster and pped him on the back. The A crisp p rang out, but the chunkster stood unmoving. Throughout his body, his flesh rippled and trembled shudderingly. The force brought down by Stephan¡¯s palm had beenpletely dissipated by the violent Chapter 2.36 shudders of flesh, leaving the manpletely unaffected by its magnitude. ¡°So, this is what it is then?¡± Stephan¡¯s gaze narrowed, but he didn¡¯t stop. He delivered two more sharp, consecutive ps¨Cone to the chunkster¡¯s waist, the other to his back. Both of themnded on spots that should¡¯ve been vulnerable had it not been for the protection of his voluminous flesh and body fat that shielded him from even remotely sensing the impact of Stephan¡¯s punches. Contrary to what Stephan expected, his opponent paid him no heed despite his efforts to garner his attention. From the start, he simply chewed on the roasted mutton leg he held in one hand,pletely disregarding Stephan¡¯s presence. Stephan was beginning to get mad. His palms transformed into brutal fists that pounded wildly from top to bottom in rapid session. The series of punches heunched after that was almost crazed and merciless. and yet the chunkster continued devouring the mutton leg with the fervor of a famished man. Stephan¡¯s pride, having suffered the fall it did, transmuted into wild fury. As his rage suffused him, he delivered a swift kick to the mutton in the chunkster¡¯s hands and watched with satisfaction as the man turned to him. stunned at first. Then, a roar followed as he charged toward Stephan with astonishing speed, his actions reminiscent of a distraught bear. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. A moment of carelessness had him colliding head¨Con with the chunkster¡¯s advance¨Chis body air¨C bound the next moment and his gut churning. Midair, the chunkster¡¯s head struck him squarely in the chest, sending him flying even further, a mouthful of bright¨Cred blood spilling from his lips. Before he knew it, he was already on the ground, thrown out of the battle ring before he¡¯d even gotten the chance to retaliate. Chapter 237 ¡°How could this happen? Mr. Chapman lost?¡± Quentin¡¯s face was ck with shock as he beheld Stephan¡¯s injuries and the blood he was still coughing up as a result of the man¡¯s attack. He¡¯d never anticipated the strength the chunkster had shown¨Cnot even Mr. Chapman could rival that kind of power. ¡°Who is that chunkster? Not even Mr. Chapman could break through his defenses- Natasha¡¯s face grew serious. She was well aware of the extent of Stephan¡¯s capabilities. He was a martial artist who specialized in harnessing the body¡¯s internal energy, and his punches were enough to break through store. And yet, for someone of his expertise to have not been able to impact the other man in the slightest¨Cit was evident that his opponent would not be easily defeated by ordinary means alone. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s Mr. Williams¡® second disciple. They call him Rotund Tiger.¡± Mr. Wangley stroked his beard and said nonchntly. ¡°This person might seem simple¨Cminded, but the talent he possesses when ites to martial arts is extraordinary. His body is capable of both attack and defense- it¡¯s tough yet flexible. It¡¯s very difficult for someone unfamiliar with his fighting style to take him on sessfully.¡± ¡°Mr. Wangley, can you take him on?¡± Natasha asked in return. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee a win, but I think I have an eighty to ny percent chance of holding my own against him.¡± Mr. Wangley¡¯s tone was proud. ¡°Good. Please do your best then, Mr. Wangley.¡± Natasha nodded imperceptibly. ¡°Mr. Wangley, the man¡¯s weakness lies on the crown of his head. If you time your attacks well and seize the opportunity when it presents itself, you might be able to take him down in one strike!¡± Dustin spoke up suddenly. It¡¯d only taken him a single round to discern the opponent¡¯s vulnerable spots. If they wanted to win, it was crucial to strike where the opponent was the weakest¨Cnot only would that ensure an easy win, but it would also further guarantee their overall victory. ¡°What? Are you trying to tell me what to do?¡± Mr. Wangley peered at Dustin out of the corner of his eye, his tone displeased. ¡°I¡¯m just offering a friendly reminder.¡± ¡°A reminder? Do I look like I need your reminders? Mr. Wangley sneered. ¡°Who do you think you are, boy? What right do you have to tell me how to take this man down? Do you think you¡¯re stronger than me?¡± ¡°Dustin! Shut your mouth if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Does Mr. Wangley look like he needs your advice to win? Really, it¡¯s about time someone put you in your ce for a change!¡± Quentin was equally impatient. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, it¡¯s your call. Forget it, then.¡± Dustin shrugged. There was no point in trying to reason with them anyway. He¡¯d only thought to offer a suggestion out of pure goodwill. Since none of them appreciated it, he wouldn¡¯t scramble to make them listen, either. ¡®Little brat! Keep your eyes wide open and look at how it really is done!¡± Mr. Wangley turned and sprang away. leaving Dustin with those words. The older man scared into the battle ring like a proud eagle,nding steadily amid the feverish apuse from the audience. Someone whistled, raucous cheers erupting all over in response to Mr. Wangley¡¯s elegant move. The chunkster, however, paid him no attention. He picked up the fallen mutton leg and continued devouring it vehemently. ¡°Young man, that Adamantine Shield of yours is undeniably impressive, but unfortunately, you¡¯re faced with me tonight. It is only fate for you to end up as my stepping stone!¡± Mr. Wangley ced both hands behind his back, arrogance permeating his features. ¡°Chunkster! Knock this old man out of the ring, and I¡¯ll treat you to a whole roastedmb in return!¡± Brody shouted from the audience. ¡°Lamb¡­mb!¡± The chunkster¡¯s eyes lit up as he turned to Mr. Wangley. At present, it was not a renowned fighter who stood. before him but the promise of a fragrant, whole roastedmb. ¡°Defeat you eatmb!¡± He struggled to utter a few words from his limited vocabry beforeunching his first attack. With a stomp, the chunkster charged toward Mr. Wangley like the sputtering engine of a car, violently aiming for a collision. ¡°Ineffectual amateur!¡± Mr. Wangley flexed his soles and sprang,nding not a momentter on the chunkster¡¯s back. Then, without pausing, he extended his fingers and struck the pressure points present on the chunkster¡¯s back relentlessly. The chunkster stumbled along with Mr. Wangley¡¯s momentum. He swayed, seconds away from losing his bnce. ¡°Lamb! Meat!¡± The chunkster was growing impatient now. His assault became crazed and frantic, but Mr. Wangley was smart enough not to meet them head¨Con. Instead, he ducked agilely,unching a few sneak attacks here and there as he egged his opponent on. When it came to manipting the pressure points of his opponent to turn the situation in his favor, he was, no doubt, an expert. He believed that no matter how strong the chunkster¡¯s defenses were, he could effectively target his pressure points and bring him down, once and for all! At the end of the day, those were the points he believed to be the chunkster¡¯s weaknesses. His idea was undeniably a good one, but as time passed, Mr. Wangley couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was off. Because of the chunkster¡¯s build, his delenses were different from the patterns exhibited by the usual adamantine shields wielded by the opponents he¡¯d faced in the past. Thet on his body was key in dissipating the impact of his attempted attacks. As for the pressure points he¡¯d been targeting all this while, they only proved to be mildly effective for a short period of time before fully W recovering shortly after, rendering most of his strikes ineffective. After their long¨Cwithstanding struggle, the chunkster appeared to be spirited while Mr. Wangley seemed more out of breath than ever. The consumption of energy after channeling the internal energy he possessed drained him to the core. ¡°This is impossible!¡± Mr. Wangley eximed inwardly, his brow knitted. The chunkster¡¯s appearance was unremarkable, but he was extremely tenacious. ¡°Mr. Wangley! Try targeting the crown of his head! That¡¯s where his weakness lies!¡± Natasha¡¯s voice rang out from the audience. No one believed Dustin but her. ¡°That brat speaks nothing but nonsense! He¡¯s just trying to disrupt the state of my mind!¡± Mr. Wangley¡¯s expression was icy. Not even he could identify the chunkster¡¯s weaknesses, let alone someone whose name he hadn¡¯t even heard of in his entire life. He was not about to believe his words just like that. ¡°I need to finish this soon! And quickly!¡± His stamina was swiftly waning, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time. Mr. Wangley threw himself forward boldly, targeting a punch toward the chunkster¡¯s throat. That area had the least amount of flesh¨Cit must be his opponent¡¯s weakest spot. If itnded where he intended to, the subsequent effects would be extraordinary. ¡°Gotcha!¡± The chunkster grinned as he grabbed ahold of Mr. Wangley¡¯s wrist. ¡°Shit-¡°Mr. Wangley¡¯s expression changed as the magnitude of the situation he was caught in dawned upon him. He was about to pull back, only to realize he couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°Up you go!¡± The chunkster bellowed and tossed Mr. Wangley up in the air, spinning him around. About ten rounds or soter, he swatted the old man like a fly and sent him crashing to the ground. A loud boom reverberated around the arena, shaking it momentarily. Mr. Wangley coughed up blood as he convulsed on the ground before stillingpletely. He was severely injured, rendered motionless by the impact of his fall. That plummet must have also broken a great number of his bones. ¡°Mr. Wangley!¡± Quentin stood up immediately. Shock and, inexplicably, fear had taken hold of his features. When he¡¯d watched Mr. Wangley¡¯s attempts to take control of the situation earlier, he thought victory was theirs at longst. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine the tides to turn on them. ¡°Quick! Get a doctor over here!¡± Natasha¡¯s expression was stem as she ordered someone to lift Mr. Wangley off the ground. ¡°Even Mr. Wangley lost to this chunkster, Could he actually be invincible?¡± Ruth¡¯s brows were perpetually furrowed, worry evident on her face. The situation was far from optimistic after losing two rounds in a row. ¡°Another great master from the Harmons has fallen. Looks like their loss today is inevitable! Otto shook his head. ¡°Exactly! Competing against Boulderthorn today was a surefire way to bring disgrace upon themselves. Not even the Harmons could emerge victorious against an opponent this powerful!¡± Julie grinned gleefully. After knowing that Dustin had connections with the Harmon family, she couldn¡¯t help but take pleasure in the misfortune of said family. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that.¡± Suddenly, a man spoke up from beside them. ¡°I heard the Harmons still have their biggest trump card to turn this around!¡± ¡°What trump card?¡± Otto asked tentatively. ¡°This trump card of theirs is none other than the warrior ranked ninth among the Hundred Immortals, the King of Kicks!¡± Chapter 238 ¡°The King of Kicks?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°The one ranked ninth on The Hundred Immortals?¡± Everyone looked astonished upon hearing the mention. They had clearly heard of the King of Kicks¨C those who ranked on The Hundred Immortals were extraordinary talents, not to mention the legends who made it into the top ten! A powerful man like the King of Kicks wouldmand respect anywhere he went. His presence at their unremarkable guild was akin to an attack from a higher level. Not even the Boulderthorn disciples could overshine him. ¡°Wow! I¡¯m surprised that the Harmons have hired the King of Kicks! They are indeed wealthy!¡± ¡°With the King of Kicks around, the Harmons are definitely winning the battle.¡± ¡°He can take on every single opponent at the scene with his capability!¡± After the initial shock, the spectators started to anticipate the fight. After today, they could boast that they had witnessed the King of Kicks in action. ¡°Ms. Harmon, your martial artists seem weak. Why don¡¯t you send the top gun?¡± Brody challenged her with a sneer. Winning two consecutive rounds boosted his confidence. ¡°Sir Cavaliere, I¡¯ll bank on you.¡± Natasha looked at the hawk¨Cnosed elder. ¡°Hmph! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to waste your time? What are those two good¨Cfor¨Cnothings doing here?¡± The man appeared disdainful. His remark upset Stephan and Mr. Wangley, who were being treated for their injuries on the side. Still, they dared not talk back to him. ¡°Sir Cavaliere, you¡¯re right. These two aren¡¯t at the same level as you. They¡¯re just here to fill up the quota,¡± Quentin quickly sucked up to the King of Kicks.. ¡°Please, Sir Cavaliere.¡± Natasha, refusing to engage in more talk, gestured toward the battle ring. ¡°Sure! Since I¡¯m paid to do this, I¡¯ll walk around the ring!¡± He smiled and marched right into the ring. His appearance led to a hugemotion among the audience. ¡°Fuck! It¡¯s truly the King of Kicks! Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected! The Harmons must have spent a fortune to get him here!¡± ¡°When you have one of the top ten from The Hundred Immortals in the ring, it¡¯s practically a massacre, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I thought the Harmons were going to lose! But the tables have turned!¡± The atmosphere in the guild reached a climax due to the presence of the King of Kicks. ¡°Although this has cost us a fortune, it is worth it solely for the shock factor. The corner of Jessica¡¯s lips curled into a rare smile. ¡°That¡¯s true! Once the King of Kicks defeats the lineup from Mr. Williams¡® side, no one will look for trouble with us anymore!¡± Quentin concurred with a nod. ¡°Too bad the King of Kicks is an egotistical lone wolf. We can¡¯t work with him for long.¡± Natasha shook her head regretfully. ¡°Oh, what do you know? Legends are special and act in their own ways. That¡¯s why they¡¯re different from us!¡± Quentin sounded like a know¨Cit¨Call and was promptly ignored by Natasha. ¡°Silence!¡± The hawk¨Cnosed elder pressed on the floor of the ring. When the audience quieted, he announced, ¡°I have caught the flu and felt sick today. Therefore, I shall surrender and forfeit the battle today!¡± Chaos erupted among the audience. ¡°What? Is he surrendering?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! He¡¯s the King of Kicks and ninth on The Hundred Immortals. How could he give up because of flu?¡± ¡°Fuck! That¡¯s no surrender. He¡¯s doing it on purpose!¡± The audience was stunned and confused as they didn¡¯t expect the King of Kicks to act in such a way. After going into the ring, he surrendered before the battle. What was that? Was there some shady deal going on? ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did he surrender?¡± Jessica and her group exchanged astonished nces. The King of Kicks had received the payment but surrendered before he rendered his services. He had crossed a line! ¡°Did he switch sides at thest minute?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes, looking hostile. He had not expected the King of Kicks to pull off that trick. ¡°Sir Cavaliere! What was that?¡± Natasha shot up from her seat, looking frosty. The whole reason she epted the invitation to the battle was because she had him as an ace card. His unexpected behavior had messed up her ns. ¡°Ms. Harmon, you paid me to join the battle, but you did not specify that I have to win. Isn¡¯t it a normal thing to fall sick and give up on the battle?¡± He shed a half smile at her. *Sir! You are a respected senior in the martial arts world! Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯d be the butt of the jokes if you flip¨Cflopped on your promises?¡± Natasha chided him. ¡°The butt of jokes? I am an honorable and upright man. No one dares to joke about me.¡± His eyes swept across the area, and those who felt his gaze quickly lowered their heads in deference. ¡°Sir Cavaliere, I believe I have treated you generously. Why would you do this?¡± She furrowed her brow. At that moment, she was no longer oblivious to the fact that she had been fooled. The King of Kicks agreed to join the battle, only to surrender at a critical moment, catching her off¨Cguard. It was a cruel and raw betrayal! ¡°Ms. Harmon, I do not see the need to hide the truth from you.¡± The hawk¨Cnosed old man straightened his shirt and said to her, ¡°I y fair, and I work for the highest bidder. This time around, someone has offered me a higher price. So, I can¡¯t help you out. Of course, I can reconsider my decision if you¡¯re willing to bid for my service at a higher price.¡± ¡°Are you marking up the price now?¡± There was a wintry look in Natasha¡¯s attractive eyes. ¡°Since this is a transaction, it¡¯s only normal to mark up prices at thest minute.¡± He showed no guilt in his behavior. ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± She sneered, feeling aghast at the rotten character of the King of Kicks she had painstakingly hired. ¡°Ms. Harmon, if you refuse to offer a higher price, I shall leave the ring.¡± He looked like he was about to leave. ¡°Wait! We¡¯ll do it!¡± Jessica¡¯s face fell apart, and she immediately stopped him. If the King of Kicks surrendered, the Harmons would lose the battle without a doubt! They had to ept the fact, even if he had demanded more money at the eleventh hour. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your replyes toote.¡± He sneered at them and walked up to the Boulderthorn guild gang in front of everyone. The Harmons instantly paled upon witnessing that. Chapter 239 The Harmons were shocked that the handsomely¨Cpaid King of Kicks had tricked them instead of lending them a helping hand. At that moment, they were lost and helpless. Meanwhile, the Boulderthorn guild was all smiles, a stark contrast to the anger and indignation on the Harmons¡® end. ¡°Hahaha Ms. Harmon, your family has lost three rounds. Anyone else wants to get into the ring? If not, we¡¯ll dere victory!¡± Brodyughed insolently. Very few knew the fact that the King of Kicks was a good friend of Mr. Williams. The betrayal was part of his n as well. That would force the Harmons into a corner! ¡°Oh no! Are the Harmons leaving in defeat?¡± ¡°I was looking forward to a great battle tonight. Who knew we¡¯d witness such a botched situation!¡± ¡°At the end of the day, the Harmons have fallen into a trap. The King of Kicks that they wasted the effort on recruiting turns out to be a rat from the Boulderthorn guild!¡± ¡°Might is right! There¡¯s no point arguing over this. The Harmons are destined to lose!¡± There was a lot of gossip surrounding the sharp turn of events. People were shocked and sympathetic; some were even gleeful at the disaster. ¡°Natasha, your King of Kicks is a sham! What do we do now? Do we take the defeat?¡± Quentin put on an odd and critical look.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Natasha bit her lips but said nothing. The situation had unfolded beyond her control, and she wondered if there was anyone who could save the day. ¡°Ms. Harmon, is anyone from your side going into the ring? Just admit defeat if you have no one else to send. Stop wasting time,¡± Brody challenged her again. ¡°Yeah! Just admit defeat! Don¡¯t waste our time!¡± Those from the Boulderthorn guild chanted, and the Harmons had nothing to say in return, only upset looks on their faces. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± A voice boomed and echoed in the guild. Everyone looked at the handsome man who emerged from the crowd. It was Dustin Rhys! ¡°Huh?¡± The audience standing beside him was puzzled. ¡°Rhys! Are you kidding? The audacity to join the battle!¡± Quentin was taken aback before sniggering as he gave Dustin a look of disbelief. ¡°Dustin, stop fooling around! Even Mr. Wangsley and the rest were no match for the Boulderthorn guild. What can you do up there? Losing your life?¡± Jessica rebuked, but she was more concerned about the reputation of the Harmons than Dustin¡¯s safety. If he lost the battle, the Harmon family¡¯s reputation would suffer. ¡°Dustin, you don¡¯t have to take the risk. If they want our stocks, we¡¯ll give it to them.¡± Natasha was worried for her man. No amount of stocks or benefits was worth risking his life lor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He smiled. ¡°I will not offer them our stocks, and I¡¯ll save our reputation!¡± With that, he marched into the ring. He wasn¡¯t nning on getting involved, but he was forced to do so after the King of Kicks switched sides at thest minute. ¡°Sis, do you not want to stop him?¡± Ruth was a little concerned. ¡°He¡¯s not a reckless man. If he¡¯s fine with joining the battle, he must be confident in his chances of winning.¡± Natasha put on a brave face, but her eyes betrayed her worry. However, she had no choice but to trust him unconditionally in such a critical time. ¡°Kiddo, you must be on a suicide mission! How dare youe into the ring?¡± Brodyughed like a maniac and stared at Dustin like he was looking at a dead man. He had been thinking hard about getting revenge against Dustin, but Dustin made it easy for him. ¡°Who is that?¡± Maximus questioned. ¡°Max, that¡¯s the inventor of Immortunol. He was the one who pped me this morning.¡± Brody exined. Chapter 240 ¡°Oh, it¡¯s him.¡± Maximus smiled coolly. ¡°It¡¯s really gutsy of a physician to join the battle. Looks like the Harmons have run out of candidates.¡± Dustin¡¯s appearance came as a shock to the members of the Boulderthorn guild as well as Julie and her group. ¡°Is he crazy? He can¡¯t even beat me. What makes him think he¡¯s capable of fighting the Boulderthorn masters? to Marsh was dumbfounded by Dustin¡¯s decision. Even Mr. Chapman was beaten to a pulp in the ring. Where did a weakling like Dustin get the courage to enter the ring? ¡°Hmph! He still wants to show off at this point in time. That¡¯s just courting death.¡± Julie chuckled gleefully. She looked forward to Dustin being beaten up badly onstage. ¡°You¡¯re damn right! Even Otto knows better than to show off at this serious event. That dude is on a suicide mission!¡± The group of youngsters scoffed at Dustin, whom they believed was an attention¨C seeker. An average person should never get involved in the battle of the masters, for a tiny slip¨Cup could cost one¡¯s life. ¡°Young man, are you sure you¡¯d like to fight on behalf of the Harmon family? The hawk¨Cnosed elder suddenly questioned in a threatening voice. Everyone in the guild could hear him well, even though he wasn¡¯t speaking loudly. The elder had made it clear that anyone who represented the Harmons would be his enemy. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m not as shameless as those who took the money but refused to make good on their promise and even stabbed others in the back!¡± Dustin taunted him mercilessly. ¡°Even dogs are thankful to the hand that feeds them. I guess that somebody is worse than an animal.¡± The audience gasped and murmured upon hearing the remark. They were already startled when Dustin went on the stage, but they were once again shocked by his audacity to mock the King of Kicks in public. Was Dustin Rhys ying with fire? ¡°You punk! Do you even hear what you¡¯re saying?¡± The old man¡¯s expression crumbled. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t stand being criticized for your actions? You¡¯re just a greedy, dishonest, and ungrateful bastard, aren¡¯t you?¡± Dustin jeered at him. ¡°You have a death wish!¡± The old man stared coldly at Dustin, but he was stopped by Maximus before he could make a move. ¡°Sir Cavaliere, we cannot break the rules of the battle. You should leave any personal grudges for post¨Cbattle.¡± ¡°You punk! I sure hope you survive!¡± The hawk¨Cnosed old man scoffed and begrudgingly took his seat. ¡°Sir Cavaliere, calm down. That punk is certainly going to be dead today.¡± Brody cackled and yelled in the direction of the ring. ¡°Chunkster, smash him! I¡¯ll give you two more mutton legs if you cripple him!¡± ¡°Mutton leg! Mutton leg!¡± Chunkster giggled, his eyes shining bright when he stared at Dustin, Before the referee even officiated the match, he had hurled himself toward Dustin at high speed and with explosive energy like an invincible human tank. Compared to Chunkster, Dustin was as thin as a rail. ¡°That punk is going to die! Not even Mr. Chapman could beat Chunkster. Dustin Rhys is going to be minced meat in the ring.¡± Otto chuckled with anticipation. ¡°He deserves it for being a show¨Coff.¡± Julie crossed her arms on her chest and waited for ill fate to befall Dustin. Just when everyone thought that it was a David and Goliath battle with a clear winner, Dustin suddenly made a move. He kicked against the ground andunched himself forward like an agile serpent. When he was near Chunkster, ne quickly leaped into the air, tapping his index and middle fingers on the Meridian point on top of Chunkster¡¯s head with precision. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. With a grunt. Chunkster immediately cked out in the ring. Due to the momentum, his ball¨Clike figure elerated for a good ten feet beforeing to a stop and dropping off the tform with a thud. The audience watched on, their jaws dropping on the floor. Chapter 241 ¡°What the fuck? Has the battle ended?¡± The audience in the guild stared at Chunkster, who was lying t on the ground lifelessly. They looked at each other in disbelief. At first, they thought that Dustin would never win, but the battle ended with a huge twist. More importantly, Dustin had only made one move throughout the battle, which was terrifying, to say the least. ¡°Fuck! That dude won? What happened?¡± Otto¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked incredulous. Dustin Rhys beat Chunkster, who had defeated Mr. Chapman. Would that mean Dustin was more powerful than Mr. Chapman? ¡°I¨Cimpossible! That guy must have pulled some tricks. Why else could he win without breaking a sweat?¡± Julie vehemently shook her head, refusing to ept the oue. ¡°What happened just now? Why did Chunkster copse after the touch?¡± Brody was confounded. Chuckster¡¯s defense should have been imprable for most, except for Maximus and the King of Kicks. What trick did Dustin pull to win? ¡°He¡¯s quite something. He found Chunkster¡¯s weakness in no time.¡± Maximus narrowed his eyes and appeared quite taken aback. The others might be oblivious to the strategy behind the move, but Maximus knew that Dustin had found Chunkster¡¯s weakness and focused his attack on it, which resulted in the surprise victory. ¡°No wonder he was so confident. He came prepared.¡± The hawk¨Cnosed old man scoffed. He would have acknowledged Dustin¡¯s talent if thetter had taken down the opponent with his skills, but the trick that Dustin pulled was cowardly. ¡°Hahaha! He won! Dustin, you¡¯re awesome!¡± After oveing the shock, Ruth jumped up and down with joy. ¡°What¡¯s so great about it? He had to thank Mr. Wangley and Mr. Chapman for exhausting Chunkster. He wouldn¡¯t have taken advantage of Chunkster otherwise.¡± Quentin was a little jealous about Dustin¡¯s win. In his opinion, Dustin merely beat the opponent due to luck. ¡°Mr. Wangley, Mr. Rhys was right. Chunkster¡¯s weakness is on the top of his head.¡± Stephan, who was being. treated for his injury, shot a nce at Mr. Wangley, who seemed embarrassed and quiet. The unexpected victory set the crowd aze. Most were confused and doubtful about Dustin¡¯s move, but he proved that the Harmons still had a chance to fight and win. ¡°Is that all the Boulderthorn disciples have to show?¡± Dustin stood boastfully in the ring with a disdainful smile on his lips. ¡°That insolent bastard!¡± ¡°How dare you? ¡°This is too much!¡± Upon hearing the insult, the Boulderthorn gang stood up in rage. Anyone who looked down on their guild would be ying with fire! ¡°You punk! You¡¯d better tone down your ego!¡± Brody angrily pped the table and shot up, ¡°Quit the nonsense. If you can, take me on.¡± Dustin was as calm as ever as he looked down upon those beneath him. Right then, the hawk¨Cnosed elder suddenly cackled menacingly. ¡°Kiddo, did you really think you could show off a couple of amateur moves over here?¡± ¡°If you do not believe me,e try it out for yourself.¡± Dustin wiggled his fingers at the old man provocatively. ¡°Great! If death is what you¡¯re after, I shall grant your wish.¡± The old man finally lost it and walked up to the ring. At the sight, everyone at the scene cheered enthusiastically. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Great! The King of Kicks finally joins the battle!¡± ¡°How dare that dude challenge the King of Kicks? He doesn¡¯t know his limits.¡± ¡°Either way. he¡¯s going to lose. At least he¡¯d lose with glory if he is defeated by the King of Kicks.¡± ¡°Hmph! The King of Kicks is known to be violent. He wouldn¡¯t go easy on that kid.¡± The crowd was murmuring about the scene in the ring. Otto snickered. ¡°Well, at least the punk will die an honorable death in the hands of the King of Kicks!¡± ¡°He¡¯s too reckless! Did he think he could call the shots after his one lucky victory? Facing off the King of Kicks is the same as staring at death!¡± Julie couldn¡¯t resist the touch of schadenfreude. But she admitted that Dustin had given her many surprises. At the end of the day, she believed that he wouldn¡¯t escape his fate of being butchered. ¡°That old fart is utterly despicable! When he was repping the Harmons, he immediately ceded the fight. Now, he¡¯s fighting against us. He¡¯s the ultimate definition of shameless!¡± Ruth was irritated. Just when there was a sliver of hope for the Harmons, the King of Kicks showed up to give them a blow. It was disgusting. ¡°There¡¯s no point talking about that. Let¡¯s think about what we¡¯re going to do after the loss.¡± Quentin shook his head. He obviously decided that Dustin would be defeated. ¡°Hey, little punk! I¡¯ll give you a chance to live. If you bow to me here, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡± the King of Kicks announced evilly in the ring. ¡°Bow to you? Are you asking me to bow to a filthy animal? You don¡¯t deserve that.¡± Dustin chortled. ¡°You¡¯re a brave one. I bet you¡¯ll only regret it when you¡¯re staring at death!¡± Looking offended, the old man took one step after another toward Dustin with an imposing air. An average martial artist would have cowered under the pressure, but Dustin stood firmly on the ground. unaffected. ¡°To avoid usations of bullying the young, I shall only make three moves on you. If you sessfully block all the attacks, I¡¯ll consider you victorious,¡± the old man said coldly. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Dustin gestured at him. ¡°The first kick is to destroy your core!¡± After snorting, the old man suddenlyunched the first kick. He propelled himself like an arrow projecting from the bow. He was moving at an unbelievably high speed that the crowd could not make out his figure. Chanter 241 When the old man was near enough, he quickly gave Dustin a kick in the abdomen. The strength of the kick wasparable to the destructiveness of a bullet. It was so powerful that it could make a hole in a metal board, not to mention destroying a human. Seeing that, Custin merely smiled and swayed aside, narrowly avoiding the attack. ¡°Hmm?¡± When the kick didn¡¯tnd, the old man looked quite perplexed. He had applied only half of his full. strength in the first kick, which made it impossible to dodge. ¡°He is something No wonder he¡¯s so bold.¡± The old man scrunched his eyes and scoffed. ¡°But that¡¯s the end of it!¡± ¡ª With that, he moved across the ring again,unching his second kick with 80% of his full strength, aiming at Dustin¡¯s head this time. He was confident that Dustin would be annihted after being struck. A figure shed across the ring quickly. Like an apparition, Dustin twisted his body and narrowly escaped the second kick. ¡°Why? Are you starving? Why are you moving so slowly?¡± Dustin jeered at him as though he was staring at a clown. His disdainful gaze hadpletely infuriated the old man. Chapter 242 ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Incensed, the King of Kicks finally decided to give it his all. He leaped into the air and served multiple flying kicks as hended in Dustin¡¯s direction. This time, he did not only attack Dustin point¨Cto¨Cpoint¨Che was undiscerning in his moves, offering no escape for his opponent. ¡°You punk! Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to dodge this!¡± Heughed maniacally as the number of kicks increased and covered a wider scope. Dustin, who was targeted, stood there without fear. ¡°It¡¯s clear who¡¯s the winner here.¡± Maximus shook his head and stood up to leave. He was initially surprised by Dustin¡¯s agility, but even that was no match for the King of Kicks. No level of agility could save the young man from the indiscriminate attacks by the King of Kicks. In the face of actual talent, Dustin¡¯s tricks would be of no use. All of a sudden, they heard a deafening explosion from the ring. The kicking legs in the air were nowhere to be seen. Instead, The King of Kicks stopped his leg right by Dustin¡¯s ear, but it wasn¡¯t an attempt to show mercy to Dustin. Unfortunately, his shin was locked in Dustin¡¯s grip, immobilizing him. ¡°Did I ever say I¡¯d dodge your attacks?¡± Dustin grinned as he grabbed the leg of the King of Kicks. ¡°Did he block the kick?¡± Maximus, who was ready to leave, stood still, looking astonished. Not even he would think of blocking a full¨Cstrength attack from the King of Kicks, but Dustin seemed to have grabbed the opponent¡¯s leg with much ease. Maximus wondered what had happened. Was the King of Kicks conserving his energy on purpose, or did he underestimate Dustin¡¯s capability? ¡°H¨Chow is that possible? How did you block that move?¡± The old man widened his eyes in utter disbelief. knowing he had not held back on the attack. Even though the kick wasn¡¯t his most fatal move, it was more than enough to fight against most martial artists in the field. Therefore, he was shocked to see Dustin holding his powerful leg with one hand. It was too eerie a scene to make sense of. ¡°Is there even anything great about that kick of yours? It¡¯s so weak that even a three¨Cyear¨Cold could block it,¡± Dustin remarked, looking unbothered. ¡°Nonsense!¡± The old man was a ball of rage as he leaped into the air and struck again with an earth- shattering force. ¡°Hey! You used up your three moves! You lost!¡± Ruth yelled at the old man, but he ignored her reminder and capitalized on the force of gravity to strike Dustin on the head. This time, he was confident that Dustin wouldn¡¯t be able to fend it off. ¡°You never learn, do you?¡± Dustin snorted and lifted his arm to block the kick without as much as moving aside. The collision between the leg and arm resulted in an explosive sound. An invisible st wave spread across the space from the core of the collision while strong gusts of winds roared. Dustin stood on the ground without moving an inch. He looked poised and unhurt, but multiple cracks had formed underneath his feet. On the other hand, the old man had ced one leg on Dustin¡¯s arm as he mustered up all his energy in an attempt to press his opponent onto the ground. No matter how much force he exerted, Dustin¡¯s arm remained motionless, like it was made of metal. ¡°Is that all?¡± Dustin raised a brow, looking disdainful. ¡°Is that all the King of Kicks have to show?¡± ¡°No! This can¡¯t be! How could you possibly block that attack? You aren¡¯t even tanked on The Hundred Immortals!¡± The old man had shock written all across hisce. He was sure that Dustin wasn¡¯t ranked because he had fought the top ten in the ranking. ¡°The Hundred Immortals?¡± Dustin chuckled and whispered, ¡°Let me tell you a secret: I made it to The Heavenly Immortals ten years ago.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Immortals?¡± The old man was stunned by the revtion. The Heavenly Immortals were levels above The Hundred Immortals, and those ranked on that list were the creme de creme. It sounded impossible that a twenty¨Csomething like Dustin managed to make it to that list. One must know that the martial artists who made it to The Heavenly Immortals were the ones who achieved divinity, at the very least! ¡°No! Impossible! You must be bluffing!¡± The old man refused to believe Dustin¡¯s words. It was rare to run into martial artists ranked on The Heavenly Immortals, and a ranked martial artist wouldn¡¯t have lived in a small town like Swinton, to begin with. ¡°Look out for my Phoenix Kick!¡± The old man put a distance between them, followed by kicking himself off the ground andunching himself into the air. Through consecutive kicks that morphed into shadows, he initiated a crazed attack on Dustin. ¡°All show and no go!¡± Dustin scoffed at the move and sent a punch into the sole of the old man¡¯s fool. Following another explosive sound, the old man was sent flying across the air like a ser ball. With another thud, he copsed underneath the ring, bleeding from the orifices on his face and suffering from fractures in his legs. The crowd went dead silent at the sight of the lifeless King of Kicks on the ground. People were gaping with rmed looks. They could not believe that the King of Kicks, from the top ten of The Hundred Immortals, had lost a battle in record time and without warning. Some of the spectators had not even recovered from the blow. More importantly, Dustin seemed to have attacked only once throughout the fight, apart from all the defensive moves and the dodging. That was the scariest observation of the night. Had the crowd not witnessed it with their own eyes, they would have scoffed at the idea of the King of Kicks losing to an obscure young man. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Has the King of Kicks lost?¡± Brody¡¯s mind went nk. He could notprehend the situation and even went as far as to suspect the King of Kicks of staging the loss. ¡°My lord! Where did that guye from?¡± Otto swallowed hard as his disrespect for Dustin was reced by shock and fear, Dustin defeating the King of Kicks was a testament to his capability. At the thought of his previous provocations toward Dustin, Otto suddenly felt a prick of fear. Thankfully, Dustin did not take the remarks too seriously. Else, Otto might have ended up as dead meat. ¡°Im ¡ª impossible!¡± He¡¯s just a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing! Since when has he be a master? Julie was both dumbstruck and doubtful. She refused to believe that Dustin was capable of such powerful moves. The only possible exnation was that the two men in the ring were putting on a show. The King of Kicks must have been bribed by Dustin and yed out his part as the loser. Right! That must be it! ¡°Haha! He won! We won!¡± Ruth squealed in excitement and showed off to the others, ¡°See that? That¡¯s my brother¨Cinw in the ring! Isn¡¯t he amazing?¡± ¡°Wait, he won? How did he do it? Quentin stared on, eyes widened into saucers. ¡°Never have I thought that he was a hidden talent. Since he¡¯s beaten the King of Kicks, I believe he is capable of being ranked within the top eight in The Hundred Immortals, Jessica mused. She admitted that she had missed the unpolished gem. Dustin Rhys was more remarkable than she had assumed. ¡°He¡¯s my man! So impressive!¡± Natasha¡¯s lips curled into a dazzling smile. Her lovely eyes were filled with affection. Curiosity grew in her¨Cshe started wondering about Dustin¡¯s real identity. Chapter 243 In the ring. Dustin stood tall with hands behind his back, exuding an imposing and majestic air. He no longer hid his talents and shone from the full disy of his powers. No one dared to meet his eyes. The fact that he had defeated the King of Kicks with one move made everyone look at him with awe. ¡°Surprising! The Harmons have an ace under their wings.¡± Maximus narrowed his eyes, putting on a serious face. Dustin had won his respect through the disy of strength. Not even Maximus could easily beat the King of Kicks with bare hands. ¡°Weakling!¡± Dustin dusted and straightened his sleeve. Then, he coolly announced, ¡°Next?¡± The Boulderthorn disciples exchanged furtive nces. They knew they weren¡¯t Dustin¡¯s match, especially after Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. he had defeated the King of Kicks. ¡°Max, what do we do? That punk is wild!¡± Feeling aggrieved, Brody clenched his jaws. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to go.¡± Maximus stood up slowly, his eyes shining with excitement. He had shown up to the battle as the ace and wasn¡¯t originally nning to fight. In his eyes, the battle was child¡¯s y and offered. no challenge. However, Dustin¡¯s presence shocked him and introduced some excitement. Maximus was not in the martial arts practice for fame or wealth: he was in search of excellence in swordsmanship. Every time he crossed paths with an ace, he would bebative. ¡°Max, he¡¯s quite strong. Are you confident in beating him?¡± Brody questioned cautiously. ¡°I am not his match if we fight bare¨Chanded, but I have full confidence if I fight him with a sword,¡± Maximus remarked mildly. ¡°Great! Max, give it your all! He¡¯s just trouble. We should get rid of him as soon as possible!¡± Brody sniggered with malice. Maximus was one of the rare talents in the art of swordsmanship, ranking sixth on The Hundred Immortals before reaching thirty years of age. He was levels above the King of Kicks and especially invincible when fighting with a sword. Once, Brody¡¯s father predicted that Maximus would achieve divinity within three years. By that time, Maximus would already make it to The Heavenly Immortals. ¡°What¡¯s up? Is there no one else from Boulderthorn?¡± Dustin scanned the space with a sharp re. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± Maximus leaped into the air, and when he was close tonding, he tapped the tip of his feet on the shoulder of a spectator before bouncing back up in the air with extreme nimbleness. His movements were fairy -like, making the group of women in the guild squeal in admiration, their eyes sparkling in awe. ¡°Wow! He¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°A young man who looks great in white¨Che¡¯s my type!¡± Not only was Maximus blessed with good looks and gentlemanly, but he also pulled off a spectacr entrance, giving off the impression of a young knight. ¡°Who are you?¡± Dustin scanned him from head to toe. ¡°I¡¯m Maximus Kane, one of Boulderthorn¡¯s disciples. I¡¯m here for the experience.¡± Maximus bowed at him politely. His self¨Cintroduction caused amotion within the guild. ¡°Maximus Kane? Isn¡¯t he ranked sixth on The Hundred Immortals?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s the famous ¡®Lightning de¡® in Balerno. I had the honor of witnessing him in action!¡± ¡°Oh, fuck! It¡¯s Maximus ¡®Lightning de¡® Kane! I heard that his sword moved as fast as lightning. He¡¯s never lost a battle ever since he gained his fame. This is going to be fun!¡± The crowd discussed Maximus with great interest, for Maximus was an ace ranked sixth on The Hundred Immortals, much stronger than the King of Kicks, who ranked ninth. The gap in their rankings was huge, even though they were three ces apart. It was hard to climb up in the ranking once a martial artist entered the top ten. The top five names in the ranking barely changed¨Cthey practically maintained the same ranking all year round. ¡°Ah, finally, a normal opponent.¡± Dustin looked amused and gestured, ¡°Please.¡± *Just a minute. Maximus said with seriousness. ¡°I¡¯m good at swordsmanship. Shall we change the battle into an armed fight?¡± ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t change the rules as you wish! We disagree with that!¡± Ruth instantly protested unhappily at the suggestion. Any sane person knew that a bare¨Chanded fight was totally different than fighting with weapons. An average man armed with a weapon could beat a group of opponents, not to mention that the person in question was Maximus ¡°Lightning de¡± Kane. ¡°Why? Are you afraid that he¡¯d lose to Max?¡± Brody jeered at her. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, just admit defeat right now! Stop wasting our time!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not! You guys are the ones who break the martial arts code! Ruth argued the facts. ¡°Nonsense! We never banned weapons from battles. Why don¡¯t you get Rhys to use a weapon too?¡® Brodyughed frostily. ¡°You-¡± Ruth choked in anger. ¡°Sure! Use a weapon if you¡¯d like. It doesn¡¯t make a difference.¡± Dustin was unconcerned and agreed to the change without fuss. A frustrated Ruth felt that his remarks went against all her effort to fight in his interest. ¡°Many thanks.¡± Maximus bowed again and drew his sword out of the sheath from the back. He even introduced it. ¡°My sword is three feet and six inches long. It is made from deep iron and has been my companion for five years. It is so solid that it prates almost everything!¡± ¡°Come at me.¡± Dustin waved. ¡°Where¡¯s y your weapon?¡± Maximus raised an eyebrow quizzically. ¡°My bare hands are my weapons.¡± Dustin answered. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Maximus narrowed his eyes, thinking that his opponent was capable but overconfident. Dustin would be humiliated if he wanted to block the sword attack with bare hands. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll give it to you if you manage to injure me.¡± Dustin waved at him once more. ¡°Come on!¡± ¡°Okay! Be my guest!¡± Without further ado, Maximus propelled himself forward with the unsheathed sword in hand. When he got closer to Dustin, he plunged his sword at the opponent, creating glimmers of metallic reflection and stirring gusts of wind in the quild. ¡°Great move!¡± Most of the martial artists eximed in astonishment, Maximus sword moved fast and was unusually sharp. It was hard to tell the sword from its shadows, hence it was hard to defend oneself. Even skillful martial artists at the same level dared not fight bare¨Charded against the sword. However, Dustin stood in the same spot and appeared as though he hadn¡¯t noticed the attack. ¡°That rascal is bold! Why isn¡¯t he dodging Maximus sword attack?¡± ¡®Did he think he¡¯s invincible after beating the King of Kicks? He has no idea how powerful Maximus is!¡± ¡°Right! There is a huge gap in capability between each member of the top ten of The Hundred Immortals! Looking down on Maximus is the same as digging your own grave!¡± Amid the murmurs, everyone heard a soft clunking sound as Maximus¡® sword came to a halt. The sharp de. came to a stop an inch before Dustin¡¯s throat, unable to move. When the crowd took a second look, their faces. turned white because they realized that Dustin had caught the sword between his two fingers. Chapter 244 ¡°Hmm?¡± Maximus¡¯s pupils dted. He didn¡¯t expect Dustin to grab his sword with bare fingers. It appeared that he had underestimated Dustin¡¯s sheer talent and confidence. Still, he was unflustered by the strength of his opponent. Quite the opposite¨Cthe stronger the opponent, the more excited he felt. He was getting more belligerent as a result. ¡°Return!¡± With the wave of a hand, Maximus called his sword back from Dustin¡¯s fingers. The sword came flying back like a serpent. ¡°Oh?¡± Dustin was rather surprised by the move. Although he had reined in his capabilities to match his opponent at the earthly level, he acknowledged Maximus¡® talent from how Maximus managed to free the weapon from his grip. ¡°Look out! I¡¯ll show you my Illusory Sword Technique!¡± Maximus dropped a reminder before waving his sword again. In one move, his sword split into hundreds and thousands of different swords. The gleaming des danced around, weaving a confusing web of swords within ten meters around them. The mind¨Cboggling amount of swords made it hard to discern the actual sword from the illusory ones. ¡°Wow! It is the Illusory Sword Technique! Looks like Maximus Kane is getting serious!¡± ¡°I heard that no one could fight off the Illusory Sword Technique. That punk is going to lose!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! kill him!¡± There was an uproar among the audience. Some were shocked, some were concerned, and some were merely adding insult to injury. Soon, Dustin vanished in the midst of the illusory swords in front of their eyes. He and Maximus were nowhere to be seen, leaving only the blinding shine of des dancing in the ring. The audience glued their eyes to the match and struggled to figure out which of them was making the moves. Even so, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the climactic fight for fear of missing out on the highlights. Dustin, the ck horse, had garnered all the attention that night by fighting alone against Mr. Williams¡® lineup. Earlier, he took down two masters in the top ten of The Hundred Immortals. Even if he lost the fight against Maximus, he still won himself the right to feel proud of his aplishments. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Three minutester, the audience heard the nking of metal as the web of illusory swords suddenly vanished. A figure, who seemed to have taken a bad blow, stumbled speedily toward the edge of the ring. where he finally managed to steady himself. Everyone focused on the figure and realized that it was Maximus! As for Dustin, he stood in the middle of the ring without moving, remaining in the same position as before. ¡°What happened? Who won?¡± The audience exchanged nces in confusion. Dustin and Maximus looked unharmed, but one appeared poised while the other looked grim. ¡°Sir, you are indeed talented, I¡¯ll give you that. I concede defeat.¡± After a long silence, Maximus finally opened his mouth. ¡°He conceded?¡± The audience gasped. What was going on? The two of them stood there uninjured. No one had the upper hand yet, but why did Maximus concede defeat? Could he have been bought off by the Harmons, just like the King of Kicks? ¡°Max, what is that nonsense? Us Boulderthorn guild men never concede defeat! Murder that punk!¡± Brody stood up and bellowed after recovering from the initial shock. ¡°Shut up!¡± Maximus scoffed. ¡°You have to admit defeat when you know it. There¡¯s no shame in admitting you¡¯re not as good as your opponent!¡± The audience might not be able to tell, but he was well aware of the truth. Chapter 245 Maximus witnessed how Dustin handled the Illusory Sword Technique with ease. Even if he maxed up his powers and executed theplete set of moves in the technique, he still failed to harm a hair on Dustin¡¯s head, not to mention that Dustin had only fended off the attacks with one hand. To Maximus, these were proof that Dustin was greatly ahead of him in terms of capability. ¡°You have indeed mastered the illusory Sword Technique, but unfortunately, there are three ws. Dustin suggested mildly. He orded Maximus respect due to thetter¡¯s humbleness. Else, he would have sent him flying out of the ring. ¡°What are the three ws?¡± Maximus furrowed his brow. ¡°The third move, the ninth move, and the twenty¨Csixth move.¡± Dustin deliberately offered a reminder. ¡°The ws you exhibited in the three moves were extremely subtle. They will go unnoticeable in the eyes of an average martial artist, but they will also put you at a huge disadvantage when you are fighting the real masters.¡± ¡°Impossible! I have been practicing the technique forever. How could there be fatal ws?¡± Maximus was in disbelief. ¡°Sure, you have spent a lot of time on the practice, but it is also true that you exhibit those ws. If my guess is right, your mentor did not teach you everything¨Che hid part of the three moves from you. Plus, the three moves are extremely crucial and damaging. The mentor must have wanted to put you in harm¡¯s way. Why else would anyone do that? You¡¯d better look out.¡± Dustin lowered his voice into a whisper that was only audible to both of them. The revtion was a huge blow for Maximus. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! My mentor sees me as his son. He¡¯d never put me in danger!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to say more. Believe me or not, it¡¯s all up to you.¡± Dustin shrugged and sank into silence. The only reason he gave Maximus the advice was because he saw potential in the guy. Whether Maximus trusted his word and whether the man lived or died, Dustin would not be affected in any way. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°We lost the battle today. Hence, we shall not bring up the topic of Immortunol. Farewell!¡± Maximus nodded at Dustin and left the ring in strides. ¡°He won! The Harmons won again!¡± Ruth squealed in delight at the sight. Who else would beat Dustin when even Maximus, ranked sixth on The Hundred Immortals, admitted deleat? ¡°You punk! We shall see! This is not the end!¡± After shooting a death re at Dustin, Brody fled the scene with his group of men, looking demotivated. He thought that their n was perfect, only to be ruined by a formidable opponent out of the blue. Talk about bad luck! ¡°Otto, have we gotten ourselves into trouble? The young men anddies, who had previously mocked Dustin, trembled at the sight of the victorious man in the ring. ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s a monster. Let¡¯s leave now!¡± Otto was covered in a cold sweat and fled the scene immediately. He would be easily crushed by Dustin, Judging from how the man had defeated the King of Kicks and Maximus ¡± Lightning de¡± Kane. ¡°Young man, congrattions on the win. I am the leader of Humming hill. I wonder if you¡¯d be interested in joining us as a consultant? Our pay and benefits are among the best! Right after Dustin exited the ring, a group of martial artists circled him to poach the talent. ¡°Humminghill? That¡¯s a really tiny guild. Better not stunt the growth of our handsome dude here. Well, in my opinion, you should join us at the Valley of Joy! We have hot chicks around, and we offer a wealth of resources. I guarantee you¡¯ll be on cloud nine after joining us!¡± ¡°Young man, I am the Falcon King of Glenstead and have a good¨Clocking and well¨Ceducated granddaughter. If you¡¯re willing. I will offer you her hand in marriage ¡ª¡± Dustin was speechless by the greedy expressions on their faces. His excellent performance in beating the King of Kicks and Maximus ¡°Lightning de¡± Kane had attracted a high level of attention. He made a mental note to keep a low profile moving forward, ¡°Get out of my way. At that moment. Natasha squeezed her way through the crowd with her people. Then, she took Dustin by the arm and publicly dered their rtionship, ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to introduce him as my husband. You¡¯d better give up if you¡¯re trying to matchmake!¡± Not only that, she kissed Dustin on the cheek as a reward, causing him to turn red in the face. Her action was embarrassing and rather improper in front of the crowd. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s go!¡± She ignored the eyes on them and left the guild with Dustin in tow, looking gleeful, proud, and boastful. The battle, which was full of twists and turns, ended with a victory for the Harmon family. From that moment, a new talent rose in Balerno¡¯s martial arts scene. After beating Maximus. Dustin naturally assumed his opponent¡¯s ranking, and he was subsequently ranked sixth on The Hundred Immortals, which was a brilliant feat for a neer. Chapter 246 After the battle concluded, Dustin, Natasha, and some members of the Harmon family had supper together. It was midnight when he returned to the medical center, which was still brightly lit. He entered the center and immediately saw the stunning Dahlia Nicholson, who was merrily chatting away with Caitlyn Lawler. At that moment, she appeared more easygoing than how she usually presented herself¨Cicy. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re back. Seeing Dustin, Caitlyn stood up and greeted him. ¡°Have a chat with Ms. Nicholson. I¡¯ll serve supper.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I had supper before I came home.¡± He smiled and turned his attention to Dahlia. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to thank you.¡± She shed him a rare smile. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t saved me yesterday, I would have been screwed. Never in my life would I have thought that Matt Laney was a phony bastard.¡± ¡°You¡¯re most wee. I¡¯d offer the same help to anyone in that situation,¡± he replied unemotionally. ¡°Why? Are you still upset?¡± Her tone softened. ¡°My mom was a little rash. There was a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll apologize to you on her behalf. We¡¯re sorry.¡± Dustin was rather surprised by her action. In his recollection, Dahlia was never one to back down. It was unusual of her to offer an apology. Still, the apology arrived toote. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. After all, this is not the first time I¡¯m misunderstood. It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± He shrugged, looking unbothered. ¡°Dustin, I know you were treated unfairly and went through hard times. I promise that I¡¯ll never treat you badly again,¡± she dered with a serious face. ¡°What was that? That was out of the blue.¡± He stared at her funny. She took a deep breath and mustered up her courage to say. ¡°Come home with me. Alright?¡± His body froze at the simple suggestion, andplicated emotions clouded his eyes. Had Dahlia asked him earlier, he would have agreed to her suggestion without hesitation. s, after experiencing a series of challenging events, he was bone¨Ctired, scared of being hurt, and had moved on. Although he still had feelings for her, he refused to experience the past anymore. His life in the past was one of silent suffering. ¡°I know you¡¯re in a difficult position. You don¡¯t have to give me an answer now.¡± Dahlia merely beamed at him. ¡°I have thought it through. From now on, I will take back what¡¯s mine! Even if I have to fight against Natasha Harmon, I will never back down! You know me well. I never give up until I get what I want!¡± He was taken aback by the serious expression on her face. ¡°Did you drink tonight?¡± Dahlia was known to be distant and haughty, never sparing anyone a disy of friendliness. It was hard to believe she¡¯d make that remark with a belligerent attitude. What had gotten into her? ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. In fact, I¡¯m very sober. When you¡¯re free, ry my message to Natasha¨Clet¡¯spete fairly. and we shall see who¡¯s the winner!¡± With that, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a sudden peck on the lips. She coolly marched out of the medical center, but her flushed face betrayed her emotions. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Dustin was frozen on the spot as he tasted her sweetness on his lips. Was he ambushed just now? Since when did Dahlia learn to flirt? He wondered if women were all fickle¨Cminded. ¡°Mr. Rhys, if it¡¯s inconvenient for you to ry that message to Ms. Harmon, I can help.¡± Caitlyn, blushing in embarrassment, twiddled with the hem of her top. After all that was a scene only found in TV shows. ¡°What nonsense? Go to bed!¡± He red at her, to which she responded by sticking out her tongue. She ran into the guest room but soon poked her head out and questioned timidly. ¡°Mr. Rhys, which one of them do you love? ¡°You little rascal! Why do you keep running your mouth?¡± Dustin grabbed a duster and acted as though he wanted to give her a good whopping, and she quickly disappeared into the room out of fear. After a quiet night, Dustin woke up early the next morning, stirred by the memory of the kiss from the day before. He had tossed and turned in bed, feeling disturbed by it. ¡°Oh, Dahlia, why did you show up from nowhere just to mess with me?¡± he wondered. Chapter 247 Dustin decided that Dahlia must have had nothing better to do. He tossed his head, washed up, and opened the door to the medical center as usual. As the door grated and groaned, a blood¨Csoaked figure suddenly copsed on the floor of the room. The injured man was dressed in white, which was drenched in blood. He carried a broken sword on his back and appeared to have fainted for some time. Dustin approached the man to check him out, only to realize that it was Maximus Kane! ¡°I did not recall hurting him yesterday. Or did I?¡± Dustin rubbed his chin in confusion. Although Maximus, ranked sixth on The Hundred Immortals, was not exactly the cream of the crop, he was still one of the best in tiny Swinton. How did he get himself beaten up this badly? ¡°Consider yourself lucky.¡± Dustin mumbled and lifted Maximus into the medical center. After all, he couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to a dying man at the entrance of the medical center. Maximus suffered from multiple external injuries, but those were simple wounds that could be treated with some bandages. However, he suffered huge damage to his nerves, including the energy in his core. Whoever did this to him wanted to cripple him for good. Thankfully, years of extensive martial arts practice resulted in a solid foundation that protected Maximus from beingpletely crippled by the attack. With Dustin¡¯s medical skills, he was confident to heal Maximus within a few weeks. First, Dustin gave Maximus an injection, followed by feeding the patient some medicine. About half an hourter, Maximus finally regained consciousness as he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake. How do you feel?¡± Dustin casually asked him. ¡°Did you save me?¡± Maximus was a little taken aback. Last night, he sustained severe injuries and found a medical center on the street in between consciousness. Before he had a chance to knock on the door, he cked out at the entrance. ¡°Who else? Do you see anyone around?¡± Dustin was a tad speechless at the thoughtless question. ¡°Thank you.¡± Maximus struggled to get up and bow. Dustin forced him back onto the bed and chided him, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop moving around when you¡¯re badly injured.¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the brink of death, yet he is hung up on manners. What¡¯s wrong with this dude?¡± Dustin wondered. ¡°You¡¯re not bad at martial arts. So, how did you end up getting beaten up?¡± Dustin asked. Maximus clenched his teeth as he struggled to open up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t tell me if you don¡¯t feel like it. I¡¯m not that curious either.¡± Dustin waved at him dismissively and proceeded to leave. ¡°Wait ¡­¡± Maximus took a deep breath and finally confessed, ¡°What you said yesterday was right. I had three fatal ws in my Illusory Sword Technique.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Did you meet a worthy opponent that fast?¡± Dustin was quite surprised to learn that his prediction came true after he dropped a casual mention of the wed moves during the battle. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just any stranger It was my mentor, Luther Williams! Maximus gritted his teeth, his face clouded by a grim expression. ¡°Your mentor?¡± Dustin was astounded. ¡°Why did he hurt you for no good reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because ¡­ I caught him having an affair with my female mentee!¡± Maximus said, filled with resentment. ¡°I went home after the defeat, thinking to question Luther Williams about the ws in the technique he taught me, but instead, I caught him going at it with my young female mentee in the bedroom!¡± Maximus continued, ¡°So, I kicked the door open out of anger and confronted him loudly. He was probably humiliated and provoked, and he fought me with his sword, shing me twice. I had no choice but to fight him with my sword. Silly me. I thought that, given my expertise in swordsmanship, I could at least fend off his attacks even if I couldn¡¯t win.¡± Then, he hissed, ¡°I realized how naive I was when we started fighting. It wasn¡¯t practice or strength that Icked he took advantage of my wed moves! The third, ninth, and twenty¨Csixth moves. Whenever I put these moves into action, Luther was able to spot my ws and destroy me. It was at that moment I found out that Luther, the mentor I was so proud of, had set me up from the very beginning! I am nothing but a tool to him; he has never treated me from the heart. When I am upset at him, he¡¯ll exploit my wed moves to kill me off and save himself from trouble!¡± Maximus¡® eyes reddened and brimmed with tears. He had always regarded his mentor as a father figure. Who would have thought that the kind and generous old man was nothing but a hypocrite? ¡°Well what can I say, except that you have a scoundrel of a mentor?¡± Dustin shook his head sympathetically. Maximus¡® situation wasmonce in the martial arts world. History was full of cases where disciples and. mentors of the same guild tore each other apart. The human heart is the most deceitful of all things. ¡°I¡¯m fine with being taken advantage of. He could have sent me on a dangerous mission, and I would have taken on the task withoutining. But why? Why did he have to sully my female mentee? She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e!¡± Maximus bellowed and smashed a hole in the wall out of rage. Dustin gaped at the confession. He opened his mouth a few times but was unable to speak. Chapter 248 Justin felt sympathetic as he stared into Maximus¡® reddened eyes. Not only was the poor chap taken advantage of by his mentor, but he also had his fianc¨¦e taken away. How miserable! No man could endure the humiliation and resentment of losing his future wife. Heck, not even anyone could stand losing a future spouse. It was hard to imagine that the second¨Cinmand of Boulderthorn was, inct, a wicked and dishonorable man. ¡°Just focus on your recovery for now. When you¡¯re fully recovered, it¡¯ll be time to take back what you lost.¡± Dustin gave Maximus an encouraging pat on the shoulder. To that, Maximus howled with a deste expression, ¡°I¡¯ll never get better again, not after my core was shattered and my nerves damaged! After losing my internal energy, I have nothing left in me to take revenge. I¡¯m trash! I¡¯m a worthless piece of trash!¡± He rolled his fists, digging his fingernails deep into the flesh of his palms until blood trickled from between his thumb and index finger. He badly wanted to take his revenge and seek justice, but he had lost the opportunity to do so. ¡°Who said you¡¯re trash? I can heal your injuries,¡± Dustin interjected coolly. ¡°W¨Cwhat did you say?¡± Stunned, Maximus lifted his head almost instantly. ¡°I said I can heal your injuries and rejuvenate your core,¡± Dustin repeated himself. ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re not kidding me, right?¡± Maximus was wide¨Ceyed with a mix of shock and anticipation. ¡°Your core suffered some damage, but it¡¯s not utterly ruined. There¡¯s still a chance. Rejuvenating your nerves is even simpler. As long as you stick to my treatment, you¡¯ll regain full strength within ten days.¡± Dustin promised. Maximus¡® face lit up with joy upon hearing that. He thanked Dustin profusely. ¡°If you heal me. I shall owe my life to you. Be it scaling mountains or diving into the deep ocean, I¡¯ll do whatever you ask of me without aint!¡± He seemed serious about his promise. As a martial artist and a geek for swords, he never had an interest in much else but the pursuit of excellence in swordsmanship. The moment he learned that his core was destroyed, he fell into deep despair and even contemted ending his life. However, Dustin¡¯s remark reignited his hope and his will to live. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯m not a sadist. Why would I send you to the mountains and the ocean?¡± Dustin helped him up. ¡°Consider it fate that you fainted right in front of my medical center. It was God¡¯s will to have me rescue you. Get some good rest, and remember not to harness your internal energy in these two days.¡± ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re my savior!¡± Maximus bowed a few times to Dustin, who said nothing more but wrote a prescription for Caitlyn and reminded her to prepare the medicine ording to the schedule. At that moment, they heard a deafening crash from the outside. They jumped in shock and hurried out to check the situation. Two cars¨Cone red and one white¨Ccollided on a street not far away. The red BMW, it appeared, had reversed and crashed into a white Honda, causing thetter to flip. Both cars were mangled beyond recognition, with debris scattered all across the ground. ¡°Help! Please help my daughter!¡± A bleeding woman d in white clothing climbed out of the white Honda. Due to the impact of the collision, she looked dizzy and feeble. At the same time, a young girl was in the front passenger seat; she had lost consciousness. The girl was no older than eight years old, and she seemed to be in a critical state because her abdomen was pierced by a sharp object. The woman in white called for help while attempting to save her daughter, but she failed to open the car door because it was too misshapen. ¡°Crap!¡± Dustin¡¯s face fell, and he jogged toward the Honda. By then, a crowd had formed around the ident. and a few good samaritans offered help. Unfortunately, the collective strength of a few people was insufficient to pull the girl out because the Honda was flipped over, and the car door remained locked. As the smoke started billowing from the car, the situation became dire. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Dustin went up and yanked at the door handle. They heard a crack, and the entire car door came detached, much to the surprise of the onlookers. After Dustin pried the door open, he unfastened the seat belt and quickly lifted the young girl to the side of the road. She suffered from head trauma, multiple fractures across the body, and massive blood loss in the abdomen. The situation did not look good at all. ¡°Quick! Call an ambnce and get her to the hospital!¡± someone yelled. ¡°We have no time for that. I¡¯m a doctor. Let me give it a try.¡± After Dustin announced his identity, he took out at gold needle and immediately applied first aid to the girl. ¡°Get out of my way! All of you!¡± Right then, two women exited the red BMW. The mother was a plump lady in her fifties, and the daughter was an attractive woman in her twenties. One could tell that they were wealthy from their branded outfits and the way they were decked in jewelry, like walking Christmas trees. ¡°Hey! Do you even know how to drive? Are you blind?¡± Jane Engleton, the plumpdy, pointed a finger at the woman in white and started scolding her. ¡°Do you know how much our car costs? One million dors! And it¡¯s a new car!¡± She added, ¡°You have topensate us after turning our car into scrap metal! If you refuse, I¡¯ll send your family to prison!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The woman in white was taken aback by the ferocity of Jane Engleton and apologized profusely. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I did not see your car just now.¡± ¡°Is saying sorry enough? Do you take us as pushovers?¡± Jane pressed on. ¡°I¡¯m warning you now. You¡¯ll pay me what the car¡¯s worth. Add thepensation for mental damages on that, and you¡¯re looking at at least 800 thousand to a million dors inpensation to get this settled!¡± ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t have that money!¡± The woman in white almost cried helplessly from the harassment. ¡°I don¡¯t care! Sell your house or your organs. Do what you need to gather the money, or I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Jane threatened the poor woman. Finally, Dustin had had enough and blurted out, ¡°Can you be more shameless? It was you who reversed and crashed into the white car. How dare you demandpensation from the victim?¡± The truth immediately woke the onlookers up. Upon examining the scene of the ident, it was the BMW that reversed and crashed into the Honda. Therefore, the BMW driver should be held fully ountable for the collision, but she had instead held the victim responsible. ¡°Nonsense! She crashed into my car!¡± Jane remained unfazed and coercive. ¡°So what if I reversed my car? Her eyes were not focused on the road! Look, the lives ofmoners like you are not worth much. Even if they died in a crash, they totally deserved it!¡± The crowd instantly gasped at her outrageous remark. Chapter 249 ¡°Hey, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± ¡°Right? How dare she scolds the others when she¡¯s the culprit? I¡¯ve never seen someone as outrageous as her! ¡°Talk no more. Let¡¯s report her to the police!¡± The crowd was annoyed at Jane¡¯s arrogance and pointed fingers at her. ¡°Shut up! All of you!¡± Hands on her waist, Jane yelled at them, ¡°Do you know that we¡¯re the Nicholsons from Glenstead? Even your mayor has to show us respect, let alone you worthless plebs! Make more fuss, and I¡¯ll get you arrested!¡± The usatory voices instantly died down. An average citizen would not want to get on the bad side of the famed aristocratic Nicholson family from Glenstead. ¡°Mom, just ignore those peasants. Look at this. I¡¯m hurt.¡± The young woman, Dakota Nicholson, suddenly spoke up as she pressed against her wound and winced. ¡°Are you hurt? Let me take a look!¡± Jane¡¯s expression crumbled, and she hurriedly checked out Dakota¡¯s injury. ¡°Gosh, it¡¯s bleeding. This is not good. Her face paled, and she scanned the surroundings until her eyesnded on Dustin. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a doctor, aren¡¯t you? Quick, give my daughter a checkup! She¡¯s hurt!¡± Anyone would have thought that Dakota contracted a terminal disease from the worried look on Jane¡¯s face. ¡°She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a scrape on the elbow.¡± Dustin turned around and nced at Dakota¡¯s injury before looking away.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°What do you mean? A scrape?¡± Jane immediately looked irritated. ¡°My precious daughter has never suffered injuries. But she has a huge wound now. Of course we¡¯ll have to treat it with caution. What if an infection happens? ¡°If you¡¯re worried about wound infection, buy a bandaid at the pharmacy next door. If you keep dilly¨C dallying. the wound¡¯s going to heal by the time you get to it,¡± Dustin.mocked her. He had never seen a woman as ridiculous as Jane, who kicked up a fuss over a tiny wound. ¡°What did you say? How could you ignore my daughter¡¯s injury when you¡¯re a doctor? Are you even human, you fuckface?¡± Jane was truly cross. No one had ever turned down her requests ever since she married into the wealthy Nicholson family. ¡°I have to set my priorities. This girl is fighting for her life. Your daughter¡¯s wound is nothingpared to hers! * Dustin chided her. ¡°How dare youpare that peasant to my daughter?¡± With a re, Jane rebuked him, ¡°Dakota is the daughter of the Nicholson family¨Cshe¡¯s important and precious! You cannotpare her to a commoner!¡± ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s just a nobody. Well, if she dies today, just consider it her wretched fate!¡± The haughty Dakota towered over them. ¡°Treat my wound now! It¡¯s an order. If I get a scar from this, I will not let you off the hook!¡± ¡°Are you even human? Nobody speaks in that way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Is a life worth less than your minor scrape?¡± The indignant crowd gave their opinions. ¡°What now? Are you testing me? The audacity to talk back to the Nicholson family! Come here! Which one of you wants to be the hero?¡± Jane hissed maliciously as the onlookers held in their rage in silence in the face of her insolence. Indeed, the average citizens were helpless when harassed and bullied by the rich. ¡°Madam, my daughter is in a critical state. Can you kindly allow her to get the treatment? Just think of this as my plea!¡± The woman in white plopped onto the ground with teary eyes. ¡°Hmph! Knock it off! I don¡¯t care! My daughter has to be treated first!¡± Jane refused to budge. ¡°Are you deal? Do you hear what my mom said?¡± Dakota kicked Dustin but was infuriated when the man showed no response. ¡°So, you¡¯re refusing to treat my wound. Great! Don¡¯t bother saving anyone today!¡± With that, she went up to the young girl and pulled out the gold needle. With the gold needle removed, the young girl started bleeding profusely again, and her face grew paler because of that. ¡°Hm?¡± Dustin frowned and spun around with a deadly stare in his eyes. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing? You might kill someone by pulling out the needle without thought!¡± ¡°So what? You can¡¯t save any life without my permission.¡± Dakota crossed her arms on her chest, looking bold and arrogant. Jane chimed in with the same attitude. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you don¡¯t treat my daughter¡¯s wound, you won¡¯t get to save that uselessmoner!¡± ¡°Please Please show mercy and stop making things difficult for the doctor. I beg of you!¡± The woman in white kneeled and pleaded to the Nicholsons, all while hitting her head on the ground. She knew she could not afford to get on the bad side of the wealthy; her only wish was to keep her daughter safe. ¡°Try messing around again, and I won¡¯t go easy on you next time!¡± Dustin warned Dakota. She scoffed. ¡°Oh! You got the guts, don¡¯t you? Do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me in that way? Did you tell me not to touch anything? Well, I¡¯m going to do it anyway!¡± While speaking, she moved to remove the needle again. ¡°Get lost!¡± Fuming. Dustin gave her a p across the face. She yelped as she was flung ten feet away, even rolling on the ground afternding. Her fair skin was red and swollen. She even lost a few of her dental ¡°Shit! That doctor is mad! How dare he p a Nicholson?¡± ¡°Being hot¨Cblooded is one thing; offending the Nicholsons is another. He might suffer because of it.¡± The crowd murmured and cast sympathetic nces at Dustin. ¡°H¨Chow dare you hit me?¡± Dakota got up from the ground, still a little dizzy and utterly baffled by Dustin¡¯s move. From a young age, she was treated like a princess wherever she went. She had never been pped, not to mention being pped in public. ¡°So what? Don¡¯t you deserve the p for being rude?¡± Dustin wore a hostile expression on his face. ¡°How dare you hit my daughter? I¡¯m going to fight you!¡± After the initial shock, Jane recovered and, her blood boiling, sheunched an attack on Dustin. He merely pped her, and she copsed from the impact. The mother and daughter both fell t onto the ground. Chapter 250 ¡°Mom! Are you alright?¡± Dakota¡¯s expression crumbled as she quickly helped her mother up. She was both rmed and enraged. ¡°Ouch! My teeth!¡± Jane wailed while pressing a hand against her face, feeling the stinging sensation. Her mouth was throbbing after it almost went out of shape from the p. ¡°How dare you hit us? You¡¯re dead! Your entire family is damned! Be a man and stay where you are! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± An incensed Dakota started making calls and requesting backup, but Dustin had no time for her as he continued applying first aid to the poor young girl. Thanks to the magical needle, the young girl¡¯s condition stabilized soon. At that time, the ambnce arrived at the scene. ¡°Your daughter is fine now, but her wound needs bandaging and careful care to heal.¡± Dustin ced the young girl onto the stretcher. Seeing that, the woman in white thanked him profusely before leaving in the ambnce. ¡°You enjoy being the hero, don¡¯t you? Just wait and see. You¡¯ll get med.¡± Jane and Dakota fixed their keen eyes on him, looking as though they wouldn¡¯t let it slip. Dustin scanned them from head to toe andmented mildly, ¡°Rather than wasting time on me, you should really get checked at the hospital. From the looks of it, you¡¯re suffering from blood stasis. You don¡¯t have much internal energy, and your eyes are those of dead fish. I¡¯m afraid your days are numbered.¡± ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s dying! I¡¯m fine!¡± Jane red at him. He raised a brow, looking amused, ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t believe me? Have you been feeling dizzy and weak these few days? And do you suffer from nosebleeds now and then?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Her expression crumbled a little. Indeed, she had been feeling sick, and the symptoms matched his descriptions. However, she went for a checkup at the hospital and found no issues. Hence, she had put it to the back of her mind. ¡°It¡¯s no cause for concern. Just a terminal illness,¡± he added nonchntly. ¡®T¨Cterminal illness?¡± The color drained from Jane¡¯s face. She was stunned by the diagnosis. How was a terminal illness not a cause for concern? ¡°Mom, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. He¡¯s obviously scaring you because he worries we¡¯ll get back at him!¡± Dakota suddenly jumped in to assuage her. ¡°You take supplements all the time. Why would you fall sick? And no sick person would be full of energy like you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I do not suffer from any illness! I¡¯m in the pink of health!¡± Jane nodded furiously and jeered,¡± You bastard! I¡¯m warning you¨Cyou¡¯d better quit all that nonsense!¡± *Judging from the progression, you¡¯ll face a life¨Cthreatening situation in three days. On the first day, you¡¯ll lose consciousness, followed by coughing up blood on the second day. You¡¯ll be paralyzed on the third day. Three dayster, you will be staring at death,¡± he remarked quietly. It made Jane feel oddly anxious, and her heart skipped a beat. Still, she bit the bullet and bellowed at him, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a coward? Tell you what¨Cyou can¡¯t bluff your way out of this!¡± ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you. Take care.¡± He was uninterested in engaging further with the Nicholsons and left. ¡°Hey! Stand there! I didn¡¯t tell you to leave!¡± Dakota was frustrated and went up to stop him, but his re immediately put her in her ce. She promptly stopped in her tracks out of consideration for her safety. knowing that Dustin was a madman. ¡°Let him leave. He won¡¯t run far. When our backup arrives, we¡¯ll double down on him.¡± Jane had a hostile look on her face. During their conversation, they noticed a few ck SUVS stopping by the intersection. The door slid open to reveal Florence and James. The two marched toward Jane and Dakota. ¡°Gosh! Jane! Dakota! What happened?¡± Florence, acting humbly, immediately started with pleasantries. Henry Nicholson¡¯s family was a branch of the Nicholsons of Glenstead. However, due to Henry¡¯s protest against an arranged marriage, he eloped to Swinton with his lover. The two families were not in frequent contact. After the demise of the Glenstead patriarch, Edgar Nicholson, the family in Glenstead sent two representatives- Jane and Dakota¨Cto meet with Henry in Swinton, mainly to fulfill Edgar¡¯s wish. Edgar¡¯sst wish was for Henry, the second son, to return to Glenstead. ¡°Hmph! How dare you ask us?¡± Jane was ashen¨Cfaced. ¡°We came all the way to this tiny town of yours. Not only did you not host us well, but you also made us go through humiliation! It looks like your family doesn¡¯t want to reunite with us at Glenstead!¡± Florence, James, and theirpanions almost peed themselves after hearing that. They were well aware of the perks of reuniting with the Nicholsons of Glenstead. The move would elevate the status of the Nicholson family of Swinton, and they would never let the opportunity slip. ¡°Jane, please calm down. Let us know if you need anything else. I promise I¡¯ll take care of it for you!¡± Florence hurriedly put on an apologetic smile. James echoed her with confidence. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll take action on that rascal who hits you no matter who he is!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying that? He¡¯s gone!¡± Dakota pouted crossly. If her grandfather hadn¡¯t ordered them to get the task done, she wouldn¡¯t have visited a small town like Swinton with her status. ¡°It¡¯s okay! There¡¯s a surveince camera by the intersection. I will get someone to check on it right away and catch the culprit tomorrow to ensure justice is served!¡± Florence promised. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s more like it.¡± Dakota¡¯s features softened, and she added. ¡°Oh, and get the best doctor for me.¡± ¡°Dakota, are you hurt?¡± James looked shocked. He stole a few nces at her but did not see any tears on her outfit or any visible wounds. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Didn¡¯t you see that I¡¯m bleeding from my elbow? Are you blind?¡± She scoffed while showing everyone the graze on her elbow. When they took a better look at it, they were baffled at what she described as an injury, for that was a wound that only required a bandaid. ¡°Why are you standing there? Get the car and send Dak to the hospital! I¡¯ll give you a whopping if you miss the golden hour!¡± Florence was quick to p James on the back of his head. Jane Engleton and Dakota Nicholson had the final say on whether or not Florence¡¯s family could rejoin their Glenstead rtives. Therefore, she would treat the two women with the utmost respect. ¡°Okay¡± James dared not object. Along with a few other rtives, he helped Jane and Dakota into the SUVS like they were royalties. Then, they rushed the two women to the hospital. Chapter 251 In the afternoon, several ck SUVS abruptly screeched to a halt right in front of the entrance to Park ce. The doors opened, and the first to get out was a young man dressed in bright¨Ccolored clothes. With his handsome features and lofty demeanor, he carried an imposing presence. Following behind him were a group of martial artists d Watching their departing figures, Stephan shouted out. ¡®Inform Mrs. Harmon immediately!¡± in entric uniforms, each of them emanating an intimidating air with their controlled breaths. It was evident that they were far from ordinary. ¡°This is the Harmon family¡¯s territory. All of you, leave immediately!¡± the two bodyguards by the entrance warned them. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Too loud.¡± With a wave of his hand, the two bodyguards flew away as blood spurted from their mouths. It was as if they were hit by a speeding car. The group of people then strutted into Park ce. In the hall, Natasha was enjoying tea, and a copy of a financial report was in her hands. These past few days. because of the invention of Immortunol, business was going very well for the Harmon family, and thepany stock prices were skyrocketing. If this continued, Natasha would be able to rece Edwin¡¯s status within a year and a half, bing the first woman to be the wealthiest person in Swinton. ¡°Ms. Harmon, enjoying your day. I see.¡± She suddenly heard someone by the entrance and looked up, finding the group of entrically¨Cdressed men. Leading them was a young man standing right at the center. ¡°Who are you?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Hummer. Joshua Hummer,¡± he smiled faintly. ¡°So it¡¯s you.. Natasha narrowed her eyes. ¡°Mr. Hummer, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much for you to barge into my residence like this?¡± ¡°Is it? I don¡¯t think so.¡± With an ambiguous smile, he continued, ¡°Ms. Harmon, I¡¯ll go straight to the point. I¡¯m here for three things. First, Immortunol has caused considerable loss to the Hummers. Hence, you are to hand over the formtion. Second, my sister was humiliated some time back, which brought shame to the Hummers. All thanks to a bastard named Dustin. Get your men to bring his head to the Hummer¡¯s residence as an apology, and for the third. It¡¯s simple. All you need to do is be a guest at Hummer¡¯s residence tonight.¡± Joshua spoke lightly like a master giving orders to his servant. Even the usuallyposed Natasha lost her cool when she heard him. ¡°Joshua Hummer, did you hit your head somewhere? You want my man¡¯s head? Who gave you the courage to speak that way?¡± To spout unreasonable demands as soon as he walked through the door, this guy was too much! ¡°Natasha Harmon, I¡¯m not negotiating. I¡¯m giving you a chance. Know your ce.¡± ¡°Hmph! Do you think you are in Hummer territory?¡± she mmed the table with force. Instantly, a huge number of bodyguards came out from different directions and surrounded the Hummer entourage. ¡°Ms. Harmon, what happened?¡± Stephan asked as the leader. ¡°Mr. Chapman, we have a few uninvited guests at home. Kindly show them the way out,¡± Natasha ordered coldly. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Then, he red directly at Joshua. ¡°Dear guests, you are not wee here. Please leave.¡± ¡°Hmph! A pity.¡± Joshua smirked. He suddenly disappeared like a ghost and appeared in front of Stephan. ¡°You Stephan¡¯s pupils dted. He was about to make a move when he realized he was already held in a chokehold. The next thing he knew, it became hard to breathe, and his limbs turned limp. He wasn¡¯t able to muster an ounce of energy. ¡°The audacity of a low¨Clevel martial artist like you. Kneel!¡± Joshua lifted him single¨Chandedly and mmed him to the ground, An explosion¨Clike sound echoed through the room, and the floor cracked open, leaving a crater in its wake while Stephan¡¯s incapacitated legs sprayed out blood. ¡°Scram!¡± Joshua delivered a kick, aiming straight at his core. With a grunt, Stephan was thrown a few meters away. He violently crashed into the wall, and blood spurted out of his mouth. That kick had dissipated Stephan¡¯s internal energy. ¡°How insolent! Get them!¡± Natasha was furious. Under her orders, the bodyguards took out their batons and charged. ¡°Ants,¡± Joshua muttered in disdain. With a wave of his hand, a surge of energy that could move mountains and seas burst forward and rippled toward them. Before the bodyguards could reach him, they were sent flying by the impact and fell to the ground. During that moment, groans could be heard all around. ¡°An external manifestation of energy? Have you achieved divinity?¡± A seriously injured Stephan locked on in horror. Countless martial artists dreamed of achieving divinity. Skilled low¨Clevel martial artists could split open rocks and lift thousands of pounds of weight. However,pared to divine¨Clevel martial artists, their differences were like the sky and earth. Chapter 252 Low¨Clevel martial artists were restricted to only channeling their energy through physical attacks, while divine- level martial artists surpassed human capabilities. With the ability to manifest energy externally, they were able to strike across space itself! In the face of a divine¨Clevel martial artist, even the best low¨Clevel martial artists paled in significance. They existed on different nes of status and prowess. The strange thing was that Joshua was only in his twenties. His talent in martial arts was terrifying for him to be able to achieve divinity at his age. ¡°Ha You¡¯re quite perceptive.¡± Joshua smiled proudly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve realized I¡¯m a highly¨Cskilled, divine¨C level martial artist, you should understand my words carry weight.¡± Natasha¡¯s brow furrowed. So they¡¯de prepared,ying low all for this day. ¡°After you, Ms. Harmon. Don¡¯t make me go on a massacre,¡± he smiled teasingly. A wealthy princess was nothing in his eyes. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± Natasha walked out with a sneer. She knew if she didn¡¯t obey, everyone here today would die. ¡°Tell the Harmons to fulfill my demands, and Natasha will be safe. Otherwise, there¡¯s no telling what I¡¯d do to her.¡± He took out an envelope. With a swipe of his hand, it shot out like a dagger and stabbed right into the door frame. Watching their departing figures, Stephan shouted out, ¡°Inform Mrs. Harmon immediately!¡± ¡°What? Natasha has been kidnapped?¡± After the news arrived and Jessica was briefed about the situation, her expression hardened, along with the rest of the people present. ¡°How could that happen? We have dozens of bodyguards. How could Natasha be taken away?¡± Ruth was in disbelief. ¡°They were too strong. We were no match for them.¡± Stephan mourned. His legs were crippled, and his core was destroyed. He was as good as useless. ¡°Who was it? The audacity to kidnap my daughter!¡± Jennifer was furious. ¡°We¡¯re not sure of their true identity, but they left a letter.¡± Stephan signaled his men to give the letter to Jennifer. She opened up the letter, and her expression grew dark as she read it. ¡°Mom, what does it say?¡± Ruth asked impatiently. ¡°It says, before the sun rises, bring the formtion of Immortunol and Dustin to Hummer Vi as ransom.¡± Her tone was almost a growl. ¡°Hummer Vi? Isn¡¯t that Edwin¡¯s territory?¡± Ruth frowned. Did this have to do with the Hummer family again? ¡°Inform headquarters immediately. Get them to deploy the shadow guards for support!¡± Jennifer was solemn,¡± Make a call to Dustin as well. Ask him toe here immediately!¡± ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t be thinking of surrendering him to them, are you?¡± Ruth implored. ¡°This happened because of him. Why should he be free?¡± ¡°But ¡°No buts. Natasha¡¯s safetyes first. Go now!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She pursed her lips as she made the call, not daring to go against her mom. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Meanwhile, at Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin¡¯s expression turned solemn as he listened through his phone. He felt a surge of anger rising within him. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± He spared the nonsense and hung up, leaving the house in a fury immediately after. He stepped on the gas pedal for the entire journey. Within 20 minutes, he arrived at Park ce. As soon as he walked in, the first thing he saw was the casualties lying on the floor. Stephan¡¯s injuries were the worst. His face was pale as he constantly coughed up blood, and his core energy had been completely destroyed. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Ruth found sce in his appearance. ¡°Who did this?¡± Dustin¡¯s piercing gaze could kill ¡°See for yourself!¡± Jennifer threw him the letter. Dustin read it, and his temper red. ¡°The Hummer family are all pigheaded! It seems like they will never learn their lesson!¡± ¡°My daughter has been pulled into your mess. What do you n on doing?¡± Jennifer questioned. ¡°I will definitely rescue Ms. Harmon,¡± he assured her. ¡°And if you fail?¡± she retorted. ¡°Then I¡¯ll pay with my life!¡± Dustin¡¯s expression grew solemn. ¡°Hmph! At least you¡¯re able to man up. My daughter¡¯s affection has not gone in vain.¡± Chapter 253 Suddenly, she pped. Right on cue, a group of domineering martial artists d in all¨Cck gear strode in proudly. Taking the lead was a woman with short hair. She had striking features that gave her a cool look. Because of her tight¨Cfitting outfit, her figure appeared exceptionally curvaceous and left an impact. Jennifer said impassively. ¡°This is Isfrid. She leads team five of the Harmon family¡¯s shadow guards and is highly skilled, Bring her team with you so you have each other¡¯s backs.¡± ¡°Mrs. Harmon, forgive me for my bluntness, but our team is enough to ensure Ms. Harmon¡¯s safety. Why do we need to involve outsiders?¡± Istrid gave Dustin a contemptuous once over. ¡°Team five is well trained, and our teamwork is unparalleled. Having our members are more than enough to save Ms. Harmon. We can¡¯t afford to bring along baggage since it will make the operation riskier. I hope you will reconsider, Mrs. Harmon.¡± ¡°Dustin is a good fighter, and the Hummer family asked for him personally. He has to be there,¡± she replied frankly. ¡°If that is the case, please have him listen to our orders and not get in our way, lest it affects our operation,¡± Istrid said unfeelingly. An exceptional fighter, she was extremely confident in her abilities. Her team always worked in the shadows. but her skills wereparable to the highly skilled martial artists of The Hundred Immortals. ¡°Suit yourselves. I only have one demand¨Cbring my daughter back to me alive,¡± she ordered solemnly. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Harmon.¡± Isfrid bowed before leaving arrogantly with her team behind her. ¡°Mr. Rhys, be careful. The Hummers have a highly skilled martial artist among them. He¡¯s possibly achieved divinity,¡± Stephan warned Dustin. ¡°Achieved divinity? They¡¯re mere ants to me.¡± With that, he left. Night gradually fell. Meanwhile, in the square outside Hummer Vi, a group of armored fighters sat around a bonfire, roasting a wholemb. Beside them was a dog cage, and inside the cage was a ragged woman. Her hair was disheveled, and her body was covered in injuries. It was clear that she had been tortured. There was even a cor around her neck, which was attached to a dog leash held by an elderly man. That man was Fletcher Lawson. ¡°Mr. Lawson, it¡¯s about time. It seems like he¡¯s too scared toe since he hasn¡¯t shown up till now.¡± A bald man smirked. ¡°Of course! With so many of us keeping guard here, who would send themselves to death? That punk has long fled!¡± Everyone chimed in,ughing heartily. Who would barge in foolishly when they knew it was a trap? ¡°Mr. Lawson, the woman in the cage is exceptional. Why don¡¯t you allow us to enjoy her first?¡± the bald man Chapter 25! said with an evil grin. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Lawwon. We¡¯ve been deprived for too long. How can we give up the chance when a beautiful woman is present?¡± the rest jeered. It wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d engaged in acts of arson, murder, and looting. ¡°y around if you must, but keep yourselves in check,¡± Fletcher said calmly. ¡°No problem.¡± The bald man chuckled, then approached the cage eagerly. He ripped the woman¡¯s skirt apart, exposing her white thighs. ¡°What a beauty! Just as we thought!¡± He licked his lips and pounced with a devilish smile. Just as he was about to carry out his intentions, a fleeting flicker of light sliced through the air with a faint whistle. Emerging from the darkness and piercing through the bonfire¡¯s glow, a golden needle found its mark between the man¡¯s eyebrows. With a groan, his eyes widened as he convulsed. Soon, he turned stiff. He was rooted in ce with no signs of breath. ¡°Hey! What are you dawdling for? If you can¡¯t do it, we¡¯ll go instead. Don¡¯t make us wait longer!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! There are so many of us waiting for our turn. Can you be faster?¡± Nobody noticed anything strange. They were rushing him instead. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re talking to you. Are you deal?¡± A muscr man walked up and nudged his shoulder. Immediately, like a statue that had lost its bnce, the bald man toppled to the ground. The muscr man was shocked and extended out his hand. ¡°What the fuck? He¡¯s not breathing!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He¡¯d just finished his sentence when another faint whistle was heard. A second gold needle sliced through the air and embedded straight between his brows. Falling to the ground with his head up, he died instantly. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Everyone looked at each other in dismay. They only reacted when they saw blood between the victims¡® eyebrows. ¡°We¡¯re being ambushed! Stay alert!¡± Following the shouts, the fighters took out their swords, looking around in all directions. ¡°Who the fuck is it?¡± ¡°Step out if you dare! You¡¯re a pussy for hiding!¡± The crowd roared incessantly. Right then, a sudden, powerful gust of wind whipped through the surroundings. Illuminated by the street lights, a tall, slender figure walked into the vi with deliberate steps. Fletcher took a closer look and suddenly let out augh. ¡°How brave. He really walked into the lion¡¯s den.¡± ¡°Release her immediately!¡± Dustin ordered coldly. His voice wasn¡¯t too loud, but it reverberated across the whole vi. His expression was impassive, but his gaze was as cold as ice. ¡°Know your ce! There¡¯s no need to think about being a hero when you¡¯re dying soon.¡± Fletcher waved, ¡°Get him! Whoever brings me his head first will be rewarded 100 million!¡± 100 million?¡± The crowd of fighters was excited. There was nothing money couldn¡¯t solve, and avish reward would certainly give birth to brave warriors. People would kill friends and rtives for 100 million, not to mention a stranger. Get him!¡± The crowd roared and rushed forward without dy. ¡°Attack!¡± Suddenly, a group of all¨Cck, masked assassins emerged from the darkness. They had a knife in one hand and a crossbow in the other. Although they were few in numbers, all of them were well¨C trained. Pushing forward, they surrounded the Hummer family¡¯s fighters. It was like nothing could stand in their way. They were the shadow guards led by Istrid. Although the Harmon family¡¯s shadow guards were not well¨Cknown, they were all handpicked talents among hundreds of candidates. They were specifically tasked with removing obstacles and eliminating dissidents for the Harmon family. ¡°See that? This is the true power of the Harmon family¡¯s shadow guards!¡± Istrid emerged from the darkness and stood beside Dustin. Chapter 254 Coldly, she said, ¡°Wait here, and don¡¯t run off. I don¡¯t want you to cause us any trouble. Understand?¡± ¡°They have highly skilled fighters among them. Your men won¡¯t be able to handle them.¡± Dustin responded. tly. ¡°Ha! What a joke! I¡¯ve fought in countless battles, and I¡¯ve seen it all. A burn like you will never understand how strong we are.¡± Her expression grew colder. ¡°Having confidence ismendable, but don¡¯t be too blind. You should always believe there is someone. better out there,¡± he reminded. ¡°Shut your nonsense. Just stay here as I told you to. I won¡¯t forgive you if you ruin our operation!¡± she shouted coldly before joining the fray. Dustin didn¡¯t say anything more and narrowed his eyes, staring silently at Fletcher. Seated behind him were a few martial artists d in entric clothing. From their breathing patterns, Dustin could tell that they were all the best low¨Clevel martial artists, with two of them already considered a high¨Clevel martial artist. ¡°So he has backup. No wonder he dared be so wild.¡± Even though his men were going down, Fletcher wasn¡¯t anxious. In fact, his expression showed one of amusement. It didn¡¯t matter if they died since they were just cannon fodder. The real fighters were seated right behind him. There weren¡¯t many of them, but they were all ranked on The Hundred Immortals. Especially the twin brothers with the code name Darkwrath and Lightwrath. They were the seventh and eighth on The Hundred Immortals, respectively. They practiced the dark arts, and their moves were terrifyingly lethal. When they fought separately, they werefortably ranked in the top ten. When they joined forces, their power doubled. Of course, besides the twins, another highly skilled martial artist was hidden within the vi. That person was ranked third on the Hundred Immortals¨CJudge. Whenever Judge appeared, only a trail of death would follow. Regardless of how many fighters the Harmon family sent, they were all going to meet their demise. After a brutal fight, hundreds of the Hummer family¡¯s fighters were left lying on the ground. The shadow guards of the Harmon family, on the other hand, had suffered only a single casualty and five injuries. Their losses were rtively minimal inparison. ¡°Hmph! You dare kidnap Ms. Harmon with these pitiful weaklings? You should have known better!¡± Istrid stood with a sense of pride. With a swift downward flick, droplets of blood glistened as they sttered off her sword. She looked gant and imposing. ¡°Impressive! The Harmon family¡¯s shadow guards are indeed Impressivel Fletcher apuded with a smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re aware of our skills, why aren¡¯t you releasing the hostage yet?¡± Istrid pointed her sword forward. ¡°The person you¡¯re looking for is right here in this cage. Come save her yourself if you have the guts.¡± Fletcher overturned the dog cage with a kick, and the woman inside trembled in fear. However, her disheveled appearance made it difficult to discern her features. ¡°Ms. Harmon?¡± Istrid¡¯s expression hardened, and she rushed forward with her men. As they neared the cage. Istrid drew her sword and severed the chains with a resounding ng. ¡°Ms. Harmon! Are you okay?¡± Istrid opened up the metal door and was about to save the woman inside when the woman suddenly shed an evil grin, With a sudden wave of her hand, she threw out a barrage of yellow powder that was highly toxic. Any ordinary person who came into contact with it would surely meet their demise. Istrid¡¯s pupils constricted, and she immediately stepped back, covering her mouth and nose to avoid inhaling the dust. ¡°Hah¡­ You reacted quickly. You almost fell into my trap,¡± the woman chuckled lightly, pushing her hair aside to reveal a pale and unfamiliar face. ¡°Who are you?¡± Istrid¡¯s brow furrowed. It was fortunate that she dodged in time, or she would have been in trouble. ¡°That¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is how much your head is worth.¡± the woman replied and launched another attack, thrusting her knife forward. ¡°Hmph!¡± Istrid¡¯s longsword quivered as it severed the woman¡¯s arm and, at the same time, pierced through her chest with lightning speed. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°So fast. The woman¡¯s eyes widened as she toppled backward. Chapter 255 ¡°How weak.¡± Istrid wore a disdainful expression as she scanned her surroundings. ¡°Anyone else?¡± ¡°Interesting¡± Leering at her curvaceous figure, Darkwrath licked his lips in excitement. ¡°Hey, prettydy, let me have a taste of you!¡± As he spoke, his toes tapped the ground, propelling him forward like a ghostly shadow. His body flickered in and out of existence, making it hard to figure out his movements, Istrid bellowed, ¡°Die!¡± With a flick of her sword, two des that were both swift and deadly danced forward. Just as her attack was about to hit their target, Darkwrath suddenly vanished from thin air. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Hey, prettydy, where are you looking?¡± She heard a sinister voice behind her, and her expression changed slightly. Without looking back, she thrust her sword backward. She was fast, but Darkwrath was faster, and her sword sliced through the empty air. Taking advantage of her distraction, Darkwrath grabbed her butt forcefully. Chuckling obscenely, he remarked,¡± Soft and supple. What a treasure.¡± He didn¡¯t harm her, clearly reveling in ying with his prey like a game of cat and mouse. Fueled by the humiliation, Isfrid erupted in fury. ¡°You will pay with your life!¡± Her sword danced with rapid speed. In an instant, she was enveloped in a whirlwind of swirling des that radiated with shimmering brilliance. Yet, Darkwrath continued to flicker in and out of existence, appearing to be at ease and in control. Istrid was out of breath when Darkwrath suddenly wrapped her in an embrace from behind. His tongue slithered out on her face, and he licked her slowly and forcefully. ¡°Beauty, you¡¯re delicious! I¡¯m going to eat you tonight!¡± He chuckled devilishly, his face full of lust. ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± Her eyes were red from a mix of anger and embarrassment. She redirected her sword. toward her own abdomen, intending to deal a severe blow to Darkwrath through herself. However, Darkwrath was obviously prepared as he pressed a finger onto a pressure point on her body. She let out a muffled groan and copsed to the ground, her arm feeling so numb that she was unable to hold up her sword. ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡± she asked in shock and anger. She didn¡¯t expect her opponent to be that strong. ¡°I am Darkwrath, ranked eighth on The Hundred Immortals.¡± Realization struck Istrid, and her expression changed. It was no wonder he was so formidable¨Che was among the top ten highly skilled martial artists on The Hundred Immortals. ¡°Prettydy, what¡¯s the point of serving the Harmon family? You¡¯d be better off with me. I¡¯ll make sure you live luxuriously, and every night will be like our honeymoon!¡± Darkwrath licked his lips, smirking obscenely. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°You insolent bastard!¡± Seeing their leader humiliated, the shadow guards behind Isfrid couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and brandished their swords, charging toward him. ¡°Fools.¡± Darkwrath sneered and propelled out into their midst. With a swift motion, two steel ws extended out from his sleeves, piercing through the throats of two shadow guards. He then yanked back forcefully. painting the air with blood and flesh. The two shadow guards let out an anguished shriek before dying an immediate death. That wasn¡¯t the end, as his steel ws continued to strike fiercely and relentlessly. Like a violent storm, he was unstoppable. In the span of a few breaths, the entirety of the shadow guards were left lying on the ground. Half of them were dead, and the other half were seriously injured. Chapter 256 ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s all over now.¡± Looking at the scene before her, Isfrid¡¯s face turned ashen, and her expression was full of despair. She had barged in full of confidence, but she didn¡¯t expect to encounter Darkwrath here. In terms of raw strength, ultimately, she was the loser. ¡°Allow me.¡± Dustin had somehow ended up beside her. ¡°You?¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not even his match. What can you do? Leave immediately! Don¡¯t throw your life away like that!¡± Even though she looked down on him, she didn¡¯t wish for him to die in vain. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you.¡± Seeing hisck of reaction, Istrid¡¯s frustration grew. ¡°This guy is unpredictable. He¡¯s also ranked in the top ten of The Hundred Immortals. You¡¯re no match for him. I¡¯ll buy time for you. Escape while you can! When you get back, ask Mrs. Harmon to send a highly skilled fighter. Go!¡± She bellowed out herst word. As the leader of team five, naturally, she wouldn¡¯t leave her teammates behind and escape on her own. That was why she needed someone else to deliver the message. ¡°So what if he¡¯s ranked eighth? He¡¯s nothing but a mere ant.¡± With a frosty expression, Dustin pushed forward. ¡°Hey! Are you crazy? Do you know what you¡¯re doing? This is not the time to try to be brave. You¡¯re never going to beat him. What you¡¯re doing is sending yourself to certain death.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Istrid was both anxious and angry. She¡¯d never seen anyone so foolish to choose to light a losing battle. This guy was hopeless. ¡°Kiddo, you should have taken her advice. If you¡¯d escaped earlier, you might¡¯ve had a chance at living. But now, goodbye.¡± Darkwrath¡¯s mouth curved up into a sinister smile. While he spoke, he licked the blood on his steel ws like a maniac. ¡°Where¡¯s Natasha? Let her go, and I¡¯ll let you live. Dustin ordered coldly. Everyone present was stunned. Nobody expected those words toe out of his mouth. ¡°Kiddo, you¡¯re pretty wild for someone who¡¯s about to die. It seems like I need to teach you a lesson for you to recognize my prowess!¡± Darkwrath finally lost his patience as his expression turned cold. With one step forward, he propelled out like a rocket, charging toward Dustin with sheer force. Once he was near, he waved his hand, and his steel ws shimmered like rays of light, alming straight for Dustin¡¯s throat. ¡°Run!¡± Istrid shouted. That was the move that killed most of her team. Even she might have difficulty dodgingit. ¡°Can you outrun me?¡± Darkwrath grinned devilishly and sped up. ¡°Lend me your sword.¡± With a tap of his fool, the sword on the floor sprung up andnded firmly in his hands. He flicked his wrist, and the de pierced Darkwrath with a shimmer and a thunderous whistle. What followed was the sound of a deafening ng of metal. The shimmering de shattered Darkwrath¡¯s steel ws, and without stopping, pierced through his neck. His body stiffened as if he had turned to stone. A thin line of blood formed slowly at his throat. Soon, the bloody line grewrger, quickly turning into a gaping wound. The next second, his head, like a ball, rolled off the ground with a thud and straight to Istrid¡¯s feet, his widened eyes staring right into hers. He had died a regretful death. Chapter 257 ¡°Uh¡­¡± Isfrid was bewildered at the sight of the head beside her feet. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Who would have imagined that the mighty and iparable Darkwrath would be killed so easily? He was ranked eighth of The Hundred Immortals! He had decapitated the entirety of team five on his own. It was preposterous for him to be killed with one strike of the sword. ¡°What?¡± Looking at the headless body. Fletcher was taken aback as well. He knew Dustin was strong but didn¡¯t realize he was that strong. With just a strike of his sword, he killed Darkwrath, ranked eighth of The Hundred Immortals. It seemed like only Judge, who was ranked third, would be able to suppress his formidable strength. ¡°You ¡­ you killed my brother?¡± Lightwrath finally stood. His pale face appeared ghastly. He allowed his brother to y his game of cat and mouse without intervening since victory was within reach. He didn¡¯t expect a highly skilled martial artist to be hidden among them. On top of that, that highly skilled martial artist unexpectedly brought about his brother¡¯s demise. ¡°I gave both of you the opportunity to attack together. He¡¯s the one who didn¡¯t appreciate it,¡± Dustin responded tly. ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± Lightwrath flew into a rage. He took out two pistols and charged forward violently. ¡°All of you, go!¡± Fletchermanded. Finally, the remaining few highly skilled, ranked martial artists joined the fray and nked Lightwrath to protect him as they surged forward, attempting to encircle Dustin. From their perspective, even if Dustin¡¯s skills were formidable, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back their collective assaults. After all, he only had four limbs. ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s really over this time!¡± Istrid grew increasingly worried as she watched the martial artists, all ranked on The Hundred Immortals, join forces in the attack. Although she was surprised by Dustin¡¯s performance, she knew that victory and defeat in a battle between skilled martial artists hung by a thread. Dustin could turn out victorious if it were a one¨Con¨C one battle, but when going against numerous opponents, only certain death would face him. ¡°Hmph!¡± Faced with the approaching Lightwrath and his group, Dustin remained still and swung his sword once more. With a sharp whistle, the sword glimmered across the air. Lightwrath and the others appeared to have been cursed in ce, their movementsing to a halt. Their legs gave way, and they copsed to their knees. Finally, heads rolled off onto the ground in session. sttering blood all over the floor. Immediately, a dead silence engulfed the area. Isirid and the rest of the shadow guards looked on in shock and disbelief. If Darkwrath¡¯s death was described as the result of an ambush or a surprise attack, then, right now, it would be described as the result of sheer strength. One single strike had in a number of skilled martial artists ranked on The Hundred Immortals. It was truly terrifying! When Istrid thought of how she had looked down on him, she was filled with shame. It turned out that she was the true bum. ¡°Release her, or die!¡± Dustin ignored the lifeless bodies on the ground, staring straight at Fletcher. It was as if he was looking at a dead man. ¡°You How could you. Fletcher broke out in a cold sweat, looking terrified. Dustin¡¯s prowess made him see the man in a new light. ¡°Release her!¡± Dustin repeated. He spoke straight to the point, yet it was exceptionally domineering. ¡°You just you wait!¡± Fletcher panicked. Without another word, he rushed into the vi. Hummer Vi was vast, with an entire hill enveloped within its grounds. While the outer square was filled with chaos, inside, it was bustling with music and wine. A group of esteemed guests was gathered in the luxurious vi, attending the Hummers¡® party that was currently underway. Their focus was all on Joshua and Jade. Chapter 258 ¡°Mr. Hummer! Something terrible has happened!¡± Fletcher suddenly rushed in, stumbling in his steps. His disheveled and panicked appearance looked extremely out of ce. ¡°What¡¯s with themotion?¡± Joshua¡¯s expression turned cold, and he appeared upset. ¡°Speak up. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°D¨CDustin is out here on a killing spree!¡± Fletcher reported in a whisper. ¡°Oh?¡± Joshua raised an eyebrow. ¡°He dares barge in here despite knowing it¡¯s the lion¡¯s den? Is this kiddo really that brave?¡± ¡°What do we do now, Mr. Hummer?¡± Fletcher asked anxiously. ¡°What do you mean? Get Darkwrath and Lightwrath to kill him. Don¡¯t let him interrupt our party.¡± Joshua waved him away. ¡°Mr. Hummer he¡¯s already killed them both!¡± Fletcher was somber. ¡°Huh?¡± Joshua frowned. ¡°When Darkwrath and Lightwrath join forces, even Judge would need to exert his full strength. Is this kiddo that skilled?¡± ¡°It would have been great if they joined forces, but they were too arrogant and gave him a chance to defeat them,¡± Fletcher sounded helpless. ¡°Those fools! What useless trash!¡± Joshua was displeased. He was upset to have to expend extra effort on an ant that was supposed to be easily squashed. In the midst of their conversation, the huge doors to the vi were kicked open with a deafening crash. A tall figure strode in with a murderous look. ¡°Listen up, Hummers. I¡¯m giving you three minutes. Let her go immediately. Otherwise, nobody is leaving this ce alive.¡± Dustin scanned his surroundings, his voice cold. The hall exploded in a frenzy when they heard him. ¡°Who is this punk? How dare he make a scene at the Hummers¡°? Doesn¡¯t he value his life?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, scram right now. Otherwise, your end will be near!¡± ¡°Fuck! Who is this punk? He¡¯s so wild.¡± Everyone present whispered and pointed in righteous indignation. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Everyone, please calm down. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Joshua walked slowly to the center, a faint smile ying on his lips. ¡°You must be Dustin. Kneel and apologize to my honored guests tonight, and I might spare your life.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re not worthy for me to kneel before you,¡± Dustin responded coldly. Joshua¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°Kiddo, do you know who you¡¯re talking to? Do you think you can act recklessly here just because you defeated Darkwrath and Lightwrath? Let me tell you, those two are just like you, mere ants in my eyes.¡± ¡°You have two minutes left.¡± Dustin was stone¨Cfaced. Joshua chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. You¡¯re fearless for someone nearing death.¡± With a sneer, he ordered. Judge, I¡¯ll leave this person to you. Deal with him cleanly. I don¡¯t want blood to stain the floor.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± ¨C Right then, a middle¨Caged man in a long robe suddenly leaped wn from the second floor. He had a tall stature and wore a mask. He held a rtively short, steel spear in his hand, exuding a chilling air around him. ¡°Damn! Isn¡¯t that Judge, who is ranked third on the Hundred Immortals? I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s here!¡± ¡°With Judge here, there is no escape. This punk is dead for sure!¡± After the long¨Crobed man appeared, the hall erupted in another frenzy. Judge had a well¨Cknown reputation to his name, and his sudden appearance was bound to bring forth a torrent of bloodshed. ¡°Dustin! We¡¯re here to assist you!¡± At this moment. Isfrid and a few injured shadow guards staggered into the room. ¡°You won¡¯t be of any help. Go wait at the side,¡± Dustin remarked tly. Isfrid frowned after hearing him. It was the first time in her life being shunned as such. ¡°Even though we¡¯re not as skilled as you are, we still have our merits. It would be advantageous to have more numbers,¡± she said with a resolute expression. ¡°Suit yourselves. Just don¡¯t stand in my way.¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°You¡± She pursed her lips. As an exceptional female fighter, she¡¯d never experienced such tant disregard. No matter what, she was determined to showcase her full strength, to prove to the person before her that women were as formidable as men. Just as the thought crossed her mind, she nced ahead and noticed Judge standing right in the center. She froze on the spot. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is Judge here? Did the Hummers invite bystanders to the fray?¡± Isfrid was secretly apprehensive and worried at the same time. With the warrior ranked third among The Hundred Immortals here, they were going to suffer an immeasurable loss. That was because Judge¡¯s skills far surpassed those of Darkwrath and Lightwrath¨C they weren¡¯t even on the same ne. This screamed trouble! Chapter 259 ¡°Kiddo! I¡¯m giving you two options. Either you kneel before Mr. Hummer or die!¡± Judge¡¯s tone was frosty, and his gaze was stagnant like a pool, calm and impassive. He¡¯d been killing since he was ten and had a body count of hundreds, if not thousands. ¡°I choose death. Come at me if you can.¡± Dustin beckoned him forward with his finger. ¡°How insolent!¡± Judge¡¯s gaze turned increasingly frosty as heunched his spear forward. Like a canon, it shot straight for Dustin¡¯s chest. Dustin stood unmoved and grabbed the spear, flinging it back. With a sharp whistle, it shot back out toward Judge with greater speed. Judge sneered and mirrored Dustin¡¯s stance, grabbing his own spear. However, as soon as he grabbed hold of it, it was as if he was struck by lightning. He staggered backward, his feet skidding along the ground, leaving deep imprints with each step. ¡°How could this be?¡± Judge¡¯s expression changed, and he exerted his entire strength in an attempt to stop the momentum of his steel spear. A gaping wound was forming between his thumb and index finger, and his fingers were turning into a bloody mess of flesh and blood from the sheer force of energy. Even so, he didn¡¯t dare let go. ¡°Ahhh!¡± As he realized that no amount of force would be able to stop his weapon, he let out an anguished scream, and his expression was full of despair. ¡°Save me, Mr. Hummer!¡± he screeched loudly, losing his previous arrogance. Before the crowd could react, his spear trembled and escaped from his grasp, piercing straight through his chest. With a final whistle, it embedded into the wall, disappearing out of sight, leaving only a hole the size of an egg. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Moaning painfully, Judge looked at his wrangled hands and the gaping hole in his chest. His mouth opened like he wanted to speak, but no sound could be heard. Falling backward onto the ground, he died in grievance. In the end, the mighty, third¨Cranked Judge met his demise at the hands of his own weapon. Silence engulfed the scene as the crowd looked on in shock, their eyes fixed on the lifeless body of Judge sprawled on the ground. This oue was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. They had been certain that Dustin would meet his end with Judge¡¯s appearance. However, with just a casual flick of his hand, Judge was impaled by his own spear. Nobody reacted as the entire situation happened abruptly. Some of them couldn¡¯t even believe it. Just like that, the warrior ranked third among The Hundred Immortals had fallen. His death was so sudden and bizarre that they wouldn¡¯t have believed it if they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes. ¡°Oh my goodness, where did this monstere from?¡± Istrid waspletely dumbfounded, her eyes wide open. Darkwrath, Lightwrath, and Judge were all highly¨Cskilled experts ranked on the Hundred Immortals. However, Dustin handled them like they were mere vegetables on a chopping board. It was truly terrifying! ¡°Damn it! Who is this kid? He actually killed Judge!¡± ¡°Who knows? He¡¯s truly talented for his age and skills.¡± Whispers filled the air, and they took in Dustin¡¯s figure with tinges of awe. ¡°Kiddo. I didn¡¯t expect you to have skills like that. I underestimated you.¡± Joshua was slightly taken aback but sneered again after a brief moment. The Hundred Immortals was a power ranking for low¨Clevel martial artists. However,pared to divine¨Clevel martial artists, they fell short by more than a mile. At present. Joshua was already a divine¨Clevel martial artist and had the potential to challenge the ranks of The Heavenly Immortals. In his eyes, a low¨Clevel martial artist like Judge was no different from an ant. Just like how Dustin had killed him instantly with a single strike, he could do the same, and with even less effort. That was the true power of a divine¨Clevel martial artist. ¡°Release her, or die,¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°Kiddo, don¡¯t be too arrogant! Do you think you can act recklessly in front of me just because you killed Judge? Let me tell you honestly, I¡¯m already a divine¨Clevel martial artist. I can destroy you, ordinary people, with nothing more than a flick of my finger!¡± As Joshua spoke, his arms trembled, and a terrifying air emanated from him. Chapter 260 Under Joshua¡¯s impressive prowess, the guests in the hall began to retreat involuntarily. It felt as if rocks were pressing on their chests as their breathing grew heavy. ¡°Damn! Mr. Hummer is impressive. He¡¯s already achieved divinity!¡± ¡°He¡¯s truly deserving to be Boulderthorn¡¯s genius. To achieve divinity before the age of thirty, he¡¯s truly a Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. terrifying man.¡± ¡°Although a low¨Clevel and divine¨Clevel martial artist only differed in a single word, the disparity in strength, just like their name, was like heaven and earth. This kid¡¯s strong, but he¡¯s still a weakling in front of Mr. Hummer.¡± The crowd started a frenzied discussion as they witnessed Joshua¡¯s imposing presence and arrogance. At that moment, Tina, who was among the crowd, burst intoughter. ¡°You fucking bastard! How dare you cause a scene at Hummer Vi? Look at yourself in the mirror! Give him a good beating for me, Joshua!¡± ¡°I have good taste in men. He¡¯s so cool.¡± Jade¡¯s lips curled up into a smile, and she looked at Joshua with a gaze full of affection. A divine¨Clevel martial artist in their twenties was a desirable catch anywhere. Not to mention, he was Boulderthorn¡¯s direct disciple. Talent, skills, background¨Che had it all. Promising individual like him was few and far between in the whole of South City. She was proud and pleased with her choice. Her man would definitely make a name for himself in the future. As long as Joshua married her, he would definitely receive the full support of the Grant family. As long as the family focused on nurturing him, then there would be a chance for him to be the second Tyler Grant. Edwin chuckled heartily, ¡°The Hummer family has experienced consecutive setbacks, but today is the day to restore our prestige.¡± Edwin watched the entire scene happening below from the second floor of the vi, a proud smile adorning his face. How could he not be happy with such a talented son? ¡°What? The Hummer family has a divine¨Clevel martial artist in their midst?¡± Istrid paled from the shock. As she took in Joshua¡¯smanding presence, her legs started trembling involuntarily. Divine¨Clevel martial artists were one in a million. It wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved through sheer effort, and it also required exceptional talent. Some practitioners would spend their entire lives without attaining divinity. However, once they did, it wouldpletely transform their lives for the better! There were more than a hundred martial artists among the Harmon family¡¯s shadow guards, but only one had achieved divinity. And that was themander of the shadow guards. ¡°Isfrid, what should we do now? With a divine¨Clevel martial artist as our opponent, we won¡¯t be a match for him even if all of us joined forces.¡± The shadow guards behind her also had terrified expressions. Isfrid remained silent, looking at Dustin instead. Even though she wanted to save Ms. Harmon badly, with the Hummer¡¯s divine¨Clevel martial artist present, it was inevitable for them to retreat. Joshua was smugly pleased to see Dustin fall silent. ¡°Hey, kiddo! Are you afraid now? You must be feeling terrified! This is the disparity between us. To me, you¡¯re just a mere ant! I¡¯ll give you a chance now. If you don¡¯t want to die, kneel immediately!¡± He¡¯d never shown himself since he became a divine¨Clevel martial artist, which exined why not many people knew about it. Today was a good opportunity for him to make a name for himself and rise to prominence! ¡°So what? If you don¡¯t let her go today, I will kill you!¡± Dustin was stone¨Cfaced. It was as if he was looking at a dead man. ¡°Kill me?¡± Joshua scoffed. ¡°Kiddo, it seems like you haven¡¯t realized the gravity of the situation. Since you don¡¯t seem to value your life, allow me!¡± With that, he waved his hand, and a burst of violent energy ripped toward Dustin with full force. Dustin didn¡¯t dodge it, allowing the burst of energy to crash into him as he stood unmoved. ¡°Hmm?¡± Joshua narrowed his eyes, looking slightly surprised. When a divine¨Clevel martial artist manifested energy externally, even a minor attack was not something a low- level martial artist could take on. Since his opponent could use his body to hold off the attack, it meant he was. highly skilled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such abilities up your sleeves. No wonder you were able to kill Judge. But it¡¯s too bad that you have to go up against me! Today, I will let you witness the difference between low¨C level marital artists and divine¨Clevel martial artists. Watch me!¡± Joshua grunted lightly as his body soared into the air like an eagle, aiming a p toward Dustin¡¯s forehead. The wind howled fiercely as his clothes fluttered in response. Under his terrifying prowess, the crowd retreated once again, afraid of being entangled in the conflict. Chapter 261 Isfrid and her team, who were standing behind Dustin, had it worse. They had difficulty breathing and staggered backward involuntarily. ¡°Is this what a divine¨Clevel martial artist is like? How frightening!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The crowd looked at each other in apprehension, silently worried. ¡°Fool.¡± Dustin sneered coldly at Joshua¡¯s oing attack and made a move,nding a fierce p on his face. The thunderous p sent Joshua into a backflip in the air, and hended head first onto the ground. At that moment, everyone was stunned into oblivion. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Everyone was shaken by the abrupt scene. No one could have imagined that the previously heroic Joshual would fall by Dustin¡¯s p, and they wondered if it was a coincidence or an ident. ¡°Josh!¡± Jade and Tina¡¯s expression paled as they rushed up to him. They helped him up to his feet while he was still feeling dizzy. *Josh, are you alright?¡± Jade was taken aback and worried. ¡°What happened just now?¡± Joshua shook his head, appearing dazed. Everything happened so suddenly that he didn¡¯t notice Dustin¡¯s movements. He only felt his sight go dark, and the next thing he knew, he was thrown to the ground. ¡°You ¡ª were beaten to the ground by that bastard,¡± Jade exined with a strange expression. ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Joshua could never believe it. ¡°How could he have hit me? I must have slipped and fell on my own!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You must have slipped!¡± Tina nodded furiously beside him. ¡°Kiddo! That didn¡¯t count. Let¡¯s go again!¡± Joshua couldn¡¯t admit defeat. With a tap of his feet, he launched himself out again. Another clear, booming p rang out before he wasunched back with even greater speed. Joshua suffered a crushing defeat and was badly battered. The crowd was shocked once again. They could have exined his first victory as the result of a coincidence or ident. But the second victory was absolutely remarkable. ¡°Let her go,¡± Dustin spat out coldly. ¡°You ¡ª y¨Cyou¡¯ve gone too far! I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t kill you right now!¡± Joshua flew into a rage and. pushed the two women beside him away,unching himself toward Dustin for the third time. This time, instead of his empty lists, he took out a dagger from his waist. With a weapon in hand, his attack would be exceedingly lethal! ¡°Go to hell!¡± As he drew near, Joshua swung his dagger forcefully. A sharp whistle was heard, and only the gleam of the dagger was seen. It aimed toward Dustin¡¯s forehead with fierce velocity. Dustin stood still, allowing the iing assault to ur. With a loud bang, the dagger exploded as it came into contact with his forehead, dissipating into sparks of light. ¡°What?¡± Joshua¡¯s pupils dted in horrified shock. How was that possible? Dustin had taken his sh head¨Con, literally. But Joshua was the divine¨Clevel martial artist! Any sh of his would break open boulders. Even a block of steel would slice in half with his previous attack, but Dustin blocked that attack with his head! ¡°Impossible! I must have been mistaken!¡± Joshua shook his head furiously, unable to believe it. Chapter 262 Joshua gritted his teeth and brandished his dagger again. ¡°Die!¡± He exerted all his strength into this attack, channeling every ounce of his internal energy. He believed Dustin wouldn¡¯t be able to block the attack even if he was made of steel. ¡°Hmph!¡± Dustin had clearly lost his patience. As he watched the oing assault, he moved and grabbed the de firmly. Tightening his grip, two crisp metallic crunches were heard, and the dagger made of refined iron was crushed into pieces. ¡°What?¡± Joshua was bewildered. Before Joshua reacted, Dustin extended out his arm again, pressing a finger on his chest. ¡°Boom!¡± The next second, it felt as if his bones had disintegrated as he fell limp to the ground. Feeling numb all over, he couldn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°You What did you do to me?¡± Joshua was shocked and horrified. He never dreamed that he would be defeated by an unknown kid. He was a divine¨Clevel martial artist! Boulderthorn¡¯s direct disciple! He should have been invincible in Swinton after his return. Why? Why couldn¡¯t he even defeat this punk? Where the hell did hee from? ¡°Let her go!¡± Dustin ignored him, looking at him condescendingly from above as it he was looking at an ant. ¡°Punk! You can¡¯t be my opponent. What trick did you use?¡± Joshua still couldn¡¯t believe it. He couldn¡¯t ept that a small fry like Dustin would destroy an exceptional fighter like him. ¡°You speak too much nonsense!¡± Dustin was irritated and stomped violently on Joshua¡¯s knees. With a crisp crack, his knees sprayed blood everywhere. Joshua screamed in agony as his face contorted in pain and beads of sweat dripped down from his face. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°You insolent bastard!¡± When they saw Joshua getting injured, the crowd erupted in anger. Arge number of the Hummer family¡¯s guards swarmed in from different directions, surrounding Dustin in no time. These guards were armed with guns. They had clearly made preparations in advance. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Rhys! Let go of my brother! Otherwise, after mymand, you will be shot to oblivion!¡± Tina screeched, putting on a front. Even though Dustin was powerful, he was still a mass of flesh that could get injured and bleed. With so many armed guards surrounding him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape unscathed. ¡°Fire if you dare. I¡¯d like to see who¡¯d die first.¡± Dustin remarked coldly, without a hint of fear. ¡°You fire. Tina was exasperated. Since Joshua was right beside Dustin, he would also get shot if they opened ¡°Dustin Rhys! We¡¯re in Hummer Vi. This is not a ce for you to behave atrociously. Let him go! Otherwise. you will regret it!¡± Jade¡¯s expression was stone cold. She didn¡¯t expect Joshua to be defeated by Dustin either. However, in this world, bravery changed nothing. Power was more important. Joshua had the Hummer family and Boulderthorn behind him. After she married him, he would also have the support of the Grant family. Who would dare challenge him then? ¡°I¡¯ll regret it? I¡¯d like to see how much I¡¯ll regret it !¡± As he spoke, he stomped on Joshua¡¯s other leg, breaking it. Chapter 263 After a short moment of astonishment, Joshua let out an ear¨Cpiercing scream. He sounded like a pig sent for ughter. ¡°How dare you, you imbecile!¡± Edwin¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He couldn¡¯t believe Dustin had the guts to chop Joshua¡¯s arm off in front of everyone. He¡¯d crossed the line! ¡°You¨Chow dare you harm Josh!¡± Jade shrieked. How could a peasant like Dustin dare to rebel against them like this? Did he have a death wish? ¡°Rhys! You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Tina screeched. Dustin had humiliated her before: now, Joshua was the one suffering. How could the Hummer family possibly face the world if they didn¡¯t get revenge for this? ¡°Let her go,¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°Fuck you! You have hell to pay for harming my brother!¡± Tina snarled. Dustin didn¡¯t waste his breath. Instead, he brandished his sword and swung it lightly, slicing Joshua¡¯s other arm off. Blood sttered over the floor, and Joshua¡¯s right armnded in a pool of it. He howled again, his face contorting in a mask of pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Now, he was no different from amb up for ughter. His earlier arrogance and dominance had dissipated. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°You abomination!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Dustin¡¯s second attack brought about more furious exmations. It was bad enough that he¡¯d chopped Joshua¡¯s left arm off; he¡¯d now made things worse by chopping off the right one as well. It was an insult to the Hummer family¡¯s dignity and pride! Amidst their fury, the members of the Hummer family came to a conclusion¨CDustin was a madman! ¡°Let her go!¡± Dustin brandished his sword again. This time, he pressed it to Joshua¡¯s neck. The cold, steely look in his eyes made the onlookers subconsciously shudder. They¡¯d seen their fair share of nefarious characters, but this was their first timeing into contact with the cold, inhumane look in Dustin¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t mad, nor had he raised his voice. On the contrary, he¡¯d been calm and collected throughout the whole exchange. However, the more he acted like that, the more terrifying it was. There was no doubt in everyone¡¯s minds that he would behead Joshua if the Hummer family didn¡¯t do as he said. ¡°Let ¡­ let her go!¡± Edwin forced out through gritted teeth, ultimately choosing to give in. He couldn¡¯t take this bet, not with Joshua¡¯s life on the line. He¡¯d already witnessed how ruthless Dustin could be. ¡°Dad!¡± Tina couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Were they, the almighty Hummer family, going to give in to a brat? ¡°I said, let her go!¡± Edwin turned to bellow at her. Nothing mattered more than Joshua¡¯s life. Tina bit her lip and loosened Natasha¡¯s ties. As soon as she was free, Natasha gave Tina two tight ps. Tina stared at her, dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s only the interest you owe me. I¡¯ll collect the rest of my debtter.¡± With that, she turned and strutted toward Dustin. She¡¯d never been the type to suffer in silence¨Csince she¡¯d been pped, she had to return the favor. ¡°Why, you- Tina gnashed her teeth, looking humiliated. Dustin and Natasha were too obnoxious for words! Chapter 264 ¡°Dustin, we¡¯ve already let her go, so it¡¯s your turn!¡± Edwin tried his best to suppress his rage. If not for Dustin pulling such dirty tricks, he wouldn¡¯t be in this situation! ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about letting anyone go.¡± Dustin obviously wasn¡¯t going to let the matter slide. ¡°You abducted Ms. Harmon and harmed members of the Harmon family. Do you think I¡¯ll let you off the hook so easily?¡± ¡°Rhys, I¡¯m waming you¨Cdon¡¯t take this too far!¡± An ugly look crept onto Edwin¡¯s face. ¡°This is the Hummer This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. family¡¯s territory; you¡¯re dreaming if you think you can walk out of here unscathed! Now, I¡¯m giving you a chance. Let Josh go, and I won¡¯t begrudge you for everything that¡¯s happened before this. Otherwise, you won¡¯t step a foot out of here without getting injured!¡± Jade added, ¡°He¡¯s right! Let Josh go, or you¡¯ll be making an enemy out of the Grant family!¡± Dustin didn¡¯t say anything and nced at Natasha. If she were to give the order, he¡¯d behead Joshua without batting an eye. However, Natasha said calmly, ¡°Losing both arms is good enough to teach him a lesson. Leave him alive for now.¡± She wanted nothing more than to kill Joshua, but he was an esteemed disciple of the Boulderthorn Guild and Jade¡¯s fianc¨¦. If she were to take his life, she¡¯d only be causing trouble for herself. Dustin would also be public enemy number one to the Boulderthorn Guild and the Grand family. Things wouldn¡¯t be so easily resolved then. Dustin nodded. ¡°Alright. I can let him live, but he still has to pay for what he¡¯s done.¡± With that, he kicked Joshua in the abdomen, sending him flying as he howled in pain. Edwin and the others cried out his name and ran over to him, helping him up. He spat out a mouthful of blood as his face contorted in a mask of pain. He forced out through gritted teeth, ¡°Dad, he¨Che destroyed my cultivation!¡± That earlier kick had shattered his core. ¡°What?¡± Edwin and the others were horrified. Joshua would be no different from a cripple with his cultivation and core destroyed. Edwin¡¯s eyes bulged with rage as he roared. ¡°How dare you ruin my son¡¯s future, you brat!¡± They could find a way to reattach Joshua¡¯s limbs, but there was no way to recover from a shattered core. ¡°Dustin, you and your whole family s dead meat! From this day onward, you¡¯re the Grant family¡¯s biggest enemy! I¡¯ll chase you to the ends of the earth!¡± Jade shrieked, her face filled with deep hatred. Joshua had been her ticket to a great future: Dustin¡¯s kick had ruined everything. ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t think karma woulde back to bite you in the ass when you bullied and murdered innocents. *Dustin said coolly. ¡°What goes aroundes around¨Csince youmitted crimes against others, I¡¯m here tomit crimes against you and give you a taste of your own medicine.¡± ¡®Dustin Rhys! From this day onward, the Hummer family, the Grant family, and the Boulderthorn Guild will be out for your blood! We won¡¯t rest until you¡¯re dead!¡± Edwin roared. ¡°Come at me with everything you have. I¡¯d like to see what you have in store for me.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t even flinch. He would¡¯ve beheaded Joshua with the first swing of his sword if not for the consequences it would bring Natasha. Then again, he didn¡¯t intend to let the Hummer family off the hook. If they really chased him to the ends of the earth, he¡¯d eradicate them. ¡°Shoot him! Hurry!¡± Tina shrieked. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± A team of gun¨Cwielding bodyguards cocked their guns and aimed them at Dustin. However, before they could pull the trigger, Dustin swung his sword. A beam of light shot toward the bodyguards, slicing them clear through their waists. In that instant, pained cries pierced the air. That was only a portion of Dustin¡¯s ability, and he¡¯d taken out more than twenty people with a single swing of his sword! ¡°T¨Cthis¡­¡± Everyone else was dumbfounded¨Cthey didn¡¯t dare move. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t linger. He kept an eye on Natasha and the others to ensure their safety while walking out. Tonight, he¡¯d singlehandedly dealt a devastating blow to the Hummer family. He was invincible! Chapter 265 As they walked out of Hummer Vi, Natasha, who¡¯d put up a strong front earlier, suddenly felt her knees buckle under her. She almost fell t on her face. Dustin quickly caught her and asked worriedly. ¡°Are you okay? Do you feel sick?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just out of strength. My knees feel like jelly.¡± She shook her head. She¡¯d been on edge earlier; now that she could rx, she felt weak. ¡°Ms. Harmon, I¡¯ll carry you!¡± Istrid stepped forward and volunteered to help her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to inconvenience you when you¡¯re seriously injured,¡± Natasha said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. These injuries mean nothing.¡± Istrid patted her chest to show she was okay. ¡°You¡¯re seriously injured if I say so!¡± Natasha¡¯s tone suddenly became stern. She red at Isirid. ¡°Huh?¡± The realization dawned on Istrid when she nced at Dustin. ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. I feel really dizzy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Dustin looked helpless as he swept Natasha into his arms. She had a strong personality but was only an ordinary woman¨Cshe had to be in shock after experiencing an abduction. ¡°Thanks for tonight.¡± Natasha smiled sweetly and leaned her head against his firm chest. His masculine pheromones made her heart race. Perhaps this was what people meant when they talked about a sense of security. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch when a friend¡¯s in trouble, right?¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Am I only a friend?¡± Natasha raised an eyebrow, looking slightly bitter. ¡°What else could you be?¡± Dustin pretended not to know what she was talking about. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re so dense!¡± Natasha frowned and chomped down on his shoulder. Dustin hissed in pain but didn¡¯t dare retaliate. ¡°This is a mark I¡¯m leaving on you. You belong to me for as long as this is around. I¡¯ll bite you to death if you dare reject me!¡± She bared her teeth as she spoke. Dustin grimaced but didn¡¯t dare say anything to refute her. He savored the feeling of her soft and pliant body in his arms; he couldn¡¯t help feeling aroused as her sweet scent enveloped him. They hadn¡¯t known each other long, but he¡¯d unknowingly started to fall for the vivacious woman. That was why he¡¯d been so anxious when he heard about her being abducted. It was also why he¡¯d devastated the Hummer family. At this moment, Hummer Vi was in a mess. Dustin had crashed the ce and ughtered their men with a single de, even crippling Joshua, who was the Hummer family¡¯s pride and joy. The Hummer family¡¯s dignity and arrogance had been flung to the ground and repeatedly stomped on. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m crippled I¡¯m crippled!¡± Joshua howled as hey in bed. With his core shattered and cultivation destroyed, his life was over. ¡°Josh, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll immediately have our men search for a miracle doctor. I guarantee I¡¯ll spare no expense and pay any price to have you cured!¡± Edwin said. Jade nodded vigorously. ¡°He¡¯s right, Josh. You¡¯ll definitely recover from this! The Grant family has an abundance of rare medicines. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll help to restore your core!¡± ¡°A full recovery isn¡¯t the only thing I want¨CI also want to get revenge! I want that Rhys brat to pay for this!¡± Joshua snarled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already informed Mark about this. He¡¯ll be here in no time. That brat will be dead meat when Mark arrives!¡± Jade said. ¡°Mark?¡± A trace of hope shed in Joshua¡¯s eyes at this. ¡°No matter how powerful that brat is, he¡¯s no match for Mark!¡± Joshua had only achieved divinity a few days ago. He¡¯d yet to fully adapt to this change, and his foundation had been shaky. That was why he could only manifest 50 to 60 percent of his abilities. Marcus Kent, on the other hand, had already achieved divinity three years ago and had even ranked among the Heavenly Immortals. He was more than enough to deal with Dustin. ¡°Killing him swiftly would be letting him off easy. I say we go after everyone rted to him so that he can see what it¡¯s like to be public enemy number one!¡± Tina spat. ¡°You¡¯re right. Issue an order for everyone to focus on catching Dustin and his posse. Whoever brings me his head on a tter will receive a reward of a billion dors!¡± Edwinmanded. With that, everyone in the Hummer family got to work. As the word spread, everyone was raring to go, especially when they heard about the reward. At Park ce. Jessica paced the living room, looking worried. Ruth also fidgeted restlessly, obviously anxious. Quentin was the only one who looked unruffled. In truth, he¡¯d been delighted by the news of Natasha¡¯s abduction. If anything were to happen to her, there was a high chance of him taking over thepany. Of course, in a best- case scenario, both Dustin and Natasha would die at Hummer Vi. That way, Quentin would finally have gotten his revenge! ¡°Mrs. Harmon!¡± The butler ran into the living room. ¡°So? Is there any news on Natasha?¡± Jessica¡¯s heart leaped to her throat. Though she believed the Hummers wouldn¡¯t do anything rash, she couldn¡¯t be absolutely sure. ¡°The shadow guards just sent word back that Ms. Harmon¡¯s been rescued. She¡¯s a little roughed up but is fine as a whole,¡± the butler said. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Jessica heaved a sigh of relief, looking joyful. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I knew she¡¯d be fine! How could anything happen to her?¡± Ruthughed. Quentin gnashed his teeth, looking pissed. He¡¯d stuck around for so long to receive such terrible news¨C what was wrong with the Hummer family? How weak could they be, allowing Natasha to get away so easily? ¡°As expected, we made the right choice by mobilizing the shadow guards. Otherwise, this rescue mission wouldn¡¯t have been so sessful.¡± Jessica smiled. ¡°Mrs. Harmon, the shadow guards weren¡¯t the ones who rescued Ms. Harmon,¡± The butler¡¯s expression became a little odd. ¡°Who else could it be? Don¡¯t tell me the Hummers voluntarily let her go.¡± ¡°The Hummers didn¡¯t free her of their own volition, and neither did the shadow guards contribute to rescuing Ms. Harmon,¡± the butler said. ¡°Mr. Dustin Rhys was the one who singlehandedly saved her. He ughtered Darkwrath, Lightwrath, Judge, and the Hummer family¡¯s elite army. No one in the Hummer family was a match for him!¡± His words dumbfounded Jessica and the others. Dustin had singlehandedly defeated so many people? Was he truly human? Chapter 266 The following morning, at Peaceful Medical Center. Dustin got up early, washed up, and started preparing breakfast. As usual, it was his signature dish, deviled eggs. It was simple but smelled amazing. He¡¯d just brought the food to the dining table when someone walked in. ¡°Wow, that smells great!¡± It was Dahlia. Today, she wore a smart suit and heels. Her hair was in a ponytail, revealing her fair and slender neck. She looked happy to see the food. ¡®Are those deviled eggs? How did you know I hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet, Dustin? Since you prepared this for me, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡± She sat down and started to dig in. ¡°This isn¡¯t ¡°Dustin was about to say something when his bedroom door swung open to reveal a gorgeous woman standing there. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m starving. Is breakfast ready yet?¡± It was Natasha. She had on an oversized shirt. As she stretched, it dipped to reveal her cleavage. ¡°Hmm?¡± She and Dahlia met each other¡¯s gaze. They were both equally stunned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± they asked simultaneously. The air crackled with electricity, and the tension was so thick one could slice it with a knife. ¡°Dustin, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Dahlia locked hostile. She could tell that Natasha was wearing Dustin¡¯s shirt. That, coupled with the fact that Natasha wasing out of Dustin¡¯s room, was more than enough for even a fool to tell that something was afoot. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Dustin wanted to exin, but Natasha cut him off. ¡°Darling, since she¡¯s caught us redhanded, we might as welle clean. There¡¯s nothing to hide, anyway!¡± ¡°So, you slept with her? Dahlia bit her lip, looking jealous. She¡¯d always thought Dustin could keep it in his pants; she was obviously wrong. ¡°Why bother asking when it¡¯s obvious?¡± Natasha tugged the shirt lower to reveal more of her cleavage. ¡°Nothing of the sort happened.¡± Dustin felt a headacheing on. ¡°Ms. Harmon was injured yesterday, so I brought her back here to treat her. Nothing else happened.¡± Dahlia took a closer look at Natasha and noticed the wounds on her body. Even so, she couldn¡¯t keep the jealousy from her tone as she said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t she go to a hospital if she was injured? Whye here?¡± ¡°I can go wherever I want. It¡¯s up to me.¡± Natasha smirked. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but you two are divorced, Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. right? If so, it¡¯s none of your business even if anything were to happen between me and Dustin.¡± ¡°So what if we¡¯re divorced? We can always remarry!¡± Dahlia red at her, refusing to back down. ¡°Do you think marriage and divorce is a game? What do you take Dustin for?¡± Natasha¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, one shouldn¡¯t be too greedy. Since you¡¯re the one who chose to give up, you should bear the consequences ordingly.¡± ¡°Everyone makes mistakes; it¡¯s fine as long as they realize where they went wrong and correct them. I made a mistake in the past, but now, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to make it up to him!¡± Dahlia nced at Dustin as she spoke, seemingly hinting at something. ¡°Since you refuse to give up, let¡¯s see who¡¯s better at this.¡± Chapter 267 Natasha shrugged and sat at the dining table. She pulled the deviled eggs to her and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for breakfast, darling. You¡¯re so considerate!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. These eggs are mine.¡± Dahlia pulled the eggs back. ¡°It¡¯s been three years, but I¡¯ve yet to fall out of love with Dustin¡¯s cooking. Besides, he knows I love deviled eggs.¡± ¡°Ms. Nicholson, stop thinking so highly of yourself. What¡¯s in the past is just that¨Cthe past. These eggs belong to me now.¡± Natasha didn¡¯t back down. She dragged the eggs to herself again. ¡°Ms. Harmon, robbing someone of something they love isn¡¯t the best habit to have. These eggs have been cooked to my taste; they only suit me!¡± ¡°What makes you think I don¡¯t like deviled eggs? I love anything Dustin cooks!¡± ¡°Hmph! Just because you like them doesn¡¯t mean they suit you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to me to decide whether they¡¯re suitable!¡± The conversation between the two women became increasingly heated as they dragged the te of deviled eggs back and forth. Neither of them wanted to back down. It was as if they¡¯d lose something precious if they were to give in. Dustin felt a headacheing on as he watched them duke it out. Honestly, he didn¡¯t think he was worthy of their affection. At the entrance to the guest bedroom, Caitlyn stuck her head out to peek at themotion. She asked in confusion. ¡°Max, what do you think Ms. Harmon and Ms. Nicholson are doing? Do they need to act like this over some eggs?¡± ¡°Caitlyn, you¡¯re too young to understand the intricacies of a rtionship between a man and a woman,¡± Maximus mysteriously said as he stroked his chin. ¡°They¡¯re not fighting over the eggs, but their dignity as women!¡± ¡°Dignity?¡± Caitlyn still didn¡¯t get it. ¡°Dustin personally cooked those eggs; whoever gets to taste them first wins this round.¡± Maximus looked in awe. ¡°As expected, he¡¯s truly admirable¨Cbeautiful women surround him, yet he remains unaffected by them. Look, they¡¯re about to get into a brawl, but Dustin still looks so calm and collected. He truly is someone to look up to!¡± Dustin, with his sharp senses, heard this. He turned around to re at Maimus and Caitlyn. The two heads immediately shot back into the room. A few secondster, they sneaked out again. ¡°Dustin, you decide! Who do these eggs belong to?¡± After an inconclusive argument, Natasha and Dahlia turned to look at Dustin. They looked like they wouldn¡¯t give up until they had the answer they wanted. Faced with the toughest question he¡¯d ever been asked, Dustin¡¯s lips twitched, sweat beaded on his forehead.¡± Uh these are my eggs!¡± he blurted out. He grabbed the te and scooped all the eggs into his mouth. With nothing left to fight over, the crisis had been averted. ¡°Hmph!¡± The two women red at each other before turning away in opposite directions, still refusing to give in to each other. *As expected of Dustin¨Conly he would¡¯ve thought of such a great idea!¡± Maximus was in awe of Dustin¡¯s ability to avert such a deadly crisis: he wanted to drop to his knees and worship the ground Dustin walked on. He was amazing! Perhaps this was what a true pro was like. Dustin was the first to break the silence after finishing the eggs. ¡°Dahlia, did youe here for something?¡± ¡°Do I have to have a purpose foring here?¡± Dahlia still looked miffed. ¡°Uh, no.¡± Dustin looked a little awkward. ¡°I came because we¡¯re having guests; you need to meet them with me. In fact, you might make some money from this. I don¡¯t want people saying you¡¯re leeching off me.¡± Dahlia gave Natasha a pointed look as she spoke. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him leeching off someone? Others may not even have the chance to do so!¡± Natasha didn¡¯t bat an eye. Before long, the women started squabbling again. Chapter 268 ¡°Ms. Nicholson, did youe here because you wanted something from me?¡± Dustin asked when he saw how tense the atmosphere was. ¡°What, do I have to have a reason foring here?¡± Dahlia red at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± He looked awkward. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s get down to business¨Cyou know Dr. Rowan Cross, right? I want to ask him to examine someone.¡± Dahlia stopped beating around the bush. ¡°Examine someone?¡± Dustin sized her up, then checked her pulse. Confused, he said, ¡°Aside from being a little out of whack, you¡¯re fine. You just need to control your emotions and diet.¡± your period ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s out of whack!¡± Dahlia red at him again, her face turning red. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was the one who needed an examination¨Cit¡¯s for a rtive of mine who suddenly fainted yesterday. She¡¯s beenining of a headache, but the hospital said she¡¯s fine. She wanted Dr. Cross to examine them just to be sure.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother Dr. Cross for something as simple as that¨CI¡¯m more than enough.¡± ¡°You?¡± Dahlia eyed him doubtfully. ¡°Can you handle it?¡± ¡°My medical center¡¯s been around for a number of years now. Wouldn¡¯t it have closed down long ago if I didn¡¯t have a few tricks up my sleeve?¡± Dustin said confidently. Dahlia was speechless. She¡¯d never seen any patients in the dingy medical center; how was it different from being closed down? ¡°We can forget about it if you don¡¯t trust me.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Who said anything about me not trusting you? You¡¯ll do!¡± Dahlia said decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank¨Cthis rtive of mine is a pretty big deal, so if you can cure her, it could be your ticket to sess. You won¡¯t have to leech off anyone anymore when that happens.¡± As she spoke, she gave Natasha a pointed look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with leeching off someone?¡± Natasha puffed out her chest. ¡°At least my darling is capable of leeching off someone¨Cothers may not be able to do so even if they wanted to!¡± Dahlia snorted. ¡°No upstanding man would want to be at a woman¡¯s beck and call. Think about how humiliating that¡¯d be!¡± ¡°What good is a man for if not to serve a woman? He can¡¯t fool around with himself, can he?¡± Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°Why, you-¡°Dahlia was exasperated. How could this woman be so crude? She wasn¡¯tdylike in the slightest! ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. We should focus on whatever¡¯s ailing your rtive. Let¡¯s head to the hospital.¡± Dustin quickly interjected when he saw the two women were about to start quarreling again. He dragged Dahlia out of the medical center. ¡°Darling, be back soon, okay? I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Natasha called, smiling seductively and sending him an air kiss. At the same time, she undid another button on her shirt to reveal more of her cleavage. Dustin stared at her. ¡°Hmph!¡± Dahlia stomped on his foot and gave him a warning look. He smiled awkwardly and retracted his gaze. ¡°Get in the car!¡± She stuffed him into the car before speeding off. ¡°Do you think you stand a chance against me, you t¨Cchested preteen?¡± Natasha smiled victoriously as she looked down at her voluptuous chest. It was enough to put any woman to shame, and none of her future children would ever go hungry. Half an hourter, in one of the wards at East Swinton Hospital. ¡°My head hurts! I feel like it¡¯s gonna split in half!¡± Janey in a hospital bed and clutched her head, asionally smacking it to alleviate the pain. ¡°Mom, hold on for a little longer. Dr. Cross will be here soon.¡± Dakota keptforting her. Nobody knew what had happened¨CJane had suddenly passed out yesterday and keptining about a headache when she¡¯de to. They¡¯d done all the examinations possible, but the results showed nothing was wrong with her. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee to this ursed ce. We¡¯ve had problem after problem since arriving. First, someone crashed into our car. Then, I got pped for no reason at all. Now, I¡¯m having a terrible headache. What have I done to deserve this?¡± Jane looked positively miserable. ¡°We¡¯ll head home once you¡¯re okay; we¡¯re nevering to this dump again!¡± Dakota said. Then, she turned to Florence, who stood at the ward¡¯s entrance, and screeched, ¡°What¡¯s taking so long? When is Dr. Crossing? Tell him to hurry!¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Florence didn¡¯t dare dy. She hurried out of the ward, took out her phone, and was about to dial a number when she saw two people approaching her¨CDahlia and Dustin. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Her face lit up as she hurried toward them. ¡°Your aunt¡¯s headache is getting worse, and the doctors here are too useless to do anything about it. Dr. Cross is our only hope now! Where is he?¡± She looked around but didn¡¯t see him. Dahlia shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s busy with something else and can¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°What? What are we gonna do, then? Florence was taken aback. Had they waited for nothing? ¡°Dustin has some medical expertise. How about we have him give it a shot?¡± ¡°Him?¡± Florence frowned. ¡°Have you lost your mind? How can this good¨Cfor¨Cnothing possibly know anything about treating a patient? Who¡¯s gonna bear the responsibility if anything goes wrong?¡± ¡°He cured Granddad when he was poisoned, remember? I have faith in him,¡± Dahlia said firmly. She¡¯d misunderstood Dustin one time too many; this time, she chose to trust him unconditionally. ¡°Stop this nonsense! Your granther only made it through because of Dr. Cross¡® Hexanavir, it had nothing to do with this man!¡± Florence scowled, looking contemptuous. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Do you have a better idea, then?¡± Dahlia asked. ¡°Well, I- Florence had no words. LINDRY 200 ¡°Since we¡¯re out of ideas, why don¡¯t we let Dustin try? We can think of something else if it doesn¡¯t work.¡± Dahlia¡¯s tone became domineering. ¡°Rhys, you¡¯d better watch what you¡¯re doing. Don¡¯t you dare try to pass just about anything off as a cure!¡± Florence warned. The two people in the ward were her cash cows. If anything were to go wrong, she¡¯d be in big trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the patient¡¯s doing.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t want to waste his breath on her. ¡°Hmph! Come with me!¡± Florence led Dustin and Dahlia into the ward. Once she stepped in, her arrogance faded, reced with a fawning smile. ¡°Florence, what the hell took you so long? Where is Dr. Cross?¡± Dakota asked impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Florence said sycophantically, gesturing to the people behind her. ¡°Behold the doctor we¡¯ve brought! ¡°Huh?¡± Dakota and Jane looked up, then eximed in unison. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Chapter 269 ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Dakota was momentarily taken aback when she recognized Dustin. Simrly, he looked at her funny with a hint of astonishment. Never had he expected that the two bitches were the rtives that Dahlia had mentioned to him. What a small world! ¡°Oh, did you know each other?¡± Dahlia¡¯s quizzical gaze traveled between the two. ¡°Not only are we acquainted,¡± Dakota hissed through clenched teeth, ¡°He¡¯s also the guy who beat us up yesterday!¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone was surprised to learn that. ¡°Um, Dakota, did you get the wrong person?¡± Florence questioned cautiously. ¡°No! How could I? I¡¯d recognize him even if he turned into ashes! I also suspect my mom¡¯s gotten a headache from his p!¡± Dakota seemed merciless. ¡°Right! I must have fallen sick because of that p! Get someone to arrest him!¡± Jane was bellowing in bed. She had been unable to put yesterday¡¯s events behind her, and she was extremely furious upon meeting her Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. enemy again. ¡°Dustin, what¡¯s the matter? Why did you hit them?¡± Dahlia was baffled to learn that he had a grudge against Jane and Dakota when she introduced him to her Glenstead rtives. ¡°They deserved it, Dustin replied bluntly. ¡°They reversed and crashed into another car, almost killing the victim. But they acted unreasonably like two bullies. I pped them across their faces because I couldn¡¯t stand them anymore.¡± ¡°You rascal! Do you know who they are? How dare you hit them?¡± Florence was incensed to learn that Dustin hadid a finger on her two Goddesses of Fortune. She took it as a personal affront as well. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time talking to him! Call the police now!¡± Dakota seethed resentfully. ¡°No, wait!¡± Dahlia jumped out to stop her. ¡°This might be a huge misunderstanding. There¡¯s no need to make this a bigger issue than it is. Why don¡¯t we have Dustin work on Aunt Jane¡¯s illness to make up for his mistake?¡± ¡°Hmph! Nobody needs his help!¡± Jane spat on the ground. ¡°Just look at his behavior. What if he makes things worse? Will anyone take the responsibility?¡± ¡°That works. I have no intention to cure you either,¡± Dustin said in an unperturbed manner. ¡°Oh, by the way, do not forget what I told you before¨Cheadaches on the first day, coughing up blood on the second day, and paralysis on the third day. You¡¯ll suffer a sudden death on the fourth day. Since today is the second day, it will not take long before you start coughing up blood. By that time, you¡¯ll have to leave your fate in the hands of God.¡± ¡°Y¨Cy¨Cyou¡¯re a jinx! Quit the nonsense! As Jane trembled in anger, her headache worsened as well. ¡°See? Did you hear him? How dare he curse my mom! This is an order¨Cget him arrested! If you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll hold you ountable! Dakota started ordering people around. Florence¡¯s face fell, and she yelled at Dustin,¡± Dustin Rhys! Apologize to them now! If you don¡¯t, I will not go easy on you!¡± ¡°Apologize to them? They don¡¯t deserve it.¡± Dustin chortled. ¡°If anything, they should be apologizing to me. It they do that, I might consider saving the mother.¡± ¡°Bullshit! Who do you think you are? You aren¡¯t qualified to treat my mom!¡± ¡°Yeah! With our status, we can hire any skilled doctors we want! We don¡¯t need you showing off here!¡± Jane and Dakota were being stubborn. In their eyes, an ordinary man like Dustin had no business attending to their medical needs. ¡°Hah! Sure, keep being stubborn, I do hope you don¡¯t have to beg me in the end.¡± Dustin chuckled with a shake of his head. ¡°Beg you? What a joke!¡± Jane sneered. ¡°Look, even if I am suffering from a horrible headache or in so much pain to the point of jumping off a building. I still wouldn¡¯t give in to you!¡± ¡°Okay. We shall see.¡± Without further ado, Dustin took leave. Dahlia frowned at his exit, but after a moment of hesitation, she ran after him. After they left, James brought in an old man dressed in a cloak and dashed into the bedroom. ¡°Mom! The skilled doctor you asked for is here!¡± ¡°The skilled doctor? Where is he?¡± Florence asked in a hurry. James jumped aside and presented the old man in a cloak, introducing him, ¡°This is Dr. Fenton Reyes from Bloomington Medical Center in Stonia. He¡¯s a veteran in his field and had ancestors who were royal physicians! No doubt, his skills are legendary!¡± ¡°Royal physicians?¡± Chapter 270 Florence, Jane, and Dakota were delighted by the doctor¡¯s presence. They could tell that he came from an Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. impressive background just from how James described him. Jane and Dakota believed they deserved the best. such as seeing a skilled doctor like Fenton Reyes. ¡°James. Dr. Reyes is a legend in Stonia. How did you get him to show up?¡± Florence asked curiously. James smiled. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t me. It was Mr. Langford who arranged for Dr. Reyes to see Aunt Jane.¡± ¡°Mr. Langford?¡± Florence¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing the name. Luis Langford was an aristocrat from Stonia who wielded great wealth and influence. He was also well- connected in the military and the government. More importantly, the Langford family was a close friend of the Nicholson family of Glenstead, Morcover, the Glenstead Nicholsons were greatly interested in an arranged marriage between Luis and Dahlia. In other words, if Dahlia was willing, she could marry into the wealthy Langford family in no time, elevating the entire family to greater heights! ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of Mr. Langford! He immediately asked for a skilled doctor to see my mom after hearing about her sickness. This way, Dr. Reyes!¡± Dakota led the old man to Jane¡¯s bed. He asked, ¡°Where are you hurting?¡± ¡°I have a headache! My head feels like it¡¯s splitting in hall!¡± Jane scrunched up her face. She seemed feeble and lifeless. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± The old man carefully ced his stethoscope on Jane. A few momentster, he replied, There doesn¡¯t seem to be an issue. I assume you are just sleep¨Cdeprived and stressed out.¡± With that, he took out a medicine bottle and poured three white pills. ¡°Take one pill a day for three days, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± *Awesome! Thank you. Dr. Reyes.¡± Jane was beyond joyful. Florence took the chance to suck up to the doctor,¡± You¡¯re indeed the legendary Dr. Reyes! You managed to cure an illness that has gotten many doctors in a bind! ¡°Hmph! That Rhys guy was fear¨Cmongering when he said my mom would cough up blood! He¡¯s talking crap. A fake like him should be dealt with!¡± Dakota said unhappily.¡± ¡°Right! When I¡¯m recovered, I will get him!¡± Jane swallowed a pill. However, her headache only worsened after that, to the point where she was in greater pain and drenched in cold sweat. As she was about to question the doctor, she coughed violently, her face red from the exertion. ¡°Mom! What happened? Are you okay?¡± Dakota asked her with concern. Soon, Jane opened her mouth and coughed up a mouthful of blood that sttered across her face. ¡°What was that?¡± Everyone in the room was shocked by Jane¡¯s declining condition. They exchanged confused nces with each other. A frantic Dakota hurriedly called for the doctor. ¡°Dr. Reyes, what¡¯s wrong? Why did she cough up blood?¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd. I¡¯ll take another look.¡± The old man furrowed his brow and went ahead with the checkup. Not long after, his expression became grim as he sighed. ¡°I am sorry. Your mother has a terminal illness. She¡¯s in thete stage. I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Huh? A terminal illness?¡± The people in the room were stunned. Didn¡¯t Dr. Reyes just say that Jane would be line? Why did he suddenly change his diagnosis? ¡°I am not knowledgeable enough to help you with this. I shall take my leave now.¡± The old man hung his head in shame. Then, he shook his head and stood up to leave. The others stared at him agape and panicked soon after. ¡°Headaches on the first day, coughing up blood on the second day, and paralysis on the third day. Was that guy right?¡± Jane mumbled to herself and suddenly broke into a scream. ¡°Quick! Get Dustin Rhys back here! Now!¡± Chapter 271 Dahlia caught up with Dustin at the hospital entrance and pulled on his arm. ¡°Hey! Stop! You¡¯re walking too fast. I almost couldn¡¯t catch up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I can¡¯t handle those rtives of yours. You should get some other doctor to deal with them.¡± Dustin remarked coolly. He was aversed to the two difficult women and refused to engage with them. ¡°Did I force you to cure Aunt Jane? Why are you being sensitive?¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Well, I thought ¡°What? Did you think I¡¯m an unreasonable woman who¡¯d force you to grovel at them?¡± she scoffed. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± He shed an embarrassed smile at her, feeling rather uneasy at her newfound considerate personality. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Alright. I know they¡¯re in the wrong. Just stay away from them in the future.¡± She dispensed a kind reminder.¡± They¡¯re from a wealthy and powerful family in Glenstead. Even Natasha Harmon couldn¡¯t protect you if you get into trouble with them.¡± ¡°Is that so? They sound quite remarkable, then.¡± He smiled carelessly. ¡°They¡¯re beyond remarkable! The three powerful families in Glenstead are steeped in history, dating back to a few centuries ago. They are well¨Cconnected in the military, government, and business field¨C living up to their reputation!¡± She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Well, I had nned to bring you along and suck up to them. I didn¡¯t know you got into a fight with them. What can I say, except that you¡¯ve missed the opportunity to get rich!¡± ¡°Oh, no thanks. I don¡¯t need that opportunity.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Hmph! Seems like you don¡¯t appreciate my help at all!¡± She rolled her eyes at him once more, but a little flirtatious this time. ¡°Hey! Dustin Rhys! Stop!¡± Dakota emerged out of nowhere, drenched in sweat. ¡°My mom coughed up blood just now! I¡¯m telling you to get back there and check on her!¡± To catch up to Dustin, she opted to use the stairs instead of the elevator, which exined her current breathless state. ¡°Oh, I recall that someone has vowed not to seek my help even if she has to jump from a building in pain! Why did she take back her word?¡± he mocked. ¡°Quit the nonsense! Do what I tell you to!¡± She red at him. ¡°I will write off the p if you cure her, and I¡¯ll grant you a chance to forge a connection with us.¡± In her eyes, the chance to suck up to her family was a rare opportunity for a worthless man like Dustin Rhys. ¡°Well, sorry. I don¡¯t care for that opportunity.¡± He looked unbothered. ¡°Dustin Rnys! Think carefully. Not everyone gets a chance like this! You should feel honored that I granted you the chance!¡± Dakota tossed her head. A spolled princess from a young age, she was ustomed to acting. arrogant and getting showered withpliments everywhere she went. ¡°No. That is too great of an honor,¡± he turned her down without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯d better not think too highly of yourself! I wouldn¡¯t have stopped you if you weren¡¯t a half¨Cdecent doctor. Don¡¯t be delusional!¡± She frowned at him. ¡°If so, please leave. I shall not see you out,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°You-¡± She choked on anger at Dustin¡¯s stubbornness. She would have gotten him torn apart if they were in Glenstead. ¡°Dustin Rhys, what will it take for you to help us? Give us an offer if money is what you want!¡± Dakota hissed. ¡°Want me to save your mom? I can do that on the condition that both of you apologize to me. I¡¯ll also need handwritten apology letters!¡± he suggested with a calm expression. ¡°An apology? Dream on!¡± His words fanned her anger. ¡°Who do you think you are? You have no right to ask us for an apology!¡± The Nicholsons were aristocratic and different from the lowly peasant ss that Dustin Rhys belonged to. There was no way for the aristocratic Dakota to give in to his demand! ¡°If you refuse, let¡¯s drop this matter. Please get a better doctor for your mom.¡± He did not care at all. ¡°You don¡¯t have to scare us! With our connections, we can hire any skilled doctor we need! I am offering you a chance to redeem yourself, but if you don¡¯t appreciate it, don¡¯t me me for making you pay!¡± Chapter 272 ¡°Once my Mom is cured, we¡¯ll hash out our past and present grievances together!¡± Dakota said in a sharp tone, her eyes ferocious. ¡°Knock yourself out.¡± Dustin shrugged nonchntly. ¡°You¡± Dakota choked out. She was grashing her teeth so hard that the grinding was audible, but she couldn¡¯t do anything anyway. While they were both in a stand¨Ccft, a sudden uproar broke out near the hospital entrance. They raised their heads to find a fully armed motorcade bulldozing their way over. The motorcade was from the military, and it was a huge spectacle. All the guards sitting on top were armed and radiating murderous energy. Everywhere they passed, people and cars parted to make way for them. ¡°That¡¯s strange. What is the military doing? Could they be here to arrest some ouw?¡± Dahlia looked around in confusion. Dakota also locked perplexed. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. At that moment, themander ordered, ¡°Hurry, surround them now!¡± The guards got down from the motorcade and instantly encircled Dustin and the two women. Seeing the muzzle of the guns lined up next to each other gave them chills. ¡°Huh?¡± Dahlia was startled, and her face paled. She had been ready to watch the show. Never in a million. years did she expect that these guards would be encircling them instead. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. This has nothing to do with you. They¡¯re here for me.¡± Dustin swept his gaze over the guards. He already had a n in mind. ¡°They¡¯re here to arrest you? Why?¡± Dahlia asked, bbergasted. She couldn¡¯t understand what kind of crime the man in front of her hadmitted that could incite the military¡¯s arrival. ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Dustin smiled mildly. ¡°A trivial matter?¡± Dahlia frowned. The military was here for him, and he still called it a trivial matter? ¡°Dustin, youmitted the heinous crime of murder in broad daylight! We have been ordered to arrest you and bring you to justice! If you resist, you will be killed!¡± themander said with a cool face.. The murderous vibe he was exuding scared the wits out of Dahlia. ¡°Commander, is there some kind of misunderstanding?¡± she asked tentatively. ¡°Unrted persons are to make way at once! Otherwise, you will be charged with the same crimes!¡± themander said mercilessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. You should go home first.¡± Dustin ced a hand on Dahlia¡¯s shoulder and smiled gently. ¡°I ¡ª¡± Dahlia said hesitantly. How could this huge spectacle be nothing? But she couldn¡¯t help in any way right now. ¡°Rhys, I bet you never thought this day woulde!¡± At that moment, Dakota suddenlyughed, taking pleasure in his misfortune. ¡°You must havemitted a huge crime to have sparked the military into coming here. Now, I¡¯ll give you another chance. If you cure my mother¡¯s illness and then apologize to me, I¡¯ll agree to save you.¡± Chapter 273 ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Dustin said, rejecting Dakota outright. ¡°You don¡¯t need it?¡± When Dakota heard his answer, she was stunned. She never thought that even at this moment of life and death, Dustin would still dare to reject her. Did he really not want to live anymore? ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t make decisions based on your emotions!¡± Dahlia tugged on his sleeve, trying to talk some sense into him. ¡°I don¡¯t care what crime youmitted, but your life is important. The Nicholson family has connections in the military: only she can save you now!¡± ¡°She can¡¯t save me, and I don¡¯t need her saving.¡± Dustin shook his head. Judging from the license tes and gs, this troop was from the Balerno Military. The people in nstead couldn¡¯t do anything. Not to mention, Edwin had to pull strings to send this huge troop after him. He wouldn¡¯t let Dustin get away that easily. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re already on death¡¯s door, yet you¡¯re still so stubborn!¡± Dakota jutted her chin out derisively. ¡°It seems like you still haven¡¯t grasped the severity of the problem. I dare guarantee that without the help of the Nicholsons, you¡¯ll be rotting in there for life!¡± ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m begging you, alright? Agree to her terms!¡± Dahlia urged anxiously. An average citizen couldn¡¯t fight an officer. The high¨Cranking officers in the military could easily squash a civilian. With just one word, they could have them buried six feet under. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m just going in to have a cup of tea. I believe I¡¯ll be out in no time, so you should just go home.¡± Dustin said with a small smile. The military hade all the way here, so of course, he had to show them some respect. ¡°Enough yapping! Take him away!¡± Themander had obviously run out of patience and ordered his men to cuff Dustin and push him into the car. Then, with a troop of guards in tow, they made a grand exit. The entire process had been so simple and straight to the point. No one had been dragging their feet. Dahlia was extremely anxious, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to help. With herwork, she couldn¡¯t even reach the high¨Cranking officials in the military, much less get them to save someone. As if she thought of something. she turned to Dakota and begged, ¡°Dakota, you have a widework. Can you help Dustin and break him out?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve already given him a chance, but he wouldn¡¯t ept my kind gesture. It¡¯s none of my business!¡± Dakota said huffily. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about Dustin, you have to think about your mother,¡± Dahlia said, changing the subject. ¡°Well¡­¡± Dakota frowned. She didn¡¯t care whether Dustin lived or died, but her mother was now suffering from a terminal illness, just like Dustin had said. If he kicked the bucket, then wouldn¡¯t her mother be at high risk? ¡°If I save him, are you sure he¡¯ll treat my mother?¡± Dakota asked doubtfully. ¡°I promise that he definitely will! Dahlia said with a serious face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you this time!¡± Dakota nodded. Then, she took out her phone and began to contact some people. A few of the Nicholson family members were working in the military. To her, this small favor was clearly not an issue at all. At that moment, Natasha was lying down on the lounge chair in Peaceful Medical Center, sipping her tea slowly like a dignified owner of a medical center. ¡°Natasha, something happened!¡± Ruth barged into the room in a panic. Chapter 274 ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Natasha said, slightly stunned. ¡°I just received word that Dustin has been arrested by the military!¡± In a no¨Cnonsense manner, Ruth quickly gave a simple exnation of what happened. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After Natasha heard the whole story, her face instantly grew solemn. ¡°Using the military to arrest him? It seems like the one behind thises from a decent background.¡± ¡°Natasha, do you think the Hummers did this?¡± Ruth asked, frowning slightly. ¡°Yesterday, Dustin went on a killing spree at the Hummers and even crippled Edwin¡¯s son. The Hummers definitely won¡¯t let this go easily.¡± ¡°It definitely has something to do with them. However, just Edwin¡¯swork alone is clearly not enough to invoke the power of the military. I¡¯m guessing the Grant family must have yed a hand in this,¡± Natasha said thoughtfully. Jade was Joshua¡¯s fianc¨¦. Considering their rtionship, there was no way the Grant family would sit around and do nothing. As one of the Tremendous Three, the Grant family had immense power over the Brno Military. Taking care of someone with no backing would be far too easy. Although she already knew that Dustin would be in trouble, she didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon. ¡°Natasha, what do we do now?¡® Ruth asked hesitantly. ¡°Go and find out where Dustin is being locked up. Leave the rest to me.¡± As soon as Natasha finished speaking, she turned around and went out the door. She knew that the battle was starting. This time, she was going to fight the Hummers to the death! Meanwhile, at the Hummer Vi, Joshuay on the bed, his face ashen. His arms were wrapped in thick bandages, and he looked listless. Next to him sat an old man that was only skin and bones. He waspletely focused on administering treatment, droplets of sweat beading on his forehead. Edwin and Tina watched silently from the door, not daring to make a noise for fear of disturbing him. The old man in front of him was none other than the miracle doctor, Dr. Rowan Cross! After a long time, Rowan finally stood. Edwin couldn¡¯t stop himself from speaking up. ¡°Dr. Cross, how is my son?¡± ¡°Mr. Hummer, I have reattached your son¡¯s arms. It¡¯s just that from today onward, he won¡¯t be able to lift heavy things anymore.¡± Rowan dabbed the sweat on his forehead. ¡°What about his internal injuries? Can his injured core recover?¡± Edwin pressed. Whether or not he could restore his cultivation was the most important part. It concerned his son¡¯s future. ¡°The core is not like the arms; restoring it would be very difficult. Nevertheless, I can continue to research any ancient methods that could work,¡± Rowan said, not making any promises. ¡°Then please, Dr. Cross, do everything that you can. Once it¡¯s done, our family will reward you handsomely!¡± Edwin said gratefully. As long as there was a glimmer of hope left, they couldn¡¯t give up so easily. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s all that damn Dustin¡¯s fault! How could he hurt my brother so badly? I¡¯m going to rip him to shreds! * Tina grumbled fiercely. ¡°Wait a minute Rowan paused. ¡°Did you just say Dustin hurt your brother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It was that animal!¡± Tina nodded heavily. When Rowan heard that, his face darkened, and he said coldly, ¡°Based on my observation, your brother cannot be treated. He¡¯ll just be a cripple for the rest of his life. You should hope for the best. Farewell!¡± With that, he left with his medical kit. Both father and daughter looked at each other, unable to understand what had just gone down. What the fuck just happened? He¡¯d been very pleasant earlier, so why did his demeanor change in a blink of an eye? Were all miracle doctors this moody? As Rowan walked out of the Hummer Vi, he didn¡¯t forget to turn around and spit on the ground, cursing.¡± How dare you ask me to treat your family after you wronged my savior? Eat shit!¡± Chapter 275 At the drill ground of a military base. Dustin had been chained to a pir by several thick chains made of darksteel, which was extremely malleable yet also durable. The zing sun shone down on him, and he was surrounded by a troop of armed forces. They scrutinized his every action warily. Dustin didn¡¯t seem bothered by it. He merely allowed himself to remain chained, looking poker¨Cfaced. His calmness surprised the soldiers¨Cany ordinary person would¡¯ve peed their pants long ago. It seemed there was something special about him. ¡°So, you¡¯re Dustin Rhys?¡± At this moment, a man in a deputy general¡¯s uniform walked over with a troop of soldiers behind him. He had a beer belly and a round face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you captured me without even knowing who I am,¡± Dustin said coolly. ¡°Cut the crap! Answer the general¡¯s question!¡± one of the military officers roared. ¡°Fine. Yes, I¡¯m Dustin Rhys.¡± ¡°Good, good. The man nodded. ¡°Since we didn¡¯t get the wrong guy, let¡¯s start by giving him 50 military whips. It¡¯ll also act as a deterrent to others like him.¡± The military officers with him subconsciously winced at his words. Military whips weren¡¯t the same as normal whips¨Can ordinary person would faint from three to five military whips; ten were enough to make one feel like one had a foot in the grave. If one were fortunate enough to survive 20 whips, they¡¯d probably have to spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair. As for 50 whips. No one had survived it thus far. It looked like he was out for Dustin¡¯s life! ¡°Hold on,¡± Dustin suddenly said. ¡°You¡¯re a whip me without asking a single question?¡± general, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little against protocol to The round¨Cfaced man gave him an arrogant look. ¡°My words are the only protocol to follow here¨CI¡¯m the one who calls the shots over your life and death, you peasant. You don¡¯t even have the right to say no.¡± ¡°I suppose that means you¡¯re gonna abuse your power.¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°So what if I am? I have hundreds of guns aimed at you. Do you think you stand a chance against them?¡± The round¨Cfaced man scoffed. ¡°Quality over quantity. Having that many guns doesn¡¯t actually mean anything.¡± Dustin shook his head. The round¨Cfaced man sneered. ¡°Putting up a brave front, are we? You¡¯ll regret this when you¡¯re on the brink of death! Whip him!¡± He waved a hand. Before long, a burly man walked over with a steel whip in hand. Salt water dripped from it¨Cit would make the wounds burn even more. ¡®T¡¯ll ask you onest time before you do anything else¨Cwho sent you here?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°I did!¡± Someone walked out from behind the round¨Cfaced man and lowered her hood. It was Jade. ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t expect to end up in my hands, Rhys!¡± She sneered, ¡°You were so obnoxiousst night, but so what? You¡¯re nothing but my prisoner now!¡± ¡°What happenedst night was between me and the Hummer family. I¡¯d advise you to stay out of it,¡± Dustin said coolly. Jade snorted. ¡°Joshua¡¯s my fianc¨¦: I want nothing more than to skin you alive for crippling him!¡± ¡°Joshua deserved what he got. You shouldn¡¯t do anything to jeopardize yourself.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Jadeughed derisively. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand your predicament. Your life and death are in my hands- how dare you threaten me!¡± ¡°Believe what you may. I just hope you don¡¯t regret this.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t want to waste his breath. ¡°Keep this up. I¡¯d like to see whether you¡¯ll still be this arrogant when you¡¯re bruised and battered!¡± Jade looked at him like he was already dead to her. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough talking. Jade, don¡¯t waste your breath on him. Let¡¯s just sit and watch the show.¡± The round¨Cfaced man waved a hand. Soon, some military officers brought a table and two chairs over. The round- faced man gestured for them to be ced in the shade. Then, he and Jade sat down. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Whip him with all you¡¯ve got!¡® With that, the burly man got to work and started whipping. Chapter 276 Each of the burly man¡¯s whipsnded with a loud crack; they could be heard from miles away. Jade laughed derisively at the sound and eximed, ¡°He¡¯s doing a great job!¡± Dustin had been so obnoxious the night before, crashing the Hummer Vi and ughtering their men. She had to make him pay for it! ¡°Jade, you must¡¯ve been exaggerating when you said this brat was hard to deal with.¡± The round¨Cfaced man snorted. ¡°Look, he¡¯s nothing more than a prisoner with his life in my hands.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an extremely powerful martial artist, just so you know. There were several people at the Hummer Vi ¡°Ha. No matter how powerful he is, he¡¯s only a martial artist. Do you think he¡¯ll be able to withstand my troops? ¡°The round¨Cfaced man looked contemptuous. ¡°Over the years, the military¡¯s captured plenty of martial artists renowned for their prowess. Still, haven¡¯t they ultimately yielded to the military¡¯s authority?¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Jade nodded. The martial world was separate from the government, but it wasn¡¯t an organized entity. How could it go up against the authorities? Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. As they spoke, the burly man continued to whip Dustin. It cracked loudly, but Dustin didn¡¯t bat an eye. Instead, the whip shattered from the force. ¡°What the hell?¡± The burly man was dumbfounded. The steel whip had been specially forged and tested against des and mes to ensure it was basically unbreakable. Why had it shattered after being used to whip someone? Could Dustin possibly be forged from some precious metal? The burly man scrutinized Dustin, but it only added to his confusion. He¡¯d already whipped Dustin at least a dozen times; any ordinary human would already be mutted, but Dustin looked perfectly fine. His clothes were in tatters, but there wasn¡¯t the slightest sign of an injury. It was as if he hadn¡¯t even been whipped. ¡°What the fuck?¡± The burly man broke into a cold sweat. He¡¯d done this for years, but this was his first time being in this situation. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why has the whipping stopped?¡± The round¨Cfaced man finally stopped chit¨Cchatting and noticed something was wrong. ¡°S¨Csir the whip broke.¡± The burly man gulped. ¡°Get another one, then! Don¡¯t stop until you¡¯re done with the 50 whips!¡± the round¨Cfaced man berated. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The burly man didn¡¯t dare dy. He had someone bring him another steel whip before whipping Dustin again as if his life depended on it. After a while, the second whip shattered, just like the first had. ¡°What in the ¡°The burly man couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Shattering one whip could be described as a coincidence; shattering two was an ominous sign. He was starting to think there was something about Dustin that made him impossible to whip. ¡°Why have you stopped again? Go on!¡± the round¨Cfaced man urged impatiently. ¡°Sir, the whip broke again.¡± The burly man looked like he was in a dilemma. ¡°What? How fucking useless can you be? I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± the round¨Cfaced man spat. He ordered a soldier to bring him another steel whip before storming over to Dustin. He started whipping him without the slightest hesitance, but he¡¯d only swung the whip a few times when it shattered. At this moment, Dustin, who¡¯d been lying there with his eyes shut, opened his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you done? If you are, can I get something to eat? I¡¯m feeling a little hungry.¡± Chapter 277 ¡°What?¡± The round¨Cfaced man stared at Dustin, who was cool as a cucumber, in shock. He knew very well how much the steel whip could withstand and how much pain it could cause. Not even the strongest of men could take more than ten whips in one go, yet Dustin looked perfectly fine after enduring more than that. In fact, he¡¯d made three whips shatter. What the hell was going on? ¡°Brat, what sort of sorcery do you have going on?¡± he snarled. ¡°Look, cut the crap and do what you need to.¡± Dustin yawned. His nonchnce made the round¨Cfaced man¡¯s blood boil. ¡°Fucking hell. I¡¯d like to see you survive this!¡± The round¨Cfaced man swiped his subordinate¡¯s sword and swung it at Dustin. There were two loud ngs as the de came into contact with Dustin¡¯s body twice; he was fine, but the de became chipped. ¡°Is that is that an Adamantine Shield?¡± Jade¡¯s eyes widened. As a member of the martial world, she immediately realized what was up. The fact that Dustin could make himself impermeable to weapons proved that he¡¯d learned the art of defense. However, it would take a huge toll on one¡¯s internal energy. Most martial artists wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it up for long. ¡°Regr weapons won¡¯t do anything to him. We have to bring in a pro.¡± Jade said. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll admit this brat isn¡¯t your run¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cmill martial artist; it¡¯s no wonder you guys had problems dealing with him. It¡¯s too bad he¡¯s up against me, though!¡± The round¨Cfaced man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you have any way of dealing with him?¡± Jade asked tentatively. ¡°We soldiers are only good at taking down enemy forces; torture devices aren¡¯t our forte. It doesn¡¯t matter, though. I know someone in the Ministry of Penalties that¡¯s an expert in this. Once he¡¯s here, this brat will beg for death!¡± The round¨Cfaced man bared his teeth in a savage grin. ¡°Oh? And who is this expert?¡± Jade¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°One of the Ministry of Penalties¡® two most powerful executioners, Bloodbeast!¡± ¡°Wait, you know him?¡± Jade gasped. She wasn¡¯t a member of the authorities but had still heard of Bloodbeast. Rumor had it that he murdered people without blinking an eye and loved drinking human blood. Throughout his career with the Ministry of Penalties, hundreds, if not thousands, of people had died at his hands. Each and every one of them had died horrible deaths after being subject to inhumane torture: anyone who found themselves in his hands truly wished for death. That was why most criminals chose to take their lives before ¡°Torturing others is Bloodbeast¡¯s favorite pastime, and he¡¯s taken a particr liking for tormenting powerful martial artists because of how hard they are to kill. Someone like this brat is right up his alley!¡± The round- faced man¡¯s eyes gleamed menacingly. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°This brat won¡¯t stand a chance against Bloodbeast, no matter how impermeable he is! Provided you can get Bloodbeast to agree to this, of course.¡± Jade sneered. She wasn¡¯t asking for much¨Call she wanted was for Dustin to be subject to the most inhumane torture possible. ¡°I¡¯ll contact him right now.¡± The round¨Cfaced man pulled out his phone and started punching in a number. ¡°Enjoy your final moments of peace, Rhys! Once Bloodbeast is here, you¡¯ll be done for!¡± Jade looked at Dustin contemptuously. He¡¯d talked about karma biting one in the ass, hadn¡¯t he? She wanted him to have a taste of his own medicine! Dustin couldn¡¯t even be bothered to spare a nce. He shut his eyes, taking the chance to rest them. . ¡°Jade, it¡¯s far too hot, standing in the sun. Let¡¯s go sit in the shade. The round¨Cfaced man led Jade over to the table after hanging up. After a moment. Dustin suddenly said. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m hungry. Is there anything to eat?¡± ¡°Hungry, are you? Someone get him some refreshments!¡± The round¨Cfaced man smirked. Soon, a soldier ced some food and drinks by Dustin¡¯s feet. ¡°How am I supposed to eat when I¡¯m bound like this? Can you loosen them?¡± Dustin asked coolly. The round¨Cfaced man burst into derisiveughter. ¡°Giving you some sustenance is the extent of my generosity; it¡¯s not my problem if you can¡¯t reach it. Since you¡¯re so powerful, why don¡¯t you try breaking free of the chains?¡± Chapter 278 ? "Are those chains enough to keep him bound? He''s a lot more powerful than he seems. What if he really breaks free?" Jade asked. "Don''t worry. Our chains are all forged from darksteel and are designed to withstand any force. Not even an elephant would be able to break free, let alone a human. Now that he''s bound, he won''t be able to get away from them without the key!" the round-faced man said confidently. He''d seen his fair share of powerful martial artists; none of them had sessfully broken free from the darksteel chains. "Well, that''s good to know." Jade sighed in relief. However, the words were barely out of her mouth when she heard the sound of the chains breaking. She whipped around to look at Dustin-he''d only stretched, but the chains alreadyy at his feet in pieces.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "What the fuck?" The round-faced man was so shocked that he dropped his pastry. Jade also looked dumbfounded. What happened to the chains being made of darksteel and able to withstand any force? How could Dustin have snapped them so easily? The round-faced man quickly returned to his senses andmanded," Hurry up and circle him!" At hismand, the armed soldiers dashed over and surrounded Dustin. He looked unruffled, though. "Rx. I just want to eat." He plopped onto the floor and started eating the food ced there. The round-faced man gaped at him. What the hell was this brat capable of? How could he be so rxed when so many guns were aimed at him? When Dustin was done eating, he was chained and bound again. This time, however, double the number of chains were used-he resembled a taco by the time they were done with him. Even so, the round-faced man didn''t let his guard down. He had his men keep an eye on Dustin at all times. If Dustin were to make any false moves, he would immediately be shot. After a long time, a military-use Jeep entered the military base and stopped at the drill ground. A skinny, middle- aged man got out leisurely. Despite his thin stature, his aura gave one the chills, and his eyes made one''s hair stand on end. Jade''s mind went nk when she met his eyes. She felt like she''d caught the eye of a savage beast who would pounce on her at any moment. A trace of fear bubbled up from the depths of her heart. "Mr. Bloodbeast!" The round-faced man hurried forward with a bright smile when he saw him. "Forgive me for not giving you a proper wee. It''s a pleasure to see you here." ''Let''s cut to the chase, General Jenkins. I''ve been boredtely, and it''s time to spice things up. Where''s the tough cookie you mentioned?" Bloodbeast didn''t beat around the bush. "Right here! He''s the one bound to the pir." The round-faced man pointed at Dustin. Bloodbeast''s gaze traveled in the direction he pointed. He squinted at Dustin and said, "Odd. He seems rather familiar." "Oh? Small world, isn''t it? The fact that he''s familiar to you means you two were destined to meet. I only hope you''ll show him a good time, Mr. Bloodbeast." The round-faced man smiled menacingly. Bloodbeast chuckled. "Why, of course. It''s my pleasure, and I''ll only be doing what I love. I hope he doesn''t disappoint." He pulled out a canvas bag and poured its contents out. There were various delicate-looking instruments of torture. They were shaped oddly; most people would live out their lives withoutying eyes on them. Only members of the Ministry of Penalties would know what these instruments meant-the more delicate they were, the more horrific the results they produced. Chapter 279 ¡°Huh?¡± General Jenkins and Jade were stunned as they watched Bloodbest suddenly drop to his knees. They looked at each other, taken aback. What was he doing? He was perfectly fine just a moment ago, so why was he kneeling on the floor now? Was he saying a prayer before he tortured him? Compared to the others¡® surprised expressions, the skinny man appeared terrified, his face drenched in cold sweat. As a student of the Executioner, he couldn¡¯t possibly be oblivious to the true meaning of the kirin tattoo. In the entire world, the ck kirin tattoo was one of a kind. Not to mention, it had already be a symbol of power! No wonder that person looked familiar. No wonder he dared to call the Executioner by his real name. It turned out that this person was the Kirin of the Rhys family, who almost incited chaos that could have devastated an entire nation ten years ago! Shit! What kind of sins had hemitted?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He¡¯d actually run into a harbinger of doom of this magnitude! No! While the shitstorm hadn¡¯t hit, he had to escape as soon as possible! ¡°Mr. Bloodbeast, what¡¯s the matter? Are you hurt somewhere?¡± Watching the skinny man¡¯s knees buckle, General Jenkins immediately rushed over and tried to help him up. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s all your fault!¡± Bloodbeast flew into a rage. He raised his hand and delivered a harsh p across General Jenkins¡® face. General Jenkins staggered backward, nearly losing his bnce. ¡°Mr. Bloodbeast, why. Why did you hit me?¡± He cupped his stinging face, unable to process what had just happened. ¡°Why did I hit you? You should be grateful I didn¡¯t ughter you! What did I ever do to you? If you¡¯re so fucking suicidal, you don¡¯t have to drag me down with you!¡± The skinny man kicked General Jenkins to the ground. Then, he grabbed his bag and fled. He even dropped his torture tools but didn¡¯t dare turn around to pick them up, acting as if he¡¯d run into a ghost. ¡°Huh?¡± General Jenkins was once again dazed. Just what had scared Bloodbeast¨Cthe infamous ruthless killer -into fleeing for his life? ¡°How did things turn out this way?¡± Jade¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She had initially thought that Bloodbeast could help her get her revenge. In the end, even before he¡¯d used his torture tools, he¡¯d run away for some reason. What was going on? ¡°Punk, what the hell did you do? How did you manage to make Bloodbeast spare you?!¡± General Jenkins¡® gaze shifted to Dustin, ring fiercely. He¡¯d been a distance away earlier, so he couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. ¡°You have me tied up: what could I have possibly done?¡± Dustin asked. Since Bloodbeast was Albert¡¯s student, it was no surprise that he had recognized the kirin tattoo on his back. ¡°Hmph, that had better be the case!¡± General Jenkins glowered. Then, he turned to Jade and whispered, ¡°Jade, this bastard seems to know the dark arts. Are you sure he¡¯s a nobody?¡± The way Bloodbeast had left was too strange; he couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. I¡¯ve already looked into him. He¡¯s just a small fry who was once someone¡¯s live¨Cin son¨Cinw. Now, he¡¯s nothing but a parasite, leeching off the Harmon family. We don¡¯t need to be afraid of him,¡± Jade said with certainty. With the Grant family¡¯s influence, looking into Dustin had been a piece of cake. Hence, she was very sure that Dustin didn¡¯te from a powerful background. ¡°Well that¡¯s rather strange,¡± General Jenkins said, looking thoughtful. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared?¡± Jade frowned. ¡°Considering your status, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t take care of that pipsqueak?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. As if I¡¯m scared of him!¡± Chapter 280 General Jenkins puffed out his chest and dered arrogantly, ¡°I am none other than the Deputy General of the White Tiger Army, under themand of Chief General Spanner. No matter who that bastard may be, I can take him down easily. Just wait and see!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his phone ringtone began sting. The first phone call came in. ¡°Hello, General Jenkins. This is Hunter Anderson speaking. You¡¯ve captured someone you shouldn¡¯t have. You should let him go immediately. Maybe you can still save yourself.¡± ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are? How dare you order me around? Fuck off!¡± General Jenkins replied. promptly ending the call. ¡°Seems like someone called to beg for Dustin¡¯s life.¡± Jade said sarcastically. She¡¯d long predicted something like it would happen. ¡°Hmph, they think they can get him out of my hands? It¡¯s not going to be that easy!¡± General Jenkins pursed his lips. With the backing of the Grant family, only a handful of people in the entire Southern province could scare him. At that moment, the second phone call came in. ¡°General Jenkins, I¡¯m calling on behalf of the Harmon family. One of my associates was captured by your subordinate. I believe there must have been some? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. kind of misunderstanding. I kindly request that you release him, General.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen! Dustin¡¯s crimes are unforgivable. I¡¯ve already turned him over to the Ministry of Penalties. No matter whoes to beg for his life, it¡¯s useless!¡± However, things didn¡¯t end there. After the second call, the third one soon came, followed by the fourth, then the fifth. They just wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Hello. General Jenkins, this is Roderick Brooks ¡ª¡± ¡°General Jenkins, I¡¯m calling on behalf of the Glenstead Nicholson family ¡°Jenkins, I have a favor to ask Calls started pouring in one after another. Not only were they increasing in numbers, but they were also bing more pressing. At first, General Jenkins had been greatly irritated, but by the end, even military officers of the same rank as him were calling him to plead for mercy. Although he wasn¡¯t scared, it was still rather troublesome. Eventually, he turned his phone off. He couldn¡¯t be bothered any longer. ¡°Punk, I didn¡¯t think you had such awork. I underestimated you.¡± He slowly raised his head to reveal a cold smile. ¡°Unfortunately, your efforts are in vain¨CI can hold them off all on my own!¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you do that.¡± Dustin smiled lightly. ¡°Hmph. And I want to see what kind of tricks you have up your sleevel¡± General Jenkins said disdainfully. Just as he spoke, an officer suddenly hurried over. ¡°General, the Murray family is here!¡± ¡°The Murray family? Who is it?¡± General Jenkins raised an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°He introduced himself as Adjutant General Damon. He said he wishes to speak with you,¡± the officer replied. ¡°Adjutant General Damon? What¡¯s he doing here?¡± General Jenkins face grew solemn. He clearly looked a little apprehensive. Others might not know it, but he knew for a fact that Adjutant General Damon served as Christopher¡¯s personal guard. And who was Christopher? He was the second¨Cinmand general of the current generation! He was the backbone of the Murray family! Even though Christopher had been discharged, he still held a great influence within the army. He wasn¡¯t exaggerating when he said he would even treat Christopher¡¯s dog with the utmost respect.. After a few seconds of silence, General Jenkins decided to go outside and wee Adjutant General Damon. Come, let¡¯s go take a look.¡± When he¨Calong with his men¨Cwent to the entrance of the base, he saw a casually¨Cdressed middle¨C aged man in sses standing there quietly. The elegant man looked like any average guy, but hidden behind his sses were eyes as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Adjutant General Damon? What brings you here? General Jenkins said, stepping forward with a grin. He was just about to offer some small talk when Adjutant General Damon raised his hand and pped him to the floor. Chapter 281 The moment Adjutant General Damon saw General Jenkins, without uttering a single word, he delivered him a resounding p. General Jenkins was left dazed, taking quite some time to recover from the impact. He¡¯d weed Adjutant. General Damon with a smile, but the man fucking responded with a p instead. That was crossing the line! ¡°Adjutant General Damon, what is the meaning of this?!¡± General Jenkins¡® face darkened, his gaze turning hostile. Even if he was Christopher¡¯s adjutant general, it didn¡¯t mean he had a free pass to humiliate him. After all, Chief General Spanner was backing him. In terms of rank, he held an even higher position than Christopher! ¡°General Jenkins, that p was a lesson for you,¡± Adjutant General Damon said with a cool expression. ¡°You should not have captured Mr. Rhys. Release him now, or you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± General Jenkins snorted. ¡°Damon, you¡¯re nothing but an old general¡¯s dog. What right do you have to order me around?!¡± ¡°Indeed, I cannot, but the general can. If you don¡¯t want trouble, do as I say,¡± Adjutant General Damon said expressionlessly. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t use the general¡¯s name to scare me!¡± General Jenkins said furiously. ¡°The person I captured hasmitted a heinous crime, and the evidence is beyond any reasonable doubt. You can¡¯t just ask for him to be released!¡± If Adjutant General Damon had spoken in a kinder manner, perhaps he might have released Dustin out of respect for Christopher. But he¡¯d fuckinge up to him and p him. No one would be alright with that. *General Jenkins, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. If you choose to remain obstinate, then no one can save you!¡± Adjutant General Damon warned. ¡°You think I¡¯m scared?¡± General Jenkins said, ring at him. ¡°To tell you the truth, I am Chief General Spanner¡¯s subordinate. If you want toy a hand on him, you¡¯d have to ask for his permission!¡± ¡°It seems like you really won¡¯t release him?¡± Adjutant General Damon frowned. ¡°No! Even if God asked, I wouldn¡¯t release him!¡± General Jenkins bellowed. ¡°Fine! I hope you won¡¯t regret it!¡± Without another word, he got into his car and left, leaving General Jenkins to choke on the exhaust. ¡°Damn it, that dog! How dare he act all high and mighty in front of me?¡± General Jenkins spat on the floor. lifting his hand to caress his stinging cheek. Fuck, he was really unlucky today! First, Bloodbeast had pped him, and now Adjutant General Damon. Not to mention, it was all under strange circumstances. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jade walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. A crazy dog from the Murray family came to ask me to release Dustin,¡± General Jenkins said annoyedly. ¡°No way. Could that punk have ties to the Murray family?¡± Jade frowned. ¡°Who fucking cares? The Grant family is also one of the Tremendous Three, just like the Murray family. Why should we be afraid of them?¡± General Jenkins said, irritated. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You have a point.¡± Jade nodded. As the two were speaking, an armed motorcade suddenly appeared on the far end of the road. The Murray family gs decorated the motorcade. Dozens of military trucks were filled with people, zing their way over. Soon after, theypletely blocked off the entire entrance of the base. As the cars came to a stop, over three hundred armed soldiers hopped off. Their gazes were all fixed on General Jenkins. Tension was palpable in the air, as it war was going to break out at any moment. ¡°Damon, what do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± When General Jenkins saw Adjutant General Damon in the lead, he almost blew his top. ¡°How dare you bring so many people to crash my base? Are you trying to start a rebellion? ¡°I am merely carrying out my general¡¯s order to obtain your hostage. If you won¡¯t give him to me, then I can only grab him from you,¡± Adjutant General Damon said indifferently. ¡°The audacity!¡± General Jenkins yelled, his eyes furious. ¡°I am the subordinate of Chief General Spanner. Is the Murray family dering war against him?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m merely following orders. Anything else doesn¡¯t concern me,¡± Adjutant General Damon said without beating around the bush. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s no more room for negotiation today, is there? Fine! If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s see who has bigger numbers!¡± General Jenkins roared at the top of his lungs. In the next second, arge wave of soldiers surged out of the base. Chapter 282 General Jenkins¡® men started to face off against the Murray family¡¯s army. Instantly, the tension in the air gave way to murderous intent. ¡°Go in and save him!¡± Adjutant General Damon immediately ordered. ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡± General Jenkins blocked the way with his body. He then pulled out a gun from his waist. Anyone who dares take a step forward will be shot!¡± ¡°You can try.¡± Without a trace of fear, Adjutant General Damon stalked ahead. ¡°You¡¯re fucking testing me!¡± General Jenkins gritted his teeth, fury filling his eyes. Just as the two sides were in the midst of battle, several military helicopters suddenly materialized in the sky. Whizzing through the air, they finally stopped, hovering above everyone¡¯s heads. that¡¯s Chief General When General Jenkins took a look, a delighted expression crossed his face. ¡°Hahaha Spanner¡¯s private helicopter! Damon, you¡¯re dead meat. Let¡¯s see what you can do with Chief General Spanner himself on the field!¡± Heughed in excitement. Chief General Spanner was known for protecting his subordinates. Now that they were being invaded, he definitely wouldn¡¯t sit around and do nothing. He could already imagine Adjutant General Damon getting the beating of his lifetime. As the crowd parted, the helicopter began to descend slowly beforending firmly on the field. Then, the cabin door opened. A handsome young man with a remarkable aura stepped off hastily with a few female officers in tow. ¡°Chief General Spanner, you came just at the right time!¡± The moment General Jenkins spotted the young man, he scampered over to wee him, trying to suck up to him. He then reported, ¡°These treacherous rascals are trying to incite a prison break at my base. I hope you¡¯ll set things straight, Chief General Spanner! That¡¯s right! Hemitted a heinous crime of tormenting the people! I was just about to torture him, too.¡± General Jenkins said, nodding profuse/ This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Torture him?¡± Adam¡¯s eye twitched, and a murderous look shed in his eyes. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s tied up right there!¡± General Jenkins pointed in the other direction. Adam shifted his gaze, and his eyes immediately widened. Fuck, it really was him! When he first heard Dustin Rhys¡® name, he still had a glimmer of hope. After all, many people in the world. share a name. What if it was just a coincidence? Unfortunately, he still ran into Dustin. Moreover, it was in this fashion.. ¡°Rhys, even Chief General Spanner is here! Let¡¯s see whether you can live to see another day!¡± Hidden amongst the crowd, Jade couldn¡¯t help butugh at his misery. Clupter 232 At first, when she saw how big the Murray family army was, she was a little worried. But now, everything would be fine because Chief General Spanner was here. Who would dare cross him? ¡°Chief General, this guy is built tough. I tried to torture him earlier but failed. No worries. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯m sure you have a way to deal with people like this.¡± General Jenkins smiled tteringly, completely unaware of the severity of the problem. ¡°Your name is Richard Jenkins, right?¡± Adam suddenly asked. ¡°That¡¯s right! I am the deputy general of the White Tiger Army under yourmand. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d remember me. Chief General!¡± General Jenkins¡® face lit up with joy when he thought he was being acknowledged. ¡°Capture him, then strip him of his position and prosecute him.¡± Adam gestured with his hand, and immediately after, two female officers sprung into action, pressing General Jenkins to the floor. ¡°Chief General, what did you say?¡± General Jenkins looked confused. Everything was going so well, so why was he getting fired all of a sudden? However, Adam didn¡¯t bother to deal with him. He jogged over to Dustin and smiled apologetically, saying.¡± Buddy, sorry about my subordinate. He caused you so much trouble.¡± The moment he said that, everyone fell silent. Chapter 283 ¡°B¨Cbuddy?!¡± Seeing Adam¡¯s friendly expression, General Jenkins was stunned. His mind went nk. The man in front of him was none other than the renowned God of War! He was also the youngest chief general of Dragonmarsh! He reported to no one, while thousands reported to him! However, this all¨Cpowerful figure had actually called Dustin his buddy? What the fuck was going on? ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! How could that bastard know Chief General Spanner?!¡± Jade was thunderstruck. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and her face was filled with disbelief. ording to her investigation, Dustin was just an irrelevant small fry. How could he have a rtionship with the famous God of War? ¡°Now that you mention it, we indeed haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time.¡± Dustin regarded him up and down, then said happily, ¡°I must say, you¡¯re doing quite well for yourself, you rascal. I think I may need to start relying on you for money soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that!¡± Adam said with a strange expression. ¡°My small ce cannot house someone as great as you.¡± ¡°Since we meet again today, then allow me to treat you to a cup of tea,¡± Dustin said with a small smile. ¡°Someone,e and free him!¡± Adam made another hand gesture. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Dustin stretched his back, and the sound of metal clinking against each other could be heard. The thick chains on his body suddenly broke into pieces. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped at the sight. Those chains had been forged from darksteel and were said to be unbreakable, but he¡¯d just broken them by fucking stretching his back? It was bewildering. ¡°Oh, right. How are you nning to take care of those two?¡± Dustin turned to look at General Jenkins and Jade. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll follow the procedure. For kidnapping and torture, no matter how you look at it, that¡¯s got to be Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. at least a few decades, no?¡± Adam said indifferently. ¡°A few decades? When the two heard that, their faces paled from shock. A lifetime only consisted of a few decades. Were they going to die in prison? ¡°No! You can¡¯t lock us up!¡± Jade shook her head furiously. ¡°The one who¡¯s guilty is clearly Dustin. What right do you have to lock us up?¡± ¡°What right do I have?¡± Adam smiled faintly. ¡°Well, I have more power than you, Does this reason satisfy you?¡± ¡°Y¨Cyou¡¯re tantly abusing your power!¡± Jade said defiantly. ¡°You¡¯re right, I am,¡± Adam said bluntly. He was exactly like how General Jenkins described earlier. ¡°Y¨Cyou can try to lock me up! I am a member of the Grant family!¡± Jade said, refusing to give up. ¡°The Grant family?¡± Adam burst outughing as he tossed her a phone. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to ask the Grant family for help. I want to see who would daree rescue you!¡± When he said that, Jade was thunderstruck. She knew better than anyone that the Grant family wouldn¡¯t cross the God of War, Adam, for her. ¡°Why? Why did things turn out this way? Just who are you?¡± She stared straight at Dustin. Her eyes were filled with surprise, defiance, hatred, but mostly despair. *Since you¡¯re going to die anyway, I¡¯ll enlighten you,¡± Adam replied nonchntly. ¡°The young man you just kidnapped is Logan Rhys, the eldest son of the Rhys family and one of my closest friends!¡± ¡°Logan Rhys?!¡± When General Jenkins heard the name, he copsed to the floor, ovee with despair. Now, he finally understood. He finally understood why Bloodbeast had fled in fright, why all those influential figures called him to ask for his release, why General Murry had sent his army, and why Adam was so nervous. Chapter 284 The person he had arrested turned out to be the eldest son of the Rhys family, an existence that could shake the military effortlessly. ¡°We we¡¯re doomed Blood had drained out of Jade¡¯s face the moment she heard Dustin¡¯s real name, feeling unbelievably sorry for herself. She shouldn¡¯t have tried to avenge Joshua. There was no way a loser with broken arms and a shattered core was worth the lives of her entire family. ¡°Jade Grant, this is what you fucking call a nobody?¡± General Jenkins spun around and shot Jade a vicious re. ¡°I never did anything to you, so why the hell are you dragging me into this mess?¡± ¡°1-¡°Jade Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°¨C¡± Jade was about to burst into tears. ¡°How dare you trick me! You¡¯re dead meat!¡® General Jenkins roared before leaping toward Jade with his mouth wide open. Things became chaotic as he tore up the woman¡¯s face with his teeth. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go have a drink. Dustin Ignored them and left with Adam. Meanwhile, inside the East Swinton Hospital ward, Dakota¡¯s face hardened after finishing a call. ¡°So? Was there news about Dustin? Can he be saved?¡± Dahlia quickly asked. ¡°He can¡¯t. The person who arrested him was General Jenkins from the Grant family. I tried calling the elders, but they said he wasn¡¯t listening to their requests. Glenstead¡¯s military has no jurisdiction over Balerno.¡± Dakota shook her head helplessly. ¡°The Grant family?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°But why? How did Dustin piss them off?¡± ¡°I dug around and heard that hemitted a grave crime. Apparently, he barged into the Hummer family¡¯s home and began killing people. He even crippled Edwin Hummer¡¯s son, Joshua Hummer! Worse, Joshua¡¯s fianc¨¦e is Jade Grant, the daughter of Sir Robert Grant. There¡¯s no way the Grant family would let Dustin go easily. He¡¯s doomed.¡± Dakota shook her head sadly. She didn¡¯t care if Dustin died, but she still needed him to heal her mother, and her mother would be in grave danger if Dustin died now. Dakota wondered if she still had enough time to seek out miracle doctors. ¡°Isn¡¯t there another way?¡± Dahlia was upset. ¡°What if I beg the Grant family? I¡¯ll pay any amount, even if I go bankrupt!¡± ¡°Nonsense, Dahlia!¡± Florence shrieked. ¡°Why should you go so far for a man you divorced?¡± ¡°He¡¯s helped me too many times. I have to save him!¡± Dahlia answered firmly. ¡°You¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± Dakota shook her head. ¡°The Grant family is one the strongest families in Balerno. They could care less about your measly assets,¡± ¡°Then what should we do? We can¡¯t just sit here and wait.¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows furrowed deeper. ¡°Money is useless. We need to beg someone influential to negotiate with them.¡± Dakota suggested. ¡°Someone influential? Who?¡± Dahlia asked tentatively. ¡°The only one who can stand against the Grant family is Mr. Langford from Stonia.¡± Dakota suggested. ¡°Saving Dustin should be a piece of cake if you ask Mr. Langford for help.¡± ¡°Mr. Langford?¡± Dahlia was troubled. There was no reason for him to help a stranger like her. ¡°That¡¯s right. Dahlia. The best way is to beg Mr. Langford for help. I managed to save his number during dinnerst night. I¡¯ll call him right now!¡± Florence drew out her phone eagerly and dialed a number. While she was worried that her daughter might sacrifice all her wealth for Dustin, she also hoped to push Dahlia closer to Luis. During their meetingst night, Florence realized that Luis had feelings for Dahlia. At the same time, the Glenstead Nicholsons were also hoping for the two to get married. Chapter 285 ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Langford? Dahlia has something to say to you.¡± Florence shoved the phone to Dahlia as soon as the call got through. ¡°Dahlia? Let me know if you need any help. I¡¯ll definitely get it done If I can,¡± a voice drawled. ¡°It¡¯s me, Mr. Langford.¡± Dahlia responded stiffly. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point. I have a friend who¡¯s in trouble and has been arrested by the military. I hope you can help me save him.¡± ¡°Arrested by the military? Your friend must be into hot water,¡± Luis guessed arrogantly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have turned to you if I had another choice.¡± Dahlia responded tiredly. ¡°What¡¯s your friend¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Dustin Rhys.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you on one condition,¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Treat me to dinner tonight.¡± Luis responded frankly. ¡°Um ¡ª Dahlia stiffened, instantly understanding what he meant. ¡°You won¡¯t refuse such a small request, would you?¡± Luis teased hall¨Cjokingly. ¡°Of course not.¡± Dahlia forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to what you¡¯re willing to help me with.¡± ¡°Great! It¡¯s a date. See youter!¡± Dahlia hung up after chatting for a while more. ¡°Well? Did he agree?¡± Florence inquired. ¡°He did, but I¡¯ll have to have dinner with him tonight.¡± Dahlia was exasperated. ¡°That¡¯s great! Hurry home and make yourself look good. Don¡¯t make Mr. Langford wait.¡± Florence ushered excitedly. ¡°Dahlia, you should make good use of this opportunity,¡± Dakota advised with a knowing look. ¡°Glenstead is keen to see you and the Langfords take your rtionship further through marriage. The Langfords initially had someone else in mind, but Mr. Langford wasn¡¯t pleased with her. Instead, he chose you. This is your greatest blessing. You better not waste this chance!¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in marrying into a rich family.¡± ¡°Who else would you marry? A loser like Dustin? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Dakota rolled her eyes. ¡°You can have anything you want if you marry into the Langford family. Why would you choose to suffer in a tiny ce like this?¡± ¡°Precisely! You¡¯ve basically hit the jackpot. You should make good use of this chance. Our family is depending on you to be rich!¡± Florence piped. Compared to Luis, men like Chris Nn and Matt Laney were nothing. After all, the Langfords were the true aristocrats in Stonia. Their very existence stood at the peak of power. Dahlia nced at the eager eyes surrounding her and remained silent. She used to yearn for power as well but had finally realized it didn¡¯t matter much to her. Soon, night fell. A jeep slowly pulled into the entrance of Fairyharbor Restaurant. The doors opened, and Dustin and Adam emerged. ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to have a drink? What are we doing here?¡± Adam muttered. ¡°The wine here isn¡¯t too shabby. The wines are brewed in¨Chouse. You should try some.¡± Dustin replied. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Really? I¡¯ll have a taste, then.¡± As the two men chatted, they walked into the restaurant and chose a ce on the second floor. ¡°Hey, buddy. Is it true that you got married?¡± Adam quizzed Dustin as soon as they sat down. Chapter 286 ¡°I was, but I¡¯m already divorced,¡± Dustin answered straightforwardly. ¡°Aw, damn!¡± Adam grinned. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, my sister finally has a chance! I¡¯ll be your brother¨Cinw soon.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Dustin rolled his eyes. ¡°What kind of brother are you? Why would you throw your sister under the bus?¡± ¡°She threw herself in!¡± Adam retorted in exasperation. ¡°You have no idea how much she bugged me alter finding out that you were still alive. She would have flown back for you if the war hadn¡¯t broken out at the border.¡± ¡°Has Scarlet been well?¡± Dustin suddenly asked. ¡°You¡¯re still worried about her? That kid¡¯s been practicing martial arts since young, and with her talent, she¡¯s already a grandmaster. I can¡¯t even win against her anymore. Who would dare to cross her?¡± Adam responded nervously. All his life, Adam has only ever been afraid of two people¨CDustin, the person who¡¯s been throwing punches at him since they were kids, and his sister Scarlet. He always lost his dignity when it came to them. Dustin chuckled. ¡°She is talented, so it¡¯s natural that you can¡¯t beat her.¡± It¡¯s been ten years. He never expected the little girl who used to follow him around everywhere to be Stonia¡¯s well¨Cknown Goddess of War. ¡°Won¡¯t you just marry her? No one else can handle her!¡± Adam implored. The sooner his sister got married, the sooner he¡¯ll be free from being forced to be her sparring partner and ending up with bruises all over his body every day. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Dustin kicked the other man. ¡°Scarlet¡¯s nothing more than a sister to me.¡± ¡°But she might not see you as her brother.¡± Adam shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just going to put it out there. She probably won¡¯t marry anyone but you, so you¡¯ll have to take responsibility for her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Shut up and drink!¡± Irritated, Dustin poured Adam a full ss of wine. ¡°Drink it!¡± Adam boldly downed the entire ss in response. Chatting away while drinking, the two of them quickly began to feel tipsy. ¡°That reminds me, when are you going back?¡± Adam asked coldly. ¡°Why would I go back? Isn¡¯t it quite nice here? All I need to worry about is making sure Gregory recovers nicely. ¡°Dustin responded indifferently. ¡°That¡¯s true. Still, the Rhys family needs an heir.¡± Adam sighed. ¡°There¡¯s still Austin.¡± ¡°That useless idiot? He only cares about his debaucherous pleasures. Who knows how many people will die if he takes your ce.¡± Adam snapped disdainfully. ¡°He isn¡¯t that bad. The kid¡¯s smart. Just give him some time, and he might outshine you.¡± Dustin said seriously. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re pitting me against him?¡± Adam looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Many people have called me a loser in the past few years too.¡± Dustin smiled but didn¡¯t borate further. With that woman around, his step¨Cbrother could never be mediocre. ¡°Holy shit! Look at that chick!¡± Adam lit up suddenly. ¡°Where?¡± Dustin followed Adam¡¯s line of sight and spotted a Lamborghini at the restaurant entrance. A smartly dressed man emerged, and a gorgeousdy stepped out of the passenger side in a long ck dress, as if she had juste out of a painting. ¡°Why is it her?¡± Dustin frowned, instantly sobering.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The beautiful woman was none other than Dahlia! Chapter 287 Dustin never expected to run into Dahlia there. Worse, she was apanied by another man, and it seemed like those two were on a date. It irked him for some reason. He had just been captured by the military, his life in danger, but here Dahlia was, carefree and rxed, as she went on a date with another man. It was clear that Dahlia didn¡¯t give a damn about him, and it made him feel like a fool. ¡°Do you know thatdy?¡± Adam quickly caught onto the change in mood and asked. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s my ex¨Cwife.¡± Dustin answered bluntly. ¡°Your ex¨Cwife?¡± Adam¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go somewhere else?¡± No one would be happy to see their ex¨Cwife happily chatting away with another man, ¡°Forget it. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why should I be afraid?¡± Dustin lifted his ss to his lips and swallowed a mouthful of wine resentfully. Just then, Dahlia and Luis arrived on the second floor, and the woman immediately spotted the two men. Dustin? What are you doing here?¡± she eximed excitedly. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Dustin asked coldly. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°When did you get free? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Dahlia dashed toward him and asked joyfully. ¡°Does it matter if I tell you?¡± Dustin nced at her stoically, stunning Dahlia with his attitude. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you get hurt? Should we go to the hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Nicholson. Thank you for asking. You should focus on your date with your boyfriend instead of me,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Dahlia looked at the man standing next to her and quickly exined. ¡°You¡¯re getting it wrong. Dustin. We¡¯re just friends.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary for you to exin yourself.¡± Dustin¡¯s attitude was harsh. Just friends? Did she think that he was a kid? Since when did normal friends of opposite genders arrive together in the same car for dinner? ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re misunderstanding things, Dustin.¡± Dahlia gestured to the other man. ¡°Let me introduce you to Mr. Luis Langford. He¡¯s from Stonia, and he has a good rtionship with the military. You got out so quickly thanks to him.¡± ¡°Is this the friend you were talking about, Dahlia? He¡¯s fortunate to have someone like you helping him.¡± Luis suddenly spoke. Although the man was wearing a smile, the look he was giving Dustin was full of contempt. ¡°I don¡¯t know who Mr. Langford is, nor do I care. He has nothing to do with me getting free anyway.¡± Dustin responded bluntly. ¡°Ha, aren¡¯t you being too cocky?¡± Luis sniggered, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯d be here right now if I hadn¡¯t made a call to the Balerno Military?¡± ¡°I have no idea what you did, but don¡¯t think too highly of yourself. I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Dustin retorted coolly. ¡°Dustin! How could you talk to him like this? Shouldn¡¯t you be polite to the person who helped you?¡± Dahlia frowned. She knew that Dustin reacted that way because he was jealous, but he still shouldn¡¯t offend Luis, who held a much higher status than him. ¡°When did I ever ask him for help? You guys did this willingly.¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°You-¡± Dahlia stomped her foot angrily and forced herself to take a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Stop making. a fuss, Dustin.¡± ¡°What did I do? Was I interrupting your date? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll leave you two alone right now.¡± Dustin got up to leave right away. ¡°Wait!¡± Dahlia instantly grabbed his arm. ¡°What on earth is going through your mind? I told you that we¡¯re just friends. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Chapter 288 ¡°Just friends, eh? Then you won¡¯t mind going home with me right this instant!¡± Dustin snapped. ¡°But ¡­Dahlia frowned and nced at Dustin and Luis, troubled. Although she didn¡¯t have any feelings for Luis, the man had helped her, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to turn her back on him now. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to?¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Is this what you call an ordinary friend? How am I supposed to believe you?¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t believe that Dahlia was still hesitating. It seemed that he was even less important than her ordinary friends, and here he thought that their rtionship had been improving. It must have been his imagination. ¡°Forget it, Ms. Nicholson. You don¡¯t have to think about it so hard. We¡¯re nothing to each other now. Enjoy your meal. I¡¯ll be taking my leave. Dustin shook his head and turned around. ¡°Wait for me.¡± Grabbing two bottles, Adam hurried after Dustin. He didn¡¯t have any experience when it came to love, so he couldn¡¯t help Dustin. After stepping out of the restaurant, Dustin remained motionless as he faced the cold wind, feeling frustrated. He was at a loss for how to deal with his emotions. He may have said it was fine, but his heart still stung when he saw Dahlia with another man, ¡°Forget about her, buddy. There are lots of women everywhere else.¡± Adam stepped forward and patted Dustin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°With your skills, it won¡¯t be hard for you to get any woman you want. Why don¡¯t you consider my sister?¡± ¡°Hell no!¡± A feminine voice rang out from behind them. The two men spun around to see a stunning woman heading toward them. It was none other than Dahlia. ¡°Why did youe out?¡± Dustin was surprised. He didn¡¯t expect her to chase after him, assuming she would ignore him. ¡°You¡¯re such a petty man!¡± Dahlia huffed. ¡°How could you run out when we¡¯ve barely spoken!¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you having dinner with your friend? What are you doing here?¡± Dustin pretended to be calm but was actually relieved. ¡°I¡¯m here to enjoy the breeze, alright?¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes, secretly pleased to see Dustin jealous. ¡°Ugh, the stench of love.¡± Adam shook his head. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shut up!¡± Dahlia and Dustin shouted in unison. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried if you just leave that man alone?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°What else can I do? I¡¯ll just have to get him a present as an apology.¡± Dahlia shrugged. She seemed to have finally opened her eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you? Why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Dustin offered. Dahlia humphed. ¡°At least you¡¯re considerate.¡± She patted her belly, realizing she was hungry. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll bring you somewhere nice.¡± Dustin walked over to the car to open the door. Just as she was about to get into the car, Dahlia¡¯s eyes widened when she saw a truck loaded with dirt heading straight for them at top speed. Watch out!¡± She frantically shoved Dustin away. Chapter 289 ¡°Watch out!¡± As the truck headed toward them, Dahlia¡¯s immediate reaction was to push Dustin away,pletely disregarding her safety. Realizing that she had nowhere else to escape to, she instinctively shut her eyes tightly. Right then, she came to a realization that it might not necessarily be a bad thing to die like this. At least he would remember for the rest of his life. As her eyes closed, a strong figure dashed forward and put itself in front of her. With an ear¨Csplitting boom, a fistnded on the front of the truck, and metal bent under the force. The sudden opposing force upturned the entire truck, flipping it around, and the trucknded on the ground behind Dahlia with a crash, debris flying in all directions. ¡°Are you okay, Dahlia?¡± Dustin drew his hand back and quickly surveyed the woman for any injuries before letting out a breath of relief. ¡°What in the world happened?¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes were opened wide as she gaped at the empty space in front of her before turning around to look at the overturned truck, shocked. She couldn¡¯t understand how the truck had made its way behind her, but she might faint if she found out it was thanks to Dustin¡¯s list. ¡°Are you an idiot? Don¡¯t you know how to run away when there¡¯s danger? Why the hell would you think of me first?¡± Dustin snapped furiously. Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp, or she would have died on impact! ¡°At the spur of the moment, I couldn¡¯t think much.¡± Dahlia was pale from fear. ¡°You better remember that your safetyes first from now on!¡± Dustin warned sternly. He would be gued by guilt for the rest of his life if she died because of him. ¡°Bro, can¡¯t you give me some attention as well?¡± Adam staggered to his feet grumpily. ¡°What the hell? Even if you¡¯re saving someone, why would you throw the truck toward me? Is my life not important to you? What happened to bros before hoes?¡± he thought. ¡°You¡¯re alive anyway.¡± Dustin responded nonchntly before turning his attention back to Dahlia. ¡°It¡¯s late. Let me send you home.¡± He walked over to the road junction and gged a cab to send her home. It was obvious that he had been the truck¡¯s target, and he didn¡¯t want to drag her into this mess. At the entrance to the vi, Dahlia halted and spun around to ask, ¡°Would you like toe in for a cup of tea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You should get some rest.¡± Dustin politely refused as if he hadn¡¯t understood what she was trying to say. ¡°You idiot!¡± Dahlia humped, ring at him before spinning around and going into the house. Dustin waited until the doors closed to look away, his eyes now cold and ruthless. ¡°Adam, help me look into the truck.¡± ¡°On it. Give me three minutes.¡± Adam whipped out his phone and made a call. In less than three minutes, the results came in. ¡°Done. It turns out the Hummers put a bounty of up to ten billion dors on your head. Most of the bounty killers should have their eyes on you by now. That truck was one of their attempts.¡± He summarized. ¡°The Hummers.¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes, the air around him turning murderous. He hasn¡¯t settled the score of being captured by the military. How dare they act up again! Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the n? Do you want me to bring my team to their house and destroy their whole family?¡± Adam asked nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Dustin answered coolly. ¡°If they¡¯re going out of their way to ensure my death, they better not be surprised when I do the same!¡± He spun around and disappeared into the darkness. Back at the Hummer Vi. ¡°Josh, it¡¯s time for you to take your meds.¡± Tina brought some medicine over to Joshua¡¯s bedside. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to take them right now.¡± Joshua frowned in displeasure. ¡°Jade hasn¡¯t returned since morning, and I can¡¯t reach her phone. Do you think something happened to her?¡± ¡°Stop overthinking. Josh. She¡¯s from the Grant family. What could happen?¡± Tina shook her head. ¡°T¨Cthen, do you think she¡¯s disgusted that I¡¯m crippled and wants to end it with me?¡± Joshua asked again. Ever since his core was destroyed, he lost his pride, turning anxious and sensitive instead. ¡°Of course not!¡± Tina refuted him straight away. ¡°I can tell that she really likes you. I bet she¡¯s running all over the ce for you. Didn¡¯t she promise to avenge you before she left this morning? So, stop worrying.¡± ¡°I must be thinking too much.¡± Joshua sighed. As the fallen Chosen One, something inside him had changed tremendously. ¡°Josh, rest well, and don¡¯t overthink this. Dad went to Millsburg to ask for medicine from Dr. Watkins. I¡¯m sure all your injuries will be gone in no time with the panacea.¡± Tina reassured him. ¡°You¡¯re right. After I recover, I¡¯ll rise to the top once more!¡± Joshua swore through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Rhys suffers like never before!¡± Just then, the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Joshua demanded anxiously. ¡°Calm down, Josh. The breaker must have tripped. Tina went over to the door and shouted, ¡°Somebody go check the breaker.¡± Silence was all she got in response, the entire vi terrifyingly silent. ¡°Hey! Are you guys deal?¡± Tina yelled again, but no one responded. Joshua had a bad feeling something was going to happen. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± He sprung up and prepared to run when a tall figure walked into his room without a sound. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± he shouted. ¡°The person who¡¯s going to kill you.¡± The figure slowly lifted its head, and from the moonlight shining through the window, Joshua finally had a clear look at the other person¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s you? W¨Cw¨Cweren¡¯t you arrested? When did you get out?¡± Joshua began to back up in terror. Just this morning, he¡¯d received Tina¡¯s message that the military had captured Custin. How did he get free in less than a day? ¡°Anyst words?¡± Dustin asked coldly. Tina threatened. ¡°You better not mess around, Rhys! We have Boulderthorn and the Grants¡® protection. If you touch-¡± Before she could finish her sentence. Dustin flicked his wrist, and a silver needle embedded itself into her forehead. Tina twitched before tilting her head back and falling to the ground, dead. Chapter 290 ¡°What?¡± Joshua stared at his sister¡¯s body incredulously. He never thought that Dustin would be so ruthless, killing without warning. ¡°Anything else you want to say?¡± Dustin calmly asked. ¡°D¨Cdon¡¯t kill me! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± Joshua fell to his knees, begging. ¡°I was an idiot to offend you. Please forgive me. I swear I won¡¯t go against you ever again!¡± ¡°You had your chance, but you didn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± Dustin¡¯s face was void of any sympathy. ¡°N¨Cno. I do. I promise! Please! I¡¯m still young. I don¡¯t want to die! Just let me go. I¡¯ll do anything you want. I swear!¡± Joshua began ramming his forehead into the floor. He wasn¡¯t able to win against Dustin when he was in peak condition, so why would he have a winning chance now? For Dustin, killing Joshua would be as easy as killing an ant. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not what you said just now.¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to make me suffer like never before after you recovered?¡± ¡°N¨Cno, I didn¡¯t!¡± Joshua shook his head frantically. ¡°I would never dare!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Edwin?¡± Dustin demanded, clearly having lost his patience. He had searched the entire vi, but there was no sign of Edwin Hummer. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know! I heard that my dad went to Millsburg to get me medicine, but I have no idea where he is.¡± Joshua cried. ¡°He¡¯s in Millsburg, eh? Lucky bastard.¡± Dustin felt regretful that Edwin managed to get away. ¡°Are you looking for my dad? D¨Cdon¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you know as soon as he¡¯s home! I¡¯ll be your faithful hound from now on.¡± Joshua smiled weakly, grasping at straws. Dustin sneered. ¡°You¡¯re willing to betray your father? You¡¯re worse than an animal.¡± He slowly raised his hand. holding a silver needle. ¡°No! You can¡¯t kill me! My mentor is the master of Boulderthorn, and my fianc¨¦e is the Grants¡® third daughter. You¡¯ll be their enemy if you kill me. People will keeping for your head, and you¡¯ll have to live in lear for the rest of your life!¡± Joshua roared, going berserk, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°You should have thought about that when you kidnapped Natasha. As for the Grants and Boulderthorn, well, I don¡¯t care about them. So, you¡¯ll definitely die today,¡± Dustin replied coldly. With a flick of his finger, the silver needle lodged itself in the space between Joshua¡¯s forehead. ¡°No!¡± Joshua wailed with hisst breath, the sound resonating in all directions. Early the next morning. Inside a mansion in Millsburg, Edwin woke up with a start from his nightmare, sweat nketing his whole body. For some reason, his sleep had been restless, an ominous feeling constantly He sprung up and prepared to run when a tall figure walked into his room without a sound. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± he shouted. ¡°The person who¡¯s going to kill you.¡± The figure slowly lifted its head, and from the moonlight shining through the window. Joshua finally had a clear look at the other person¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s you? W¨Cw¨Cweren¡¯t you arrested? When did you get out?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Joshua began to back up in terror. Just this morning, he¡¯d received Tina¡¯s message that the military had captured Dustin. How did he get free in less than a day? ¡°Anyst words?¡± Dustin asked coldly. Tina threatened. ¡°You better not mess around, Rhys! We have Boulderthorn and the Grants¡® protection. If you touch- Before she could finish her sentence, Dustin flicked his wrist, and a silver needle embedded itself into her forehead. Tina twitched before tilting her head back and falling to the ground, dead. ¡°What?¡± Joshua stared at his sister¡¯s body incredulously. He never thought that Dustin would be so ruthless, killing without warning. ¡°Anything else you want to say?¡± Dustin calmly asked. ¡°D¨Cdon¡¯t kill me! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± Joshua fell to his knees, begging. ¡°I was an idiot to offend you. Please forgive me. I swear I won¡¯t go against you ever again!¡± ¡°You had your chance, but you didn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± Dustin¡¯s face was void of any sympathy. ¡°N¨Cno. I do. I promise! Please! I¡¯m still young. I don¡¯t want to die! Just let me go. I¡¯ll do anything you want. I swear!¡± Joshua began ramming his forehead into the floor. He wasn¡¯t able to win against Dustin when he was in peak condition, so why would he have a winning chance now? For Dustin, killing Joshua would be as easy as killing an ant. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not what you said just now.¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to make me suffer like never before after you recovered?¡± ¡°N¨Cno. I didn¡¯t!¡± Joshua shook his head frantically. ¡°I would never dare!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Edwin?¡± Dustin demanded, clearly having lost his patience. He had searched the entire vi, but there was no sign of Edwin Hummer. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know! I heard that my dad went to Millsburg to get me medicine, but I have no idea where he is.¡± Joshua cried. ¡°He¡¯s in Millsburg, eh? Lucky bastard.¡± Dustin felt regretful that Edwin managed to get away. ¡°Are you looking for my dad? D¨Cdon¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as he¡¯s home! I¡¯ll be your faithful hound from now on.¡± Joshua smiled weakly, grasping at straws. Dustin sneered. ¡°You¡¯re willing to betray your father? You¡¯re worse than an animal.¡± He slowly raised his hand. holding a silver needle. ¡°No! You can¡¯t kill me! My mentor is the master of Boulderthorn, and my fianc¨¦e is the Grants¡® third daughter. You¡¯ll be their enemy if you kill me. People will keeping for your head, and you¡¯ll have to live in fear for the rest of your life!¡± Joshua roared, going berserk, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°You should have thought about that when you kidnapped Natasha. As for the Grants and Boulderthorn, well, I don¡¯t care about them. So, you¡¯ll definitely die today,¡± Dustin replied coldly. With a flick of his finger, the silver needle lodged itself in the space between Joshua¡¯s forehead. ¡°No!¡± Joshua wailed with hisst breath, the sound resonating in all directions. Early the next morning, inside a mansion in Millsburg, Edwin woke up with a start from his nightmare, sweat nketing his whole body. For some reason, his sleep had been restless, an ominous feeling constantly hovering over him. ¡°Sir Hummer!¡± One of his bodyguards barged into his room, overjoyed. ¡°We finally got our hands on Dr. Watkins Substratumis. With this. Mr. Hummer will finally recover!¡± ¡°Excellent! Show me!¡± Edwin¡¯s face lit up, his worries forgotten. ¡°Here you go, sir!¡± The guard brought out a jade box and opened it, revealing a glistening sheer milky white pill that emitted a sweet, rxing scent. Chapter 291 ¡°Well done. Well done, indeed!¡± Edwinughed boisterously. ¡°This Substratumis may be expensive, but it¡¯s definitely worth the price!¡± While he was still chortling away, another bodyguard rushed into the room anxiously. ¡°Sir, something bad happened back home!¡± The guard fell to his knees, weeping. ¡°What?¡± Edwin frowned. ¡°We just received news from Swinton that Hummer Vi turned into a ughterhousest night. All of our fighters are dead, and Ms. Hummer and Mr. Hummer were both killed as well. The Hummer family is gone!¡± These words struck Edwin like lightning, and the Substratumis in his hand crashed to the floor, shattering instantly. ¡°Son!¡± Edwin wailed mournfully, copsing to the floor. The devastated man stayed on the floor for what felt like ages. When he finally staggered to his feet, he seemed to have aged ten years, looking extremely haggard. ¡°Get ready. I want to head to Boulderthorn¡¯s branch right this instant!¡± Edwin seethed menacingly. He no longer had anything to fear now that his children were dead. He only cared about avenging them, no matter the cost! After an hour, in Boulderthorn¡¯s branch¡¯s meeting room. ¡°What? Joshua was killed?¡± A man in a green shirt shot up and roared. ¡°Who the hell dares to touch someone from Boulderthorn?¡± ¡°It was Natasha Harmon and a man called Dustin Rhys!¡± Edwin growled. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The other man humphed. ¡°How dare a family like them challenge us! They must have a death wish! Gather up our men. No matter what, we must avenge Joshua!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Boulderthorn disciples immediately left to carry out the man¡¯s orders. Soon, the entire branch began to make a move. Boulderthorn had hundreds of thousands of disciples throughout Balerno, and this particr branch has fostered the highest quantity of skilled martial artists. The reason for that was simple: their mentor was the guildmaster of Boulderthorn. Boulderthorn has four branch leaders, eight guildmasters, and thirty¨Csix second¨Cinmands. Besides the branch leaders, the guildmasters held the most power in the guild. With just onemand, guildmasters could control thousands of disciples. However, each guildmaster had strong animosity against the other, so they were extremely protective of their disciples. So, whenever someone was in trouble, everyone would immediately chip in to help. And out of all Boulderthorn disciples, Joshua was the most talented and skilled, earning him the head guildmaster¡¯s affection, His sudden death shocked the entire guild, and if Boulderthorn didn¡¯t avenge him, their reputation would be sullied, particrly for this branch. Edwin felt some sense of relief when he saw the effort the guild disciples were putting in. Without saying another word, he got back to his car and headed towards the Grants home. No matter who was responsible for Jade¡¯s disappearance, he was sure to ce the me on Dustin, and, knowing the Grants, Dustin wasn¡¯t going to get away with this easily. With Boulderthorn and the Grants working together, even the Harmon family, one of the wealthiest families around, wouldn¡¯tst long, and when the time came, the Harmon family would surely make Natasha take responsibility alone. As for Dustin, he was nothing but a sitting duck for the Boulderthorn disciples. ¡°My dear son, I will avenge you soon,¡± Edwin swore solemnly. Chapter 292 Meanwhile, in Park ce, Swiston. ¡°What? Joshua Hummer is dead, and his entire family was massacred? They even burned Hummer Vi down to the ground?¡± Jessica, who had been rxing a second ago, sobered when she heard her guard¡¯s report. The Hummer family was well known for being the top family in Swinton. While it couldn¡¯t win against the Harmon family, it was still a force to be reckoned with, especially with Boulderthorn¡¯s support. So who could be powerful enough to destroy that family? ¡°Do you know who did it?¡± Jessica pushed. ¡°The fire burned almost everything. It¡¯ll be difficult to trace the source.¡± The guard shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll be in trouble if we can¡¯t find the culprit!¡± Jessica frowned, pondering. Under normal circumstances, she¡¯d be over the moon to learn that the Hummer family was gone. However, most people now knew that the Hummer family and her daughter had something against each other, so Natasha would naturally be the prime suspect. What Jessica feared the most was that should Boulderthorn start digging into this matter, things would get much moreplicated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Just then, Natasha walked into the room wearing silk pajamas. ¡°Joshua Hummer is dead, and the entire Hummer family was destroyed while Edwin Hummer is still missing!¡± Jessica summarized everything she knew. ¡°I already knew that. Nothing to be surprised of.¡± Natasha stretchedzily. ¡°Huh? When did you find out?¡± Jessica asked, astonished. ¡°Dustin called mest night,¡± Natasha responded calmly. ¡°Last night?¡± Jessica froze before understanding dawned. ¡°Are you saying that he¡¯s the one who did it?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Yep.¡± Natasha nodded. ¡°Is he crazy? How could he kill Joshua Hummer? Doesn¡¯t he know that Joshua¡¯s mentor is Clement Lincoln? Isn¡¯t he worried that Boulderthorn would retaliate?¡± Jessica snapped. ¡°The Hummer family and I are already enemies, so I don¡¯t think Dustin did anything wrong.¡± Natasha countered. The truth was she¡¯d already been prepared to fight against them after hearing that the military had arrested Dustin. Still, it was a good thing he returned safely. ¡°He did nothing wrong?¡± Jessica frowned. ¡°Natasha, do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying? Even your father has to be careful around Lincoln! Dustin won¡¯t be the only one to die if Lincoln wants revenge. You¡¯ll be dragged down too!¡± Boulderthorn was one of the strongest guilds in Balerno. The Harmon family wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up against them, much less the guildmaster, who had the power to control over ten thousand men. To put things into perspective, without military aid, no one would be able to stop those martial artists. ¡°Boulderthorn may be powerful, but they are not above thew. They won¡¯t be able to do as they please. Besides, did you really think that the Hummer family was going to simply let us go if Dustin hadn¡¯t killed Joshua? Since nothing can stop us from being enemies, the next best option would be to make the first move!¡± Natasha exined calmly, having thought about it earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Dustin is in big trouble this time. If you don¡¯t want to drag our family into this mess, you better cut all ties with him right now!¡± Jessica warned. ¡°That¡¯s your n? Cutting ties with him?¡± Natasha snorted. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t forget that Dustin offended the Hummer family for me. Are you telling me to turn my back on him right now?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Jessica responded scornfully. ¡°Everyone has their value. Once they¡¯re no longer of use, they should be discarded. You should always focus on the bigger picture.¡± ¡°How could you say something like that? You haven¡¯t changed, have you? You¡¯re still so disgusting!¡± Natasha sneered before spinning around to leave. ¡°You¡± Jessica fumed. Chapter 293 Was it wrong for a mother to worry about her daughter¡¯s safety? So why couldn¡¯t Natasha understand her? ¡°Istrid!¡± Jessica called out. A voluptuous woman immediately hurried into the room. ¡°Yes, Madam?¡± ¡°Send an anonymous letter to Clement Lincoln to let him know everything Dustin has done.¡± Jessica instructed. ¡°Huh?¡± Isfrid was stunned. ¡°A¨Care you sure, Madam?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Dustin had been severely injured just to save Natasha, yet Jessica was telling her to betray him. That was crossing the line. ¡°Shut up and do as I say! Natasha will only be safe if we sacrifice Dustin. Hurry up!¡± Jessica ordered coldly. ¡°Yes. Madam.¡± Istrid could only nod. Although she felt sorry for Dustin, as the Harmon family¡¯s shadow guard, she had no choice but to obey Jessica. Meanwhile, a red BMW suddenly pulled up at the door of Peaceful Medical Center. The car door flung open. and Dakota Nicholson rushed into the building frenziedly. ¡°I know you¡¯re here, Rhys! Come out!¡± she yelled. ¡°Which uneducated brat is it?¡± Dustin emerged from the kitchen. He looked up and gave her a knowing look. So it¡¯s you. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Cut the crap! My mother¡¯s sick. Follow me to the hospital and help her!¡± Dakota ordered rudely. She woke up this morning to find that her mother was paralyzed, unable to feel anything below her shoulders, and could only move her neck. Although Dakota was shocked, she was forced to admit that everything happened just as Dustin had said it would. Her mother had fainted the first day, coughed up blood on the second, and became paralyzed on the third, just like he said. So, if her mother couldn¡¯t receive treatment in time, she would die tomorrow. ¡°What does your mother falling sick have to do with me?¡± Dustin shrugged, not at all surprised. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be sick if you hadn¡¯t pped her,¡± Dakota replied arrogantly. ¡°Wow, to be terminally ill from a p. Your mother sure is something else.¡± Dustin chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Stop messing around. I¡¯m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Come with me to the hospital to save my mother right now!¡± Dakota ordered. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t give a damn.¡± Dustin refused bluntly. ¡°What?¡± Dakota frowned. ¡°How dare you refuse! Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Dustin shook his head. Dakota humped, displeased. ¡°That means you¡¯ll offend the Glenstead Nicholsons. If I can pull you out of jail, I can certainly put you back in.¡± ¡°It sounds like I have you to thank for my freedom?¡± Dustin asked, amused. ¡°Do you think I would have saved you if Dahlia didn¡¯t keep begging me?¡± Dakota humphed. ¡°You should be grateful. Since I saved you, it¡¯s time for you to repay the favor. I¡¯m giving you a chance to save my mother!¡± ¡°I have no idea where you found the confidence to say all that.¡± Dustin snorted and shook his head. ¡°If that¡¯s the attitude you¡¯re going to carry, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you. Please leave.¡± Dakota was supposed to ask for a favor, yet she acted arrogantly. It was as if she expected him to be grateful. that she was telling him to save someone. Who did she think she was? Chapter 294 ¡°You shameless bastard!¡± Dustin¡¯s repeated refusal angered Dakota, the proud daughter of a wealthy family. Usually, people would be tripping over their feet trying to tter her, yet here Dustin was, ignoring her. ¡°Who¡¯s the shameless one?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have you been eating so much junk food that you fried your brain? This is Balerno, not Glenstead, so don¡¯t give me that attitude!¡± ¡°You-¡± Dakota was so angry she gritted her teeth, but she couldn¡¯t do anything else since she desperately needed him to save her mother. She would have already struck him if her mother¡¯s life wasn¡¯t at stake. ¡°What do you want, Rhys?¡± Dakota took a deep breath, trying to keep her anger at bay. ¡°I won¡¯t make things difficult for you, for Dahlia¡¯s sake, Dustin answered. ¡°I can save her, but first, I want you to stop that haughty attitude of yours and give me a sincere apology. Next, I want you to write a letter of apology.¡± ¡°Never!¡± Dakota balked. ¡°How could I, the daughter of the Glenstead Nicholsons, apologize to someone like you? Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Then forget about it. I¡¯m not the one suffering anyway.¡± Dustin respondedzily. ¡°But don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Your mother will die tomorrow if she doesn¡¯t receive treatment in time.¡± ¡°You-¡± Dakota choked, her face dark. Although she didn¡¯t like hearing that, it was still the truth. If her mother didn¡¯t receive help in time, she would be dead by the next morning. ¡°Please leave if you aren¡¯t happy with my conditions.¡± Dustin waved her away. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I¨CI¡¯ll do it!¡± Dakota eventually gave in. Biting her lip, she stammered. ¡®I¨CI¡¯m sorry. I was wrong.¡± ¡°Are you talking to the air? Speak up!¡± Dustin ordered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong!¡± Dakota shouted, her face red. That was her first time apologizing to someone, and it was utterly humiliating. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll forgive you because of Dahlia, but you better remember not to be so arrogant from now on. Not everyone is as kind as me,¡± Dustin reminded her. Dakota¡¯s face darkened, and her palms ached from how hard she clenched her fists. She forced out a smile and asked, ¡°You¡¯ll save my mom now, right?¡± ¡°What about the apology letter?¡± Dustin asked instead. ¡°I¡¯ll write it!¡± Dakota gritted her teeth and began writing as soon as she got some pen and paper. Soon, a long letter waspleted. ¡°As expected of an aristocratic family¡¯sdy. Your writing is perfect.¡± Dustin nodded, pleased. He stored the letter away and pulled out a bottle of pills. ¡°Here. One pill a day, and she¡¯ll be as good as new after a month.¡± ¡°Just this? Are you serious?¡± Dakota epted the bottle and studied it suspiciously. ¡°Are you messing with me, Rhys? My mom can be saved with just a few pills?¡± ¡°What else were you expecting? Was I supposed to open her up instead?¡± Dustin questioned back. Chapter 29M ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll believe you this once. Your medicine better work, or I¡¯ming for you!¡± Giving Dustin a vicious re, Dakota turned to leave. Chapter 295 ¡°Hold on.¡± ¡°What now?¡± Dakota halted and spun around, impatient. ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet. This medicine is precious. You can just pay me ten million, Dustin casually told her. ¡°What? A bottle like this costs ten million dors? You might as well rob a bank!¡± Dakota fumed. ¡°This is obviously easier than robbing a bank. You can always give it back if you find it too expensive.¡± Dustin reached out to grab the bottle back. ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Dakota gritted her teeth and wrote up a ten¨Cmillion¨Cdor check before leaving angrily. She¡¯d made up her mind to make Dustin pay after her mother recovered. After half an hour, she reached the hospital. As soon as she returned to the ward, she saw a group of doctors gathered there, shaking their heads and sighing. Her mother, Jane, was lying on the hospital bed, unable to move. ¡°You¡¯re back, Dakota!¡± Florence rushed forward and asked, ¡°How did it go? Does he have the solution? If there¡¯s no other method, we¡¯ll have to seek out Dr. Cross.¡± ¡°He gave me a bottle of pills and told me Mom would be fine after taking them for a month.¡± Dakota pulled out the bottle and poured out an ordinary¨Clooking ck pill the size of a peanut that emitted a musty odor. ¡°This thing can heal her?¡± Florence gaped in dismay. Instead of the panacea she had been expecting, all she saw was a booger. ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡± Dakota nodded her head. ¡°Ms. Nicholson,¡± a bald doctor suddenly spoke. ¡°Your mother¡¯s life is in danger. The best choice right now would be to perform a craniotomy surgery, not listen to some voodoo doctor.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even figure out what¡¯s wrong with her, yet you want to perform a craniotomy? How¡¯s that different from murder?¡± Dakota snapped. The doctors had previously told her that her mother might be paralyzed due to the tumor in her brain. However, the CT scan results came back clean, so how could she blindly believe their assumptions? ¡°All surgeriese with risks, but at least our professional team is more reliable than the doctor you found!¡± the bald doctor promised. ¡°I have to try no matter what!¡± Dakota¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°What an idiot.¡± The bald doctor shook his head and looked at Dakota like she was a moron. ¡°Why would the world need doctors if medicine can cure everything?¡± ¡°Exactly! I¡¯ll take a shit while doing a handstand if it works!¡± another doctor voiced. Ignoring them, Dakota grabbed the pill and put it into her mother¡¯s mouth. The pill melted instantly, and a gush of energy spread through Jane¡¯s limbs. A few secondster, Jane began to cough, her face flushed. ¡°What the hell is this? It tastes atrocious!¡± Jane sputtered and sat up to gargle using the cup of water beside her. ¡°You can move again, Mom?¡± Dakota froze, then she lit up in excitement. ¡°Huh?¡± Jane halted, swallowing the water she had just gargled, before springing up happily. ¡°Oh my! I can move again!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who said they¡¯d take a shit while doing a handstand? Step forward right now!¡± Dakota red at the doctors.. rendering them speechless. Chapter 296 The doctors looked at each other in shock after seeing how lively Jane was. They couldn¡¯t believe that such a small pill had cured what a group of medical professionals had been unable to. It was incredible! Was that ck pill a panacea or something? Getting over his shock, the bald doctor tentatively asked, ¡°Ms. Nicholson, may I know what pill that is? Could we study it?¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Fuck off!¡± Dakota immediately kicked him, making the man groan in pain. Knowing he had lost, he quickly led the other doctors out of the room in disappointment. ¡°Who knew a small pill like this could be so powerful?¡± Florence was in awe. Despite its looks and smell, its effects were evident. ¡°It may have cost ten million dors, but it was worth it!¡± Dakota eximed happily. ¡°What? Ten million?¡± The other two women instantly sprung up. ¡°Are you joking. Dakota? A bottle like this costs ten million dors? Florence asked, wide¨Ceyed. ¡°Yeah! Were you tricked? How could this ordinary¨Clooking medicine cost so much?¡± Jane demanded, pained. The richer someone was, the stingier they were. ¡°Forget it. As long as it could save you, the price isn¡¯t that important.¡± Dakota wasn¡¯t too angry about it. ¡°What do you mean forget about it?¡± Jane fumed. ¡°I still haven¡¯t gotten even with that brat for pping me. How dare he con us out of ten million dors! I have to get that money back!¡± She immediately tried to get out of bed, but her agitated state,bined with her weak body, made her knees go weak, and she immediately copsed back on the bed. ¡°Mom, we can think about the moneyter. Your health is way more important,¡± Dakota said worriedly. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jane. I¡¯ll get the money back for you.¡± Florence volunteered, not letting the opportunity to prove herself escape. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± Jane agreed without hesitation. She couldn¡¯t be happier that someone was volunteering to run errands for her. ¡°Mom, bad news!¡± Just then, Dahlia barged into the room anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Florence was puzzled since she rarely saw her daughter so panicked. ¡°It¡¯s James.¡± Dahlia panted before continuing. ¡°I just received news that he got drunkst night and identally ran his car into someone, killing that person. He¡¯s already been arrested!¡± ¡°He killed someone?¡± Florence was stunned. ¡°How is that possible? He never drives after drinking. How could this have happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics either. He¡¯s being held in police custody. Let¡¯s go now.¡± Dah urged. ¡°Right! Let¡¯s go!¡± Florence quickly followed Dahlia out of the room. Dahlia was the one who drove, and momentster, they arrived at the investigation bureau. After a simple registration, the two women entered the meeting room and saw a roughed¨Cup James. ¡°Mom! Sis! You¡¯re finally here!¡± James burst out crying the moment he saw them. ¡°You asshole! How dare you drink and drive!¡± Dahlia walked forward and pped him across the face. Chapter 297 ¡°Enough. Stop fighting. Let us know what happened first.¡± Florence said worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened either.¡± James sobbed. ¡°I cked out after drinking with my friends. By the time I woke up, I was already in the car, and there was wreckage everywhere. I was so scared I ran away immediately, but I got caught the same night.¡± ¡°You did a hit¨Cand¨Crun? Do you know how severe this crime is? You won¡¯t be getting out without a decade or two of jail time!¡± Dahlia spat. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°What?¡± James immediately paled. ¡°I¡¯m still young. I don¡¯t want to go to jail. Please save me!¡± ¡°You have to pay the price for your mistakes. How can you think that you¡¯ll be safe after killing someone?¡± Dahlia sighed. Although she loved her brother dearly, she could do nothing about his crime. ¡°Sis, Mom, help me! I swear I¡¯ll never do this again! I¡¯ve learned my lesson, I swear!¡± James swore frantically. unable to stand the thought of living out his life in prison. ¡°Calm down, James. I¡¯ll call you aunt right now. With the Glenstead Nicholsons¡® help and some money, we should be able to get your out.¡± Florence quickly drew out her phone and called Jane. ¡°Hello? Jane? James is in danger. He ran his car into somebody and killed them. Could you make a few calls to get him out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, Florence, but Dahlia ran away from her datest night, so our family is very unhappy. They¡¯ve given the order that unless Dahlia marries Mr. Longford, our family will not be providing any assistance,¡± Jane responded calmly. ¡°What?¡± Florence stiffened and turned to look at Dahlia questioningly. ¡°I¡¯ll never marry him!¡± Dahlia immediately refused. ¡°Then forget about it. Deal with James on your own.¡± Jane hung up. ¡°Just agree, Dahlia. What¡¯s wrong with marrying Mr. Langford? He¡¯s powerful and rich, and hees from an aristocratic family. As long as you marry him, we can save your brother and livefortably for the rest of our lives.¡± Florence urged. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t like him!¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°You¡¯ll fall in love with him after some time. Would you rather see your brother being sent to prison?¡± Florence wailed. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sis. Just marry Mr. Langford, or I¡¯m doomed!¡± James sobbed. ¡°Did the two of you ever think of my future?¡± Dahlia was troubled. ¡°You¡¯ll have a wonderful life if you marry Mr. Langford, and our family will be powerful too, What¡¯s not to like about that? Besides, I¡¯m your brother. Do you want to see me rot away in jail?¡± James roared, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°Let me think about it. T¨Cthere must be another way.¡± Dahlia shut her eyes helplessly. ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? We¡¯re running out of time.¡± James shouted frantically. ¡°He¡¯s right. Won¡¯t you please help him? I¡¯m begging you!¡± Florence cried and fell to her knees. ¡°What are you doing, Mom? Get up!¡± Dahlia paled and tried to help Florence stand. ¡°I won¡¯t get up until you agree!¡± Florence dered. At the sight of her mother¡¯s firm attitude and her brother¡¯s terrified expression, Dahlia stood rooted dumbly, at a loss. She never thought that things would turn out this way. The happiness she¡¯d been praying for was just a few steps ahead, so why was God treating her this way? Didn¡¯t she deserve happiness? ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it ¡­¡± Dahlia shut her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. She had given in.. Chapter 298 ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it¡­¡± Within an exclusive club, Luis couldn¡¯t help grinning when he heard the other voice from the phone. ¡°Great. See you tonight. You better not stand me up again.¡± With that, he hung up. The young men and women surrounding him immediately gave him a thumbs¨C up after learning what had happened. ¡°Never thought a tiny trick like this could get that chick to obey you, Ms. Langford. You¡¯re incredible!¡± a blond man praised. Luis chuckled evilly. ¡°She would never have agreed if I hadn¡¯t sent her brother in. Besides, how could I let a chick like her slip through my fingers like that?¡± None of the women he set his sights on have ever gotten away from him. All it took was some time and some tricks. Dahlia may look like an innocent woman, but as long as he used her friends and family as bait, she would surely bite. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Mr. Langford. Why would you marry her? You could have just had fun without getting married. This doesn¡¯t seem like something you¡¯d do.¡± The blond man observed. ¡°Excellent question.¡± Luis paused to light a cigar. ¡°Truthfully, what I want is the Glenstead Nicholsons¡± support. Marriage between our families has been set, and Dahlia will soon carry out her family¡¯s orders. Through her, I will take over the Nicholsons¡® powerpletely!¡± His words caused a stir among the crowd, and they immediately began singing his praises. ¡°As expected of Mr. Langford, he thinks so far ahead. How impressive!¡± ¡°He has brains and brawn. He¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Once I take over the Nicholsons, I will be the head of the Langfords!¡± Luis dered confidently. Competition between him and his brothers was fierce, as everyone wanted to be the head of the family. To win against them, he must have enough strength and power. ¡°Then let us wish you a happy marriage in advance!¡± The blond man led the group to offer Luis a toast. Soon,ughter resonated through the room. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. 8 pm at Hillview Restaurant. Dustin had arrived earlier than the agreed time. He had chosen the most luxurious room they had to cater to him and Dahlia, which didn¡¯t matter much to him since this was one of his businesses, and he didn¡¯t have to pay. ¡°Sir, our chef prepared these dishes specially for you. Please let us know what you think.¡± The manager, carrying a menu, began to introduce each dish to Dustin. ¡°No need for all this. You can arrange it as you see fit. Just make sure to get us the chef¡¯s signature dish,¡± Dustin instructed. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± The manager nodded and waved his hand to those outside the room. A group of waiters immediately began setting up the ce with flowers, wine, candles, and more, making the room look romantic and warm. They had even hired a guitarist and three dancers to perform. Soon, everything was ready. ¡°Sir, I took the liberty to arrange some performers. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± the manager said with a smile. ¡°This looks quite grand. You must have put in a lot of effort.¡± Dustin was surprised. ¡°I can always tell them to leave if you don¡¯t wish them to be here.¡± The manager lowered his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s quite nice. Thank you.¡± Dustin smiled. Dahlia would like this, wouldn¡¯t she? ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to serve you, sir. May I know when Ms. Nicholson will be arriving so I can prepare things?¡± the manager asked tentatively. ¡°She should be here soon.¡± Dustin nced at the time. It was already past eight.. Dahlia always kept her promise and was neverte. Did something happen? Puzzled, Dustin pulled out his phone to call her. Chapter 299 Dahlia didn¡¯t pick up the first two times. It wasn¡¯t until his third attempt that the call got through. ¡°Hey, Dahlia. Didn¡¯t you tell me to treat you to dinner? Why aren¡¯t you here yet?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°About that I¡¯m sorry, but something came up. I might not be able to leave any time soon.¡± Dahlia¡¯s voice sounded strange. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Work is more important. Take your time. I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Dustin answered understandingly despite the tinge of regret. Dahlia hummed. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you another day.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin smiled. He was just about to hang up when he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Dahlia, who are you calling? Hurry up. You¡¯ve got to drink with me-¡± With a beep, the call ended. ¡°Sir, when is Ms. Nicholson arriving?¡± the manager asked. ¡°She has something to deal with, so she can¡¯te. You can put everything away. I¡¯m sorry, everyone.¡± Dustin smiled politely and got up to leave. Everyone exchanged confused nces. Why had the carefully nned dinner gone to waste? Meanwhile, inside a Barkarole Hotel room. ¡°Mr. Langford, I can¡¯t drink anymore. Let¡¯s stop here tonight.¡± Dahlia waved her hands frantically as another ss of wine came towards her. Her face was flushed, and she was light¨Cheaded, her body weak. ¡°It was quite hard to get your brother out of that mess. You can¡¯t be that ungrateful, can you?¡± Luis held up his ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ss unhappily. ¡°Just drink it, Dahlia. It¡¯s just one ss.¡± Florence, who was sitting beside them, urged. They were here because they wanted to save James, so they had to make sure they pleased Luis. ¡°But ¨C Dahlia hesitated, troubled. Knowing her limits, she was sure she¡¯d copse if she drank anymore. ¡°I won¡¯t force you anymore, Dahlia. This is thest ss.¡± Luis pushed the ss towards her once more. ¡°See, Dahlia? It¡¯s thest ss. You shouldn¡¯t embarrass him.¡± Florence pressed softly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drink it.¡± Taking a deep breath, Dahlia lifted the ss to her lips and downed the entire thing. As soon as the liquid settled, she felt herself getting dizzier. Her body swayed, and she almost tripped. With quick reflexes, Florence grabbed Dahlia to keep her still. ¡°Mr. Langford, Dahlia is drunk. Why don¡¯t I send her home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already booked a presidential suite for the two of you. She can just rest here.¡± Luis said with a smile. ¡°Won¡¯t that be too much trouble?¡± Florence questioned tentatively. ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ll be a family soon. You should go and rest.¡± Luis drew out a room card and passed it to Florence. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Langford.¡± Florence nodded and helped Dahlia out of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to escape tonight.¡± Luis cackled, seeing Dahlia¡¯s retreating figure. He lifted his ss and took a big gulp before following behind the two women. Chapter 300 Inside the presidential suite, Florence helped Dahlia onto the bed and took off the younger woman¡¯s shoes. She then went to grab a basin of warm water to wipe Dahlia down. ¡°Mom, I feel horrible. I want some water.¡± Dahliay on the bed weakly, feeling parched. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Water won¡¯t work. I¡¯ll get you some milk. Wait here.¡± Florence made up an excuse and quickly left the room, bumping into Luis straight away. ¡°How¡¯s Dahlia doing. Mrs. Nicholson?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. Nothing a night¡¯s sleep won¡¯t fix. Florence smiled. ¡°Where are you heading, Mrs. Nicholson?¡± Luis asked again. ¡°To get Dahlia some milk to case her stomach ache.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Luis smiled knowingly. ¡°No one sells milk nearby, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to search further. You might have toe backter too.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m pretty sure I saw a grocery store downstairs.¡± Florence smiled awkwardly. ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± Luis¡® smile slowly disappeared, an animalistic, cruel expression taking over. ¡°O¨Cof course not. Got it. I¡¯lle backter.¡± Florence promised hurriedly, smiling apologetically. ¡°Good.¡± Luis¡® smile returned, and he watched the woman leave. As soon as she was gone, he opened the room door and let himself in. ¡°How did you get the milk so quickly, Mom?¡± Dahlia asked weakly from the bed. ¡°Your mother isn¡¯ting back anytime soon, so I¡¯ll be taking care of you,¡± Luis responded. ¡°Mr. Langford? What are you doing here?¡± Dahlia¡¯s face tightened. ¡°How did you get in? Where¡¯s my mom?¡± ¡°She went to get you some milk, of course,¡± Luis answered, beginning to take his clothes off. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing. Mr. Langford?¡± Dahlia began to panic. ¡°What do you think is supposed to happen when a man and a woman are left alone in a room?¡± He sneered. removing his tie, eyes full of lust. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, Mr. Langford. I¡¯m not that kind of person!¡± Dahlia shouted. ¡°We¡¯ll be engaged in a few days and getting married soon, so what does it matter? Luis jeered. ¡°I promise you Infinite luxury if you please me tonight.¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re not touching me until we¡¯re married!¡± Dahlia stood her ground. ¡°That¡¯ll take too long. You¡¯re going to sate me right now!¡± He lunged forward and began yanking at her clothes like a beast. ¡°Go away!¡± Struggling with all her might, Dahlia nted a firm kick at Luis¡® groin, and the man immediately doubled, groaning. ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Langford?¡± Dahlia was startled. Things would be bad if she caused him permanent injury down there. ¡°You bitch!¡± Furious, Luis pped Dahlia across the face, making her stagger and fall to the floor. ¡°No woman has ever rejected me, much less kicked me. How dare you!¡± Luis exploded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Langford. I didn¡¯t do that on purpose.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°Shut the fuck up! If you don¡¯t want something to happen to your brother, you better kneel and beg for forgiveness!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crossing the line, Mr. Langford!¡± Dahlia snapped. Chapter 301 If Luis was going to rape her, she¡¯d rather die than suffer and be humiliated that way. ¡°So what? How dare a secondhand good like you act innocent. Take off your clothes right now!¡± Luis shouted. ¡°No!¡± Gritting her teeth, Dahlia ignored her weak body and staggered to the door. ¡°Do you think you can escape?¡± With a sneer, the man ran after her. Just as Dahlia was about to reach the lift, he sped up and made a lunge for her, dragging her to the floor. He immediately began to tug at her clothes. Just then, the lift doors opened with a ding. The two of them lifted their heads and froze when they saw Dustin emerging from the lift with a dark face. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Dustin seethed, a murderous air surrounding him. He realized that something was wrong when he heard Dahlia¡¯s earlier reply, so he quickly told someone to track her car, and this was the first thing he saw. ¡°So, it¡¯s you.¡± Luis leisurely pulled himself to his feet and lifted his pants, grinning tauntingly. ¡± Are you here to peek at me and my girlfriend making love?¡± ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Dustin frowned and stared at Dahlia. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not what you think it is.¡± Dahlia frantically shook her head, but she didn¡¯t know how to exin this to him. ¡°Why are you hiding this from him, Dahlia? Weren¡¯t you drinking with me so that we could do this? Since he¡¯s caught us, we might as well let him know.¡± Luis smiled. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! Is this what you meant when you said you were meeting a client?¡± Dustin¡¯s face had contorted with rage. He thought that she was in trouble, but it turned out that she was on a date. ¡°I ¡­¡± Dahlia was at a loss for what to say. It was true that she had lied to him, but it was only because she didn¡¯t want him to misunderstand. However, things had still turned out this way. ¡°Nothing to say?¡± Dustin sneered at himself. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been lying to me this entire time?¡± ¡°N-no. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Then what?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression contorted with agony. ¡°You promised to have dinner with me, yet you abandoned me to visit someone else in a hotel room. Are you still going to tell me you weren¡¯t lying to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dustin. I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I didn¡¯t think things would turn out this way.¡± ¡°Right. You didn¡¯t expect me to ruin your fun, or you could¡¯ve continued treating me like a fool.¡± Dustin shook his head and sneered. ¡°I was an idiot to think that you changed and even tried to ept you. It took me so long to realize that you¡¯ve been toying with me this entire time I don¡¯t get it. What did I ever do to you? Why would you do something like this to get even with me? Why won¡¯t you let me go even though we¡¯re divorced? Was it fun toying with my emotions? Will you never stop until you¡¯vepletely humiliated me?¡± ¡°Listen to me, Dustin. I really like you. I never wanted to hurt you. Please believe me!¡± Dahlia sobbed. ¡°You like me? Then what about him?¡± Dustin pointed at Luis. ¡°I saw everything just now. Did you think that I¡¯m blind?¡± ¡°N-no. That was a misunderstanding.¡± Dahlia bit her lip ¡°A misunderstanding? Are you telling me that he was about to rape you?¡± Dustin¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°If you say yes, I¡¯ll make sure to get rid of him!¡± Hearing that, Dahlia immediately fell silent. She wanted to admit everything, but she couldn¡¯t. Luis was not someone she could cross, and definitely not someone Dustin could cross. Things would be disastrous should Dustin try to harm Luis. After all, the Stonia Langfords were not someone they could win against. Chapter 302 ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you agree with what I said?¡± Dustin¡¯s final glimmer of hope disappeared along with Dahlia¡¯s silence. He¡¯d given her a chance to exin herself, but she didn¡¯t give him the answer he wanted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have my reasons.¡± Dahlia felt her heart bleeding, and breathing became difficult. ¡°Reasons?¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°What could make you sell your body? What could stop you from exining things to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Dahlia sobbed, anguished. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. We¡¯re already divorced, sol have no right to control anything you do, and you didn¡¯t betray me.¡± Dustin¡¯s face gradually turned hard. ¡°However, please don¡¯t ever bother me again. I¡¯m still human. I can¡¯t keep being hurt by you. So, won¡¯t you please let me go?¡± ¡°I ¡­¡± Dahlia didn¡¯t know what to say. Perhaps the best thing for her to do now was topletely cut ties with him since she had no choice but to yield to Luis for her brother, her family, and Dustin. Still, she¡¯d already made up her mind. The day of her union with Luis would be the day she died. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s enough. You¡¯ve said everything you needed to say.¡± Luis grinned tauntingly. ¡°Wait for me in the room, Dahlia. We¡¯ll have some funter.¡± Dahlia didn¡¯t move. However, Dustin¡¯s breathing began to quicken. ¡°What are you waiting for? A show?¡± Luis gave Dustin a disdainful look over. ¡°Though I must admit. You¡¯ve got good taste in women. Her smooth, supple skin sure is lovely! I¡¯ll have lots of funter. Well, you can watch from the side if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Luis chuckled, grinning wickedly. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Enraged, Dustin nted his foot into Luis¡¯ abdomen and, with a bang, thetter crashed into the wall, passing out on the spot ¡°Are you crazy, Dustin? Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?¡± Dahlia immediately paled. Luis was an aristocrat in Stonia. Offending someone like him was like asking for someone to kill you. ¡°What? Are you worried about him?¡± Dustin sniggered. ¡°For you to fall for a pervert like him, I can¡¯t help wondering if there¡¯s something wrong with your eyes. || ¡°That has nothing to do with you. Get out! I never want to see you again!¡± Dahlia bit her lip, trying to control her emotions. Injuring Luis was no small matter. Dustin would be in trouble if Luis¡¯ bodyguards were to arrive now. ¡°Are you finally showing your true colors? Have you decided to stop pretending?¡± Dustin chuckled coolly ¡°So what? I don¡¯t mind letting you know I¡¯m not just dating him. We¡¯re engaged, and our wedding is in three days!¡± Dahlia revealed the shocking news. ¡°What? Engaged?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression immediately darkened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? How could you marry someone like him?¡± ¡°Who I marry is none of your business! And you¡¯re right. I was toying with your feelings, but so what? You were the one who was stupid enough to listen to me. Why don¡¯t you look in the fucking mirror? Do you think a broke loser like you can stand beside me? Luis is different. With his family background and power, I¡¯ll live a luxurious life once I marry him! Compared to him, you¡¯re nothing! There you go. This is the truth you wanted! Are you happy now!¡± Dahlia roared. ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Unable to stop himself, Dustin pped her, and clear marks appeared on her face instantly. Dustin was shocked. Never once in their three years of marriage had he ever struck her, so he never expected himself to lose control of his emotions. Still, anger quickly took over his dismay. She deserved it! ¡°I was an idiot to believe you. Please don¡¯t ever appear before me ever again!¡± Dustin spat before leaving. ¡°Dus-¡± Dahlia reached out a hand to stop him but managed to stop herself. She knew that this was the end for them. However, this was still a good ending. So, why? Why did her heart ache so much? This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Her chest was throbbing so much she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Dahlia! What happened?¡± Just then, Florence had arrived. When she spotted Luis unconscious on the floor, she paled. ¡°Did you do this?¡± ¡°Mom, Dustin dropped by just now. He knows everything now. We¡¯re never getting back together.¡± Dahlia wailed, throwing herself into her mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Shh¡­ Mom¡¯s here.¡± Florence patted her daughter¡¯s back. ¡°Your status has changed. Dustin isn¡¯t good enough for you anymore. ¡°B-but I love him! I really want to be with him! Why is God doing this to me? I don¡¯t want to ept this!¡± Dahlia wailed tormentedly. ¡°Life isn¡¯t always smooth sailing, Dahlia. You should look on the bright side instead. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happier in the future.¡± Florence sighed. ¡°Mom, do you know how much it hurt when I said those hurtful things to him? It was like a knife was twisting inside me! I wanted to tell him the truth and that I loved him, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m worried he might get arrested again. Mom, it hurts. It hurts so much!¡± Dahlia howled, thumping her heart furiously like it would make her feel better. While she was weeping, her vision suddenly turned ck, and she lost consciousness. Chapter 303 Even after returning to the medical center, Dustin still felt restless after the heavy blow Dahlia had given him. He never thought that she was the kind of person who would toy with hist emotions for revenge. They could have ended their rtionship on a good note, yet she decided to make them enemies. Dustin just couldn¡¯t understand why. No matter how hard he thought back, he was sure he had never once done anything bad to her. ¡°Dustin, are you in trouble?¡± Maximus emerged from the living room and asked. ¡°Let me know if you need my help.¡± The past few days of treatment have healed his core. He might not be as strong as before, but he was satisfied with just this. ¡°Won¡¯t you drink with me?¡± Dustin fumbled around the cabs for two bottles of wine. With Gregory around, there was never a shortage of alcohol. ¡°Sure.¡± Maximus sat down without a second thought. The two men began to drink, but no one spoke, so the tension in the air increased. After a few sses, Dustin eventually spoke. ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡± ¡°It¡¯s healing great. I¡¯ll be fine in another two days.¡± Maximus was filled with gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your skills. I¡¯d be doomed if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°You can stop being so formal. It sounds weird. Just talk to me casually.¡± Dustin topped up their sses. ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll just keep talking like this.¡± Maximus grinned sheepishly. ¡°Do it your way.¡± Dustin tipped his head back and downed his ss. ¡°Did you run into rtionship problems?¡± Maximus asked, finishing his ss as well. ¡°How did you know?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s easy to realize once you¡¯re in the same boat.¡± Maximus smiled sadly. What could be worse than someone¡¯s fianc¨¦e sleeping with their mentor? ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Dustin calmed slightly when he thought of the things the other man had gone through, and he began spilling everything to Maximus, everything since he needed someone to confide in. ¡°Say, did I marry the wrong person to end up this way?¡± Dustin smiled sadly. ¡°I have a different opinion, Dustin.¡± Maximus paused. ¡°Did you ever think that Ms. Nicholson had no choice?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t she have told me why?¡± Dustin shook his head. She probably would if she could.¡± Maximus sighed, ¡°You were married to her for three years. You should know her best. Do you think she¡¯s that kind of person?¡± Dustin stilled for a second before recovering. ¡°Everyone can change. Just because she wasn¡¯t before doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t be in the future. No one can truly tell what¡¯s going through a woman¡¯s mind.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Take it easy, Dustin. Time will prove everything.¡± Maximus consoled him. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this. Let¡¯s drink!¡± Dustin pulled out another two bottles of wine, fully intending to enjoy himself that night. Just then, a ck car pulled up at the entrance, and a man in a suit trudged into the building. ¡°Who is Dustin Rhys?¡± Chapter 304 The man¡¯s arrogant gaze swept the room. ¡°I¡¯m Dustin. May I know why you¡¯re here?¡± Dustin nced at the man before continuing to drink. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m a messenger of Boulderthorn¡¯s Royal Valor. We want to challenge you to a duel. You killed Joshua Hummer, our seventh disciple, so something has to be done. My senior will be visiting Swinton to challenge you to a duel to the death!¡± the man dered haughtily, throwing them a piece of paper. As a well-known guild, they had to do things publicly, including exacting revenge. They were also going to use this opportunity to show off their power. ¡°You can take that back. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Dustin refused without even looking at the paper. ¡°Are you scared?¡± The other man sneered. ¡°Weren¡¯t you brave when you killed Joshua? Why are you shying away after hearing that my senior is your opponent?¡± ¡°As if. I don¡¯t even know who your senior is,¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right now. His name is Tatum Thunders, and his name can be found on The Heavenly Immortals. He¡¯s also one of the eight geniuses of Boulderthorn. His nickname is Fanatic de!¡± The man humphed proudly. ¡°The Fanatic de, Tatum Thunders?¡± Maximus eximed, his expression paled. As a Boulderthorn disciple himself, he has heard of Tatum before. Boulderthorn has eight subsidiary guilds-Royal Valor, Quickshields, Forsakenstriders, Shadowfall, Thundersong, Frosnders, Boneguard, and Killingbane. Each guild had its respective principal disciple, who were expert martial artists ranking only below the guildmaster. In terms of power and strength, they were even stronger than the second- inmands of Boulderthorn, and Tatum happened to be the principal disciple of Royal Valor. Only in his early thirties, the genius has already made his way onto the Heavenly Immortals. ¡°Fanatic de? Never heard of him. He better stay away if he doesn¡¯t want to die.¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Arrogant fool!¡± The man humphed. ¡°No one has ever dared to refuse our challenge, you brat. If you refuse to ept the duel, everyone around you will suffer, not just you, so you better think this through.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll be waiting for you at Mount Halgue in two days¡¯ time. You¡¯d better be prepared for the consequences if you don¡¯t show up. And don¡¯t even think about running away. We¡¯re watching you. Rather than hiding like a mouse, why don¡¯t you die honorably in a fight instead? At least your pride will be intact, and no innocent people will be hurt. Well, you should think carefully before making your decision. Goodbye.¡± With that, the man spun around and left. The man wasn¡¯t worried that Dustin might not ept their challenge since no one had ever gotten away from Boulderthorn. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble now, Dustin!¡± Maximus¡¯ expression was grave. ¡°Tatum is no ordinary fighter. He¡¯s a legendary figure who already achieved divinity five years ago. He¡¯s leagues above Joshua Hummer!¡± ¡°Really? He sounds strong,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°I think you should bring your loved ones and run as far as you can right now, or you¡¯re doomed!¡± Maximus warned ¡°Run?¡± Dustin smiled softly. ¡°He isn¡¯t enough to scare me.¡± ¡°Do you have another n?¡± Maximus asked curiously. ¡°There¡¯s always a solution to a problem. Since they¡¯re challenging me first, I should give them a response too.¡± Dustin smiled coldly. His mood was already terrible, but now that Tatum was stupid enough to poke an angry bear, Dustin might as well use that man to relieve some anger. Chapter 305 Time flew by, and two days passed. News about Tatum challenging Dustin to a duel had spread far and wide, and all the martial artists who caught wind of the challenge came in droves to watch the duel This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The challenger was the principal disciple of Royal Valor, Fanatic de of the Heavenly Immortals - Tatum Thunders, while the challengee was Dustin Rhys, a dark horse. Eager to watch their challenge, many people woke up before dawn to get to Mount Halgue, so now, people crowded at the foot of the mountain ¡°I didn¡¯t know there would be this many people.¡± Thanking that this was just an ordinary duel, Dustin was surprised by the size of the crowd ¡°That¡¯s just how Boulderthorn is Anytime a famous disciple challenges someone to a duel, their guild makes sure to promote themselves and show off their strength. It¡¯s an unspoken rule among guilds Maximus was used to the sight ¡°Really?¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t they be embarrassed if they lose?¡± ¡°Lose?¡± The corner of Maximus¡¯ lips twitched This was Tatum Thunders they were talking about. Even among his peers in Boulderthorn, the man rarely had any opponents, so how could he lose? The only reason the guild would make such a bigtuss about this was because they were certain they would win Therefore, they invited multiple witnesses, including the disciples of other guilds, to show off their power ¡°Dustin, it¡¯s not toote to turn back right now. Are you sure you want to do it?¡± Maximus asked tentatively. ¡°Why would we turn back when we¡¯re already halfway there? Let¡¯s go. I want to meet that guy.¡± Dustin stretched and began to climb the stairs. Halfway up the mountain, they suddenly heard a fierce battle going on. Dustin turned and saw a group of people fighting in the dense forest next to the path. More urately, a bunch of burly men were attacking an old man simultaneously. Despite his white. hair and frail body, the old man was surprisingly agile, his strikes catching his opponents by surprise, so the group of men was having a hard time fighting him. A young girl stood behind the elderly man ¡°How dare they attack an old man! I¡¯ll go help them¡± Maximus rushed forward righteously. Dustin shook his head and followed suit. ¡°Hey! What are you guys doing?¡± The young girl immediately stopped them as they approached. The old man is in danger. I¡¯ll help him!¡± Maximus told her. It¡¯s fine. Those vermin won¡¯t be able to hurt my grandpa,¡± the girl refused. ¡°He¡¯s your grandfather?¡± Maximus was surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried he might get hurt?¡± The little girl immediately humphed proudly ¡°My grandfather¡¯s Ralph Dunn, the leader of the Steel Legion! There¡¯s no way those vermin are a match for him lust watchi¡± Hearing that, Maximus stood back and watched the battle silently. After exchanging a few more blows, Ralph finally put in more effort and began raining down strikes from his palms on the men. Unable to withstand the attack, the men soon became severely injured and threw up blood. ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s a beast! Retreat!¡± the leader hollered, and everyone else immediately rushed after him, not wanting to stay another second. ¡°Humph! How dare those losers dare to take advantage of me with their pathetic skills!¡± Chapter 306 The old man patted the dust off his body in a poised manner. ¡°That was a wonderful fight!¡± The young girl excitedly pped after Ralph won. She turned to Dustin and Maximus. ¡°See? Isn¡¯t my grandpa amazing?¡± ¡°Abby, did you see my palm strikes just now? Those are our guild¡¯s signature moves. You¡¯ll amaze the world when you finally learn it,¡± Ralph said loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard to meet your expectations, Grandpa Abby nodded fervently. ¡°Oh, and they are?¡± Ralph turned his attention to Dustin and Maximus. ¡°They¡¯re passersby who were being nosy, but I stopped them in time. With their abilities, they¡¯ll only be a bother,¡± Abby exined. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°I see.¡± Ralph gave them a look over. ¡°Treacherous bandits and ferocious beasts always roam this mountain. You two shouldn¡¯t run around carelessly. ¡°Thanks for the advice. We¡¯ll make a move since you¡¯re safe.¡± Dustin thanked them and spun around to leave. ¡°Hold on!¡± Abby suddenly called out. ¡°You¡¯re here to watch the fight between Tatum and, er, Dustin, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you guys here for that too?¡± Dustin asked ¡°Of course!¡± Abby lifted her head proudly. ¡°To tell you the truth, Boulderthorn invited many witnesses for today¡¯s duel. My grandpa¡¯s one of them!¡± ¡°Witnesses?¡± Dustin was amused. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± ¡°Of course it is!¡± Abby rolled her eyes. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re clueless. Well, any fight between famous martial artists always needs witnesses to ensure thepetition¡¯s fairness.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Dustin nodded. It was true that he had no idea about deathmatch rules. ¡°Both of you young men seem like fine people with strong bodies. I¡¯ll give you a chance to be Steel Legion disciples,¡± Ralph suddenly said. ¡°Disciples?¡± Dustin was caught off guard. ¡°You two should thank your lucky stars. Being my grandpa¡¯s disciple is a dream many people have. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank him!¡± Abby ordered arrogantly. ¡°Sorry, but no thanks,¡± Dustin refused, shaking his head. ¡°What?¡± Abby immediately turned angry. ¡°Hey, you should be grateful that Grandpa¡¯s willing to take you in.¡± ¡°Young man, you won¡¯te across this opportunity twice. You should think about it carefully!¡± Ralph stood proudly with his hands behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be my disciple. All I have to do is teach you a few moves, and you¡¯ll be famous.¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t help but find their confidence amusing. To think that someone who hasn¡¯t reached divinity yet was trying to take him in as a disciple. Had the requirements for bing mentors fallen so low? ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I¡¯m not interested.¡± Dustin shook his head once more. ¡°Insolent fool!¡± Abby humphed before turning to Maximus. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested either.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll regret your decision one day!¡± Abby fumed. Her grandfather, the leader of Steel Legion, a well-known martial expert, was gracious enough to offer to take them in, yet they foolishly refused. Chapter 307 ¡°Forget it I was just repaying your kindness earlier Since you don¡¯t want to, forget it.¡± Ralph shook his head pretentiously, giving them a you¡¯ll regret-it-one-day look Dustin and Maximus exchanged amused nces silently ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since we¡¯ve run into each other, I might as well escort you two up in case there¡¯s danger again.¡± Ralph said, walking ahead with his hands sped behind his back. ¡°You guys are lucky to be able to walk with my grandpa!¡± With a humph, Abby red at them and hurried after Ralph. Dustin smiled and followed behind them without protest. After all, there was only one way up the mountain Moving at a brisk pace, the group soon made it to the top At the center of the hilltop was a tform, which was where Dustin and Tatum¡¯s fight was supposed to take ce. Many people had already gathered around the tform, most of them martial artists, making things much. livelier ¡°Mr. Dunn? Nice to meet you. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you, Mr. Dunn It¡¯s an honor to meet you¡± As soon as Ralph appeared, many people came unto greet him. It was clear to see that the Steel Legion was quite famous ¡°Do you know how powerful my grandpa is now?¡± Abby goaded. ¡°I bet you regret your decision now Ha, but it¡¯s toote!¡± Dustin pretended not to hear her, while Maximus ignored her by turning his head away. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I heard you¡¯re the witness for today¡¯s match, Mr. Dunn Who do you think will win?¡± someone asked ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Fanatic de, of course!¡± Abby chimed in ¡°Tatum is the principal disciple of Royal Valor and someone on the Heavenly Immortals. He¡¯s never lost a fight before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that he¡¯s strong, but I heard that Dustin Rhys is not someone to underestimate either. Even Joshua Hummer, who had just reached divinity, lost to him,¡± another person responded. ¡°Why would youpare Tatum to Joshua?¡± Abby humphed. ¡°One hasn¡¯t even fully reached divinity yet, while the other already did that five years ago. With Tatum¡¯s skills today, how hard can it be for him to defeat a country bumpkin?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. No matter how I look at it, Tatum has a higher winning chance,¡± Ralph opined, and everyone instantly nodded in agreement. Ralph was a revered senior martial artist and the witness for today¡¯s duel, so naturally, everyone believed him. ncing at the people around him, Dustin shook his head with a smile. ¡°What are youughing at? Did Grandpa say anything wrong?¡± Abby demanded, annoyed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys being too hasty? The battle hasn¡¯t even begun yet.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Why? Do you think that Dustin might win?¡± Abby pursed her lips. ¡°We¡¯ll only know once the batter starts,¡± Dustin answered. Chapter 308 Abby humphed. ¡°Stop pretending when you don¡¯t know anything ¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll know who¡¯s better soon enough!¡± ¡°Even if Dustin doesn¡¯t win against Tatum, he¡¯s still a rare genius, so we should still respect him,¡± the man from earlier said. ¡°You¡¯re right. Just getting Tatum to challenge him to a duel is a feat of its own. Otherwise, Boulderthorn wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much energy on this.¡± ¡°I heard that he¡¯s only around twenty. It¡¯s extremely rare to see someone that age reach divinity. He¡¯s practically a genius!¡± ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t win against Tatum, it will be an honorable defeat.¡± Everyone began to chip in their opinions. Although they were sure Dustin would lose to Tatum, they still acknowledged the former¡¯s talents and skills ¡°I heard that Dustin doesn¡¯t have a quild and is self-taught He¡¯s bound to shine if he enters Ironshade!¡± one said Another chuckled. ¡°Ironshade only has around a hundred disciples. A talent like him would be wasted there¡± Someone else agreed, ¡°In terms of size and growth, Highfield is definitely better. I¡¯m sure Dustin. wouldn¡¯t refuse my offer.¡± ¡°Hey, are you guys forgetting about Steel Legion?¡± Abby shouted unhappily. ¡°My guild is obviously the best If Dustin actually wants to pick a guild, he¡¯d clearly choose us!¡± Dustin was puzzled. He couldn¡¯t figure out where Abby got her confidence from How could she be so sure when she didn¡¯t even know who he was yet? Worse, Ralph seemed to think the same, judging from his smug expression. Just as they were talking, a group of Boulderthorn disciples approached them. Leading them were Brody and Oliver Williams. ¡°My, my. If it isn¡¯t Max.¡± Brody sneered when he spotted Maximus. ¡°What¡¯s a useless man like you. doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business¡± Maximus retorted coldly. ¡°We¡¯re peers, Max. Even though you¡¯ve lost all your powers, I won¡¯t push you away. For Caitlyn¡¯s sake, I can help you return to being my father¡¯s disciple if you beg me.¡± Brody sniggered, wrapping an arm around the delicate woman beside him. Maximus¡¯ face immediately darkened when he saw who it was. Caitlyn Lawler, his fianc¨¦e! Previously, she had been with his mentor, yet here she was, in Brody¡¯s embrace. ¡°Oh, right. I forgot to tell you that Caitlyn has agreed to marry me. She¡¯s mine from now on. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Brody mocked. ¡°What? Maximus¡¯ eyes widened, his hands clenched into fists. ¡°Is that true, Caitlyn?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me me, Max. I¡¯m just a weak woman. I need someone to protect me. Now that you¡¯ve lost all your powers, I can only rely on Brody,¡± Caitlyn answered frankly. ¡°Why? WHY?¡± Maximus¡¯ eyes had turned bloodshot. ¡°You said you¡¯d wait for me, and we¡¯d be together forever, so why would you marry him?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Are you an idiot, Max?¡± Caitlyn rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t think that I truly like you, do you? What I like is power. Power to control others. I only agreed to marry you back then because you were the most talented disciple of us all. Look at you now. Besides getting kicked out, you¡¯ve also lost all your powers. Without any power, what makes you think that you¡¯re worthy of being with me? Was I supposed to suffer with you? Don¡¯t be foolish!¡± Chapter 309 ¡°Brody!¡± The crowd jumped in shock and anger when Brody was sent flying by Maximus¡¯ punch. Never had they imagined Maximus to wield such power after his core was destroyed. ¡°H-how dare you hit me?¡± Brody said spitefully, pressing against his chest, which was throbbing with excruciating pain. The audacity of someone emunicated, a good-for-nothing toy a finger on him! ¡°So what? You should thank the heavens that I didn¡¯t take your life.¡± Maximus went up and took the hand of thedy in white. He soothed her affectionately, ¡°Caitlyn, don¡¯t you worry. I won¡¯t let anyone bully you when I¡¯m around. I¡¯ll protect you even if I have to risk my life!¡± ¡°M-Max, what are you doing?¡± Her expression fell as she slowly stumbled away from him. ¡°Caitlyn, I know you¡¯ve been through a lot. I¡¯ll be good to you. Let¡¯s run away, shall we? We can leave Balerno for a ce where no one knows us. How does that sound?¡± He looked at her with anticipation. Although he was no match for Luther, he could elope to a ce far from danger and trouble with his lover. ¡°Max, are you crazy? I¡¯m Luther¡¯s woman now.¡± Caitlyn frowned at his words. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I know you were forced into it. You don¡¯t like him at all, do you? Just give me a nod, and I¡¯ll immediately take you with me!¡± His gentle gaze caressed her face. ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± She gave her an adamant shake of the head. ¡°Caitlyn, are you in a difficult situation? Fret not. I will do my best to get you out of any trouble!¡± Maximus was earnest. ¡°Let go of me!¡± She shook off his grip and scolded him, ¡°Max, do you still not get it? I have never loved you at all! Don¡¯t be delusional!¡± That caught him by surprise, and his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± ¡°Max, at this point, I¡¯ll just tell you the truth.¡± She inhaled deeply and exined without much emotion, ¡°I had only agreed to the engagement because of your status. I need someone to protect me as a defenseless woman in the martial arts field You were my best choice back then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s impossible! You told me you loved me and you¡¯d marry me! Were you lying to me all along when you made those eternal vows?¡± A hint of resentment and rage crept into his reddened eyes. ¡°Max, you¡¯re cute.¡± She shook her head with a scoff. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized I was only into you because of your influence and potential? You were Maximus Kane, a fighter with great prowess and the most remarkable disciple of our generation. That was why I took a liking to you. But look at you now. You have been emunicated and even had your powers destroyed by Luther. You¡¯re no different than a pauper, so why do you think you¡¯re a match for me? Did you really believe I¡¯d put up with a life of suffering with you? Dream on!¡± That was a huge blow for Maximus, whose face was grim when he heard her cruel confession. He did not expect those remarks from his lover, not even in his wildest dreams. At first, he thought Caitlyn was forced to be with Luther, but it turned out that she willingly went along with it. At the end of the day, he made a joke out of himself. All his life, he had been focused on achieving excellence in swordsmanship and lived a life free of other desires. The only time he fell for a woman, he ended up in such misery. What a joke! He slumped on the floor in a daze. In that instance, he seemed to have lost his faith and hope, turning into an empty shell of himself. Faith was the main reason he could rejuvenate his core in record time. And he held on fast to the faith that he would rescue Caitlyn. Now that he had lost it, he appeared disoriented and helpless. ¡°Fuck you! How dare you punch me? I¡¯ll sh you! Brody cackled when he saw the soulless Maximus and swung his sword at the man. Chapter 310 The sword nked as it moved. Right when it was about to cut Maximus¡¯ neck, a hand reached out and caught it. ¡°Hm?¡± Brody lifted his gaze, and his eyes immediately shook in fear. ¡°I-it¡¯s you!¡± He had been too focused on Maximus to notice the legend standing behind the man. ¡°Is it worth grieving over a woman who doesn¡¯t deserve it?¡± Dustin ignored Brody and stared straight at Maximus ¡°If what you want is death, I can grant your wish. I shall forget ever having saved a useless thing as you. But, if you have any bit of ego left in you, as a man, you should stand up straight. You don¡¯t look a bit like a swordsman right now, even though you once said you wanted to be the best swordsman in the world! Wake up!¡± Then, he gave Maximus a hard p, sending thetter trembling from the impact. He seemed to have pped some sense into Maximus, whose eyes had a new sparkle in them. He noticed Brody¡¯s mean and murderous look, and he took in the look of disgust in Caitlyn¡¯s eyes. Finally, he shed a rueful smile. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t grieve and wail over a woman who doesn¡¯t love me. Thank you for that.¡± Then, he slowly rose from the ground. He had a determined look after he let go of his obsession. Hid depression and misery had gone, while the internal energy stirred and whirred in the core with signs of a breakthrough. ¡°Hm?¡± Dustin raised a brow with surprise. His sharp instinct told him that Maximus would achieve divinity soon! ¡°What happened?¡± A few men showed up at that moment, with a middle-aged, clean-shaven man in the lead. The leader seemed harmless and friendly, but his eyes betrayed a wicked quality. The man was, in fact, the second-inmand of Boulderthorn-Luther Williams. ¡°Dad! You came at the right time!¡± Brody¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediatelyined to his father. ¡°I met Maximus just now, and he punched me because he was jealous! I¡¯m badly injured- his punch messed up my blood cirction and energy.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The man squinted and turned his attention to Maximus. ¡°It¡¯s you, the traitor. Why? Did you not learn a lesson from before? Do I have to take your life?¡± ¡°And you must be Mr. Williams.¡± Dustin examined the man and remarked, ¡°You¡¯re well-dressed, but too bad you¡¯re just a filthy animal within.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Luther scrunched up his face, a murderous look in his eyes. ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. I¡¯d be too kind topare you to an animal. A man who sullies the fianc¨¦e of his - mentee is worse than an animal.¡± Dustin did not hold back. ¡°You jerk! Where did youe from? The audacity to talk to me in that manner!¡± Luther¡¯s eyes gleamed with evilness. He was never reckless in his moves. Even before a killing, he¡¯d need to look into the background of his victim to avoid future troubles. Dad! This is Dustin Rhys! He¡¯s ruined our ns many times!¡± Oliver, who was standing behind his father, finally spoke. He and his sibling, Brody, had been defeated by Dustin multiple times. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, that was you?¡± Luther smirked. ¡°I¡¯m amazed by your courage, especially when you are soon to be a dying man.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early toe to a conclusion about that.¡± Dustin smiled calmly and stared at Maximus. ¡± Maximus, this is a good chance to take your revenge. Get into the ring and fight this sub-animal being. Beat him and free yourself from your demons!¡± Chapter 311 ¡°Beat me?¡± Luther was first taken aback by the outrageous idea, followed by a series of explosive laughter. The other Boulderthorn disciples joined in andughed at Dustin and Maximus as though the two were fools. Maximus might have been a formidable mentor for many of the disciples, but he was nowhere close to Luther¡¯s level. ¡°Oh, you little jerk. Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Scowling, Luther challenged them, ¡°I was the one who taught everything to that traitor. Even at his peak, he was no match for me! Are you asking him to fight me with a destroyed core after he¡¯s lost all his prowess? And does he have the guts to do so?¡± ¡°Right! A trash like him doesn¡¯t deserve the honor of fighting Dad!¡± Oliver, Brody, and the other disciples scorned at the same time. Unfazed, Dustin challenged back, ¡°We¡¯ll know after the battle. The most important question is- are you brave enough to take on the challenge?¡± ¡°I have nothing to be scared of.¡± Luther sneered. ¡°If that little traitor loves flirting with death, I shall rid him from my guild today!¡± With that, he walked right up to the stone tform Since the actual battle hadn¡¯t started, he didn¡¯t mind warming up the scene. ¡°Dustin, he was the one who taught me everything I can¡¯t defeat him,¡± Maximus admitted with a serious expression. Dustin assured him with a faint smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry If I said you could, you will. Didn¡¯t he keep the three moves a secret from you? I will teach you those moves and throw in some hacks.¡± ¡°Do you practice the Illusory Sword Technique as well?¡± Maximus looked astonished. ¡°Well, just a bit. So, are you learning?¡± Dustin smiled again. He had researched and practiced many branches of martial arts from a young age and was particrly good at sword fighting. The Illusory Sword Technique was one of the variations of a core technique, and with a nce, he could spot any ws in the moves. ¡°Yes!¡± Maximus nodded gravely. The only way for him to rid his internal demons was to defeat Luther Williams, just like Dustin had advised. ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll teach you now.¡± Dustin snapped a branch from a tree nearby and started his instructions. Maximus watched on intently, careful not to miss any detail. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hahaha! Dustin Rhys, are you kidding me? That¡¯s somest-minute prep. Do you think it¡¯s going ¨Cto work?¡± Brody mocked him. Oliver chimed in, ¡°Yeah. Do you think teaching him some sloppy moves will save him from a huge defeat? You¡¯re delusional!¡± Dustin ignored the heckling from the two guys and taught Maximus six moves in total. The first three moves were the ones that Luther kept from Maximus, and the final three moves were the solution to beat the first three. T The moves appeared simple on the surface, but it was difficult to pick them up because the practitioner would have to be proficient with the technique and build on the foundation. Copying the moves would not work in the battle. Thankfully, Maximus was a genius and a fast learner. After three rounds of practice, he had mastered the essence of the moves. ¡°You got it?¡± Dustin came to a stop. ¡°Yes. Roughly.¡± Maximus gave him a firm nod. ¡°That¡¯s good enough. You only need to use these moves well to beat him.¡± Dustin smiled coolly. Maximus¡¯ capability was not far off from Luther¡¯s, and the only reason leading to his previous defeat was due to Luther teaching him the wed moves. Now that Maximus was introduced to theplete moves, coupled with the additional hacks, he was ready to take on Luther by himself. ¡°You there! Why are you dragging your feet? Come up now!¡± Luther urged Maximus to join him in the ring. ¡°Go. Vent all your frustrations, and don¡¯t go easy on him.¡± Dustin patted Maximus on the shoulder. ¡°Thanks, Dustin!¡± Maximus bowed at him and marched into the ring, carrying his sword on his back. Chapter 312 ¡°Bear witness for me-after I kicked this traitor out, he felt vindicated and returned to challenge. me. Since the official battle hasn¡¯t kicked off, I shall do some warmups to entertain you all.¡± Luther¡¯s booming voice instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. He was keen to set up a precedent to deter any future traitors and rebuild his reputation! ¡°Hey! Why is your friend up there in the ring?¡± Ralph, Abby, and the others came up to Dustin with curious and odd expressions. ¡°He¡¯s getting some personal grudge out of the way¡± Dustin offered a curt answer. ¡°Personal grudge?¡± Abby was a little doubtful. ¡°Do you know who that other guy on the tform is? He¡¯s Mr. Williams from Boulderthorn! Well, of course, he¡¯s not as great as Tatum, but he¡¯s decent! He¡¯s at the same level as Grandpa!¡± ¡°And?¡± Dustin was unimpressed ¡°How can your friend fight off Mr. Williams with his subpar skills? He¡¯ll be crushed and humiliated!¡± Abby shook her head. Ralph nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d advise you to talk your friend out of the ring. Even I might not be able to fight Mr. Williams, let alone that young man¡± ¡°There¡¯s no talking him out of it. The two are destined to fight today. Their fates are in the hands of God,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°You should listen to the wisdom of your elders lest you suffer unnecessarily. You¡¯ll see what I mean later.¡± Ralph sped his hands behind his back in a manner that suggested he had seen it all, but Dustin merely smiled at the old man. In the ring on the tform, Luther stared straight at Maximus with a smirk. ¡°You chose the harder path, didn¡¯t you? If death is what you want, I shall grant your wish!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Bring it on!¡± Maximus was cold and fearless. ¡°Killing you is a piece of cake!¡± Luther slowly unsheathed the sword, and with a leap, he broke into a run toward his opponent. When he got near Maximus, the sword in his hand started trembling. In a second, the air was filled with illusions of the sword, confusing the eyes of the viewers and making it hard to discern reality from illusion. ¡°He used the Illusory Sword Technique! That was a surprise. He went ahead with the technique that launched his fame! Seems like he wants this over with.¡± ¡°Poor dude! Mr. William¡¯s Illusory Sword Technique is ever-changing and hard to defend against. Not even I could block the moves.¡± The crowd murmured andmented. ¡°Hmph!¡± With a shake of the body, Maximus unsheathed his sword and held it in one hand. He repeated what Luther did andunched his attack with the same moves. Soon, the two were in the heat of the battle. The swords and their illusions created a web of shes. Sparks could be seen flying along with the nking of metal. ¡°Hah! I taught you all your moves, and now you¡¯re trying to use them against me! How ridiculous. Now, it is time to give you a taste of the third move you have never mastered!¡± While speaking, Luther waved his hand to make his sword turn back. The sword was aimed at Maximus¡¯ abdomen. It was the move that Luther had used to destroy Maximus earlier. He was confident that Maximus could not defend against the move, even if it were his second time experiencing it. They heard the sound of the de ripping through flesh, and suddenly, the arrogant Luther froze up. When his sword was inches away from Maximus¡¯ abdomen, he finally realized that Maximus¡¯ sword had pierced through his arm, immobilizing his move. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Luther¡¯s expression crumbled. He had never expected Maximus to defend against the attack and counterattack by hacking those moves. How could Maximus gain that insight within a mere few days? Chapter 313 ¡°Luther Williams, you have gotten slower in sword fighting,¡± Maximus casuallymented. ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! How did you manage to strike me? It must have been dumb luck!¡± Feeling. indignant, Luther turned around andunched his attacks again, even though he was injured. This time, he did not hold back and put in his 100%, evident from his frenzied and merciless attacks that were hard to dodge. During the ninth move, he switched it up and aimed his de at Maximus¡¯ throat with the intent to kill. However, Maximus didn¡¯t shun the attack and instead shed Luther in the abdomen with greater speed and uracy. Luther stumbled backward, aghast. He would have been gutted had Maximus¡¯ sword shed upward. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where did that punk learn the trick from?¡± He pressed against his bleeding abdomen in shock. He could not wrap his mind around how Maximus had recovered from the grave injury with significant improvements to his skills all within a few days. ¡°Luther Williams, it¡¯s my turn to make a move now¡± Maximus didn¡¯t give his mentor any room to breathe. He swung his sword and charged at his opponent. Luther hurriedly collected himself and raised his sword in defense. At this point, he lost his confidence and was forced to put on a defensive y due to his injury. In contrast, Maximus was getting stronger by the second and demonstrated great sword-fighting skills, bringing Luther to his knees. ¡°This is a good chance!¡± At the twenty-sixth move, Luther suddenly gathered all his internal energy, huffing and puffing as he made his final move in a bid to turn the tables. Just when he was about to gain the upper hand, he found a de pressing against his neck. If he made the slightest move, he would be killed on the spot. ¡°Huh?¡± Baffled, he dropped the sword onto the floor. He still didn¡¯t understand how the three wed moves he intentionally taught Maximus had, in turn, contributed to his own downfall. ¡°Why? Why did it turn out this way?¡± The crowd gasped at the sight of Luther¡¯s defeat. No one had expected to see the second-inmand lose to his mentee in record time. Throughout the battle, Luther seemed to be put at a disadvantage. ¡°I-impossible!¡± ¡°How could Maximus Kane beat Dad? I thought Dad was the one who taught him all the moves.¡± Brody, Oliver, and the other disciples were covered in cold sweat. They had been proud and confident in Luther¡¯s victory, but they were surprised to witness Maximus¡¯ prowess which sent Luther into a defensive position, and the way Maximus ended the battle with a decisive sword move. ¡°Ourst-minute prep works.¡± Dustin looked amused. Upon hearing the remark, Brody and his gang looked shaken to the core. Did Maximus win with the few moves that Dustin had taught him? That would have been frightening! ¡°W-who did you learn the moves from?¡± Luther sweated profusely as he pressed against his bleeding abdomen. ¡°That is not the point. The point is that I will do the same to you based on how you destroyed my core in the past.¡± While speaking, Maximus drew his sword again. ¡°Hold on!¡± Luther pleaded in panic, ¡°Max, I am sorry for what happened earlier, but it was a careless mistake. Please give me another chance. ¡°A chance? Did you give me a chance when you decided to destroy my core?¡± Maximus looked grim. ¡°Max, I know I¡¯m in the wrong! Please have mercy on me-we shared years of rtionship!¡± Then, Luther fell onto his knees. ¡°I have a lot of enemies If you destroy my core and my skills, I will not survive a day. Please spare me!¡± Maximus fell silent at the sight. Despite his urge to seek revenge, a voice in his heart held him back. After all, he had learned everything in sword fighting from Luther, even though Luther had done so with an ulterior motive. At the end of the day, Maximus owed his swordsmanship to Luther¡¯s teachings. Even though Luther was a merciless bastard, Maximus decided to be the bigger man.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 314 ¡°Don¡¯t ever show up in front of me!¡± Maximus kicked Luther aside and proceeded to leave. ¡°Got it¡­¡± Luther put on a fake smile. When Maximus turned his back against Luther, the man had a gleam in his eyes as he picked up the sword on the floor and plunged it into Maximus¡¯ body. ¡°Look out!¡± Dustin yelled, and Maximus jumped aside at the final moment. Although Maximus wasn¡¯t critically wounded from the stabbing, the sword left a long, gaping wound that oozed blood on his waist. Luther was taken aback when he realized that his ambush failed. Then, he threw the sword away and frantically pleaded, ¡°Max! I¡¯m wrong! I¡¯m definitely in the wrong! I was blinded for a moment just now. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± ¡°You stubborn old donkey!¡± Fuming, Maximus took out his sword and attempted to sh Luther, this time showing no mercy at all. ¡°Stop!¡± a thunderous roar sounded out of the blue Next, a majestic figure descended from the air and shielded Luther. The man, in his thirties, gave off a powerful air, and his eyes twinkled with a sharp and aggressive look. He was as grand as a mountain when he stood in the ring. The man was the so-called ¡± Fanatic de¡±- Tatum Thunders! Tatum bellowed when he noticed that Maximus did not stop, ¡°I told you to stop!¡± He lifted a hand, and the figure of a palm appeared from thin air, punching Maximus in the chest. Almost. immediately, Maximus coughed up a mouthful of blood and was thrown out ten feet away. It was clear that he was no match for Tatum. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s Tatum Thunders!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the ace of Royal Valor indeed! With a punch, the ace, who¡¯s ranked as one of The Heavenly Immortals, has severely injured his opponent.¡± ¡°Pretty good of that young man to beat Mr. Williams, Too bad he ran into Tatum Thunders!¡± ¡°Tatum lives up to the nickname of Fanatic de! The crowd murmured in shock at Tatum¡¯s presence. From the first move, he demonstrated the awe - striking capability of The Heavenly Immortals, something that The Hundred Immortals could only dream of. ¡°That¡¯s our Tatum! He¡¯s so cool!¡± Abby pped furiously while gaping at the man on the tform with looks of adtion. It was her lifelong dream to be ranked as one of The Heavenly Immortals. Thus, her future partner must be one of them as well. ¡°Hmph! How dare you hurt your mentor in public! How terribly wicked of you to do so! There¡¯s no point keeping a piece of trash like you in the martial arts field. Today, I shall carry out God¡¯s will!¡± After giving his self-righteous speech, he hurled a punch at Maximus again with the intent to kill. ¡°Oh no, that guy¡¯s done for!¡± Everyone shook their heads sympathetically. Although Maximus was talented and capable, he wasn¡¯t at Tatum¡¯s level. Just when Maximus was close to meeting his fate, a figure hopped onto the tform and fended off the iing punch. The winds from the punch died down, reced by puffs of smoke. Dustin cast an icy re at Tatum. ¡°Boulderthorn disciples are all the same-shameless.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who are you? How dare you stop me?¡± Tatum narrowed his eyes, looking hostile. ¡°I¡¯m the Dustin Rhys that you wish to battle,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°What? Is that Dustin Rhys?¡± The crowd froze in shock. Abby and Ralph gaped at Dustin. They had no idea that the martial art genius they kept discussing was right beside them all along. Chapter 315 ¡°Gosh, who is that kid? He¡¯s quite something to challenge Tatum in public! Is he asking for death?¡± ¡°He is gutsy but not the sharpest tool in the shed.¡± Dustin¡¯s presence became the talk of the town. No one had expected any martial artist to have a showdown with Tatum at thest minute. ¡°Hey! Why did you go up there? Are you mad? Get down here now!¡± After a slight pause, Abby loudly called out to Dustin. In her eyes, he was nothing more than a clueless young man who did not know his ce. ¡°What is that dude doing? Doesn¡¯t he know that he¡¯s up against one of The Heavenly Immortals, Tatum Thunders? He¡¯ll die in Tatum¡¯s hands!¡± Ralph shook his head forlornly and looked on as though he could predict Dustin¡¯s demise. After all Ralph wasn¡¯t strong enough to take on Tatum, and he did not expect a no-name as young as Dustin to seed too. ¡°Hmph! That reckless thing! How dare he insult Tatum? He¡¯ll meet his end!¡± Brody and the others started cackling with glee. Not only would Tatum tid Boulderthorn of traitors like Maximus, but he would also get Dustin, the thorn in the flesh, out of the way. ¡°You little jerk! Who are you, and how dare you stand in my way?¡± Tatum scrunched up his eyes with a menacing look. So far, no one had dared to stop him from taking the lives of his targets. ¡°Tatum! He¡¯s Dustin Rhys! y him!¡± Brody suddenly yelled at the tform. ¡°What? Dustin Rhys?¡± There was an audible gasp from the audience, who had initially taken Dustin to be a show-off, only to realize that he was the martial art genius who had gained fame recently. ¡°How could that be? He¡¯s Dustin Rhys!¡± Abby froze up and found it hard to believe that the dark horse she had been talking about was by her side all this time. ¡°Good gracious! I almost missed the hidden gem!¡± Ralph was simrly stupefied. If Dustin was capable of defeating Joshua Hummer and confident enough to go for a battle with Tatum Thunders, he must at least be a martial artist who had achieved divinity. Ralph, upon realizing that Dustin must be way more advanced than him in the practice, felt rather embarrassed for offering to take Dustin under his wing. ¡°Had I known he was Dustin Rhys, I would have gotten on his good side just now!¡± ¡°Damn right! We missed our shot!¡± Ralph¡¯s martial art colleagues were full of regrets upon learning the truth. It wasmon knowledge that the existence of a martial arts genius would give any guild a major boost, and this was especially true for the rtively small guilds. They¡¯d enter a golden age if they produced a martial arts genius. ¡°Oh, kid, you¡¯re Dustin Rhys?¡± Tatum snickered. ¡°You are digging your own grave! As payback for. killing Joshua, you will not be spared today!¡± Joshua Hummer said something along those lines as well. But he¡¯s dead now,¡± Dustinmented without flinching. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re a bold one! Tatum scrutinized him. ¡°But you¡¯re gravely wrong topare Joshua with me! People like you have no idea how scary an individual from The Heavenly Immortals could be!¡± ¡°Scary?¡± Dustin merely scoffed. ¡°More like ludicrous. You thought you were something, but you¡¯re just a frog in the well.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Tatum¡¯s expression hardened. He had never been looked down upon ever since he gained fame. ¡°I was being kind, describing you as a frog in the well. Turns out you¡¯re just a worm in the apple- rotten and foul!¡± Dustin didn¡¯t hold back at all, and his insult evoked a collective exmation from the audience, who didn¡¯t expect him to be so rude and fearless from the start. Everyone shuddered at the thought of provoking Tatum Thunders, as that would be inviting death. ¡°Oh, great! Look at you, the stubborn one, not knowing you¡¯re close to death. You¡¯ll pee your pants when you¡¯re staring at death!¡± Tatum, now enraged, hurled a punch in the air that morphed into a translucent shadow. Chapter 316 The impact of the punch barreled toward Dustin with the weight of a mountain. A martial artist who achieved divinity could easily decapitate the opponent ten feet away by releasing his or her internal energy. ¡°He¡¯s indeed one of The Heavenly Immortals! That punch could easily crush a car!¡± ¡°That rash young man shouldn¡¯t have provoked Tatum Thunders. Now, he¡¯s cornered.¡± The martial artists watching from the crowd shuddered when they saw the shadows of Tatum¡¯s punch. In their opinion, the punch was indefensible. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Dustin smiled and tapped his feet on the floor. He disappeared into thin air and dodged the punch with ease. ¡°You¡¯re quick! But let¡¯s see how many times you could dodge my punches!¡± Scoffing, Tatumunched three punches, each quicker and stronger than the previous ones. Dustin skipped around speedily but calmly and dodged all the attacks with his freakish skills. ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s like a slippery eel!¡± Brody was quite frustrated at the sight. He badly wanted to witness Dustin crushed to death, but Dustin was too agile and swerved out of the way of Tatum¡¯s punches. Meanwhile, Ralph was clicking his tongue, amazed at the sight. ¡°I did not expect him to show off such talent at his young age. ¡°So what? He¡¯s just pulling off tricks. If he¡¯s really talented, he wouldn¡¯t have dodged the attacks. At the end of the day, he could not beat Tatum!¡± Abby pouted unhappily. Even after learning about Dustin¡¯s identity, she still looked down on him. In her opinion, a true man should face the fight. instead of hiding. ¡°Is this what ¡®Fanatic de¡¯ has to offer? That¡¯s nothing much.¡± Dustin shook his head in disappointment, wondering if the standards of The Heavenly Immortals had decreased. A decade ago, only the best of the best was inducted into The Heavenly Immortals. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You brat! Better not be arrogant!¡± Tatum¡¯s expression sank. ¡°You think you can show off in front of me with a couple of tricks? I was warming up just now. And now, it¡¯s time to show you the skills gap between us!¡± Then, he tapped his feet on the floor and threw himself at Dustin. When he was close, he drew his hands in before throwing a heavy punch. Almost immediately, a gale started blowing, and the air was filled with shadows of the forceful punch hurtling toward Dustin. ¡°I-i-is that Tatum¡¯s signature move thatunched him to fame? The Crushing Waves from the Poseidon Punches?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Crushing Waves, rumored to turn a punch into countless punches. There¡¯s no escape!¡± ¡°I guess Tatum must be furious, seeing how he served his signature move. That guy will be dead today. The other martial artists stared at the punches in the air with horrified faces. Even from afar, they felt the force and tension that could easily rip them apart. ¡°Dustin Rhys! Time to die!¡± Brody chortled with malign and glee. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. He cannot escape his fate.¡± Ralph let out a soft sigh filled with regret. ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell him to stay low profile? He refused to listen and offended Tatum. No one can save him now!¡± Abby shook her head and braced herself for Dustin¡¯s imminent death. ¡°These are just bells and whistles!¡± Dustin snickered and crushed the punches in the air with a p, and the momentum of the counterattack hit Tatum hard in the face. Everyone heard an explosive sound. Tatum was seen flying and crashing t onto the ground like a loose kite. The hall plunged into dead silence. Chapter 317 An eerie silence hung over the scene. The spectators were wide-eyed at the sight of Tatum¡¯s lifeless body on the ground. They struggled to make sense of the oue, as it was totally out of their expectations. They had assumed that Dustin would be defeated when Tatum used his signature attack. To their shock, Dustin sent Tatum flying with a p. It was a sight that no one would have believed unless they saw it for themselves. They could not help but wonder about the reason behind the Fanatic de¡¯s shameful loss. Was it a momentary slip-up, or was Dustin simply too powerful? ¡°Heavens! Did I see it wrong? Was Tatum¡­ defeated?¡± ¡°A sight that was unseen and unheard of!¡± After moments of utter silence, the audience exploded in a raucous chatter, punctuated by exmations and expressions of shock, astonishment, confusion, and disbelief. No one had expected that the Fanatic de, one of the Heavenly Immortals, had been taken down by Dustin. ¡°T-that¡¯s impossible. How did that little rascal beat Tatum? He must have pulled off some fishy tricks!¡± Brody shook his head furiously, refusing to believe in the oue. Meanwhile, Luther frowned grimly. ¡°He¡¯s really a freak.¡± On the other hand, Abby and the others were too stunned beyond speech at the result. ¡°This can¡¯t be right! Is Tatum defeated?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Is that Dustin¡¯s real capability? He¡¯s really extraordinary!¡± Maximus looked on with admiration.. No one else could send the Fanatic de flying across the air. ¡°Aagh!¡± At that moment, Tatum suddenly let out a feral roar, and his body shot up from the ground. In stark contrast to his confidence and arrogance from before, he was transformed into a wild beast that was provoked. ¡°Oh! He woke up! He¡¯s indeed one of the Heavenly Immortals-¡± Dustin was surprised by Tatum¡¯s comeback. Even martial artists who achieved divinity would fall unconscious for half a day after Dustin¡¯s p. ¡°You jerk! You¡¯re done for! I¡¯ll tear you into pieces today!¡± Tatum bellowed, his eyes looking angry and crazed. As the ace of the Royal Valor and a formidable martial artist ranked as a Heavenly Immortal, he had never experienced this degree of humiliation. Imagine getting pped and copsing onto the ground in front of countless pairs of eyes! ¡°Someone get me my brass ring saber!¡± He turned around and yelled. Almost immediately, two men showed up carrying a weapon that was five feet long. It was heavy, thick, and wide, too difficult to be lifted by the average martial artist, not to mention waving it around. ¡°Great! Tatum is finally getting serious!¡± Brody had a look of joy on his face as he felt calmer. There was a reason Tatum received the nickname Fanatic de. Tatum had two signature techniques, the first being Poseidon Punches, which was good for offensive and defensive y, and it was unpredictable as well. His second technique was the de of Gale! Rumors had it that once put in action, the de of Gale would render an area barren. Inparison to the punches, the de of Gale was more aggressive and ruthless, like a gust of strong wind that sted away all the leaves in its path, powerful and unstoppable! ¡°He should have used the de from the start. A predator still needs to give it its all, even if it¡¯s going after small prey.¡± Luther sighed in relief, knowing that having the de made a world of difference for Tatum. ¡°I almost forgot that Tatum is the best in his de technique. Dustin is in trouble now.¡± Ralph narrowed his eyes and seemed pensive. ¡°Hmph! Tatum must have lost the round earlier because he was careless. Now that he¡¯s getting serious, he can take down ten Dustin Rhys!¡± Abby tossed her head back as though she had regained her confidence again. ¡°Fuck! He agreed to a bare-handed fight, but he decided to get his de all of a sudden. He¡¯s shameless!¡± Chapter 318 ¡°You rarely see a decent man who¡¯s from Boulderthorn. They¡¯re all bullies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I wonder if Dustin could survive this Some martial artists started worrying about Dustin¡¯s fate. As the grassroots, they would rather Dustin win the battle. Given how conceited and bold they were, it would be great if someone could teach Boulderthorn a lesson. However, it was a tough feat to beat Tatum due to his killer technique -the de of Gale. ¡°You little rascal, I have to admit that you¡¯re quite something. You¡¯ve forced me to use the de. s, this shall be the end of it. Dying under my de today shall be an honor for you.¡± Tatum waved the brass ring saber with a sharp look in his eyes. He handled the heavy weapon weighing hundreds of pounds like it was a strand of straw, showing off the strength of his bicep. ¡°Just cut to the chase ande at me.¡± Dustin wiggled his fingers, a provocative gesture to get Tatum to start the fight. ¡°You¡¯re asking for it!¡± The look in Tatum¡¯s eyes hardened as he charged at Dustin with the saber in hand. The lengthy and cumbersome brass ring saber left a mark as it was dragged across the ground, leaving sparks flying from the friction. ¡°The Three Tornadoes!¡± When Tatum was close, he bellowed and started wielding the saber frenziedly. The shadows of the fast-moving saber formed the illusion of a web in the air as the weapon crushed toward Dustin¡¯s head. The audience struggled to breathe due to the horrific and stifling pressure from the impact. ¡°The Three Tornadoes technique is famous for a reason!¡± ¡°Even demons would get out of the way when it¡¯s used. That rascal is going to die!¡± the martial artists eximed at the sight of the atrocious attack. Still, Dustin stood his ground without moving. He waited until the saber was about to split on his hand and reached out to grab the de. Amid an explosion, Dustin activated all his internal energy, crushing the web of des in the air. The illusion of the des scattered away in the wind. Meanwhile, Tatum¡¯s saber was stuck in Dustin¡¯s tight grip. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Tatum¡¯s pupils wavered as he wore a terrified expression. He had never expected Dustin to grab the saber he shed at full strength. He thought, ¡°Who the fuck is this monster?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got? That¡¯s disappointing.¡± Dustin shook his head and added, ¡°Since you have nothing more to show, I¡¯ll end it here.¡± Then, he gave Tatum a kick in the abdomen. ¡°Ahhh-¡± Tatum yelped in excruciating pain as he was sent flying a good 30 feet away. When hended on his knees, he started coughing up blood Once again, the audience was left gaping at the scene. They had expected Tatum to regain the upper hand with the use of the saber, but he was badly defeated anyway. It left everyone wondering about Dustin¡¯s background. ¡°H-how could you destroy my core?¡± Face flushed, Tatum was both appalled and enraged. ¡°You were trying to kill me. Why couldn¡¯t I destroy your core?¡± Dustin replied coolly. ¡°Bring a message to your mentorter-do not cause trouble for me. Else, I¡¯d uproot the entirety of Royal Valor!¡± The audience gasped and murmured at the daring threat, thinking that Dustin was crazy for threatening to ruin the Royal Valor. ¡°Fine! Just wait and see!¡± Tatum clenched his jaw and left the scene with his men, tails between their legs. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Abby was stunned by the sight of Tatum¡¯s disgraced escape. She couldn¡¯t believe that her idol had been defeated just like that at the hands of a man she looked down on. She thought, ¡°God, are you ying a joke on me?¡± Chapter 319 The audience was split in their reactions toward Dustin¡¯s victory. Cheers exploded around Dustin, but some spectators seemed sour at the oue. ¡°Fuck! Who¡¯s that guy? How could Tatum lose to him?¡± a surly and fearful Brody hissed. ¡°Whoever he is, let¡¯s get out of here before he notices us!¡± After the initial shock, Luther dared not stay a minute longer and nned his immediate escape. ¡°Stand still!¡± Dustin turned around and instantly spotted the few suspicious-looking men. ¡°Luther Williams, did I tell you to leave?¡± ¡°Dustin Rhys, I¡¯m the second-inmand at Boulderthorn. You¡¯d better steer clear of me!¡± Luther warned him with a stern look. At the critical moment, he had no choice but to use the Boulderthorn name as protection. ¡°The second-inmand? Hah¡­¡± Dustin scoffed and remarked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be scared of the second-inmand when I couldn¡¯t care less about the guildmaster?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Luther¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Give up your practice, and I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± Dustin suggested calmly. He had to teach Luther a grave lesson for being a hypocrite who self-professed as a teacher and imed the moral high ground. ¡°Dustin Rhys, that¡¯s too much!¡± Luther¡¯s face was scrunched up. If he gave up his practice, he would have no purpose and reason to exist in the martial arts field. ¡°Too much? Did you ever consider the consequences when you were fucking around without conscience?¡± Dustin showed no respect for the old man. ¡°You¡± Luther gritted his teeth and tried to hold back his temper. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t burn your bridges. Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯d be amon enemy of our field if you force me to the wall? ¡°Courtesy is useless when confronting trash like you. If you aren¡¯t doing it yourself, I will do it for you.¡± Dustin refused to engage in further conversation and bent his fingers to send a silver needle into Luther¡¯s abdomen. Luther promptly yelped and copsed onto the ground, grimacing. ¡°Maximus, I¡¯m done destroying his core. I¡¯ll leave his fate in your hands.¡± When it came to ending Luther, Dustin allowed Maximus to make the decision. After all, Maximus was the one who had a grudge against Luther. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Since he¡¯s basically paralyzed, I shall spare his life.¡± At first, Maximus lifted his sword, but he finally put it down after some thinking. He wasn¡¯t doing so out of mercy. He knew very well that Luther had made countless enemies and would be a hot target after his core was destroyed. In the future, Luther¡¯s life would be a living hell, and that was the best punishment for him. ¡°Consider yourselves lucky. Get lost now!¡± Dustin softly chided the Boulderthorn men. Upon hearing that, Luther and the rest immediately scampered away, leaving behind only thedy in white. ¡°Max Caitlyn went up to Maximus with a feeble look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I said those cruel words because I was under pressure. Please forgive me.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. At present, Maximus was stronger than Luther and had a bright future ahead of him. It was clear who she should suck up to. ¡°Forgive you?¡± Maximus snickered. ¡°How dare you ask for forgiveness after what you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°Max, I know I¡¯m in the wrong, but I had no choice. It¡¯s hard for a weak woman like me to stand on my own feet in the martial arts field. Plus, Luther has gotten something on me. I couldn¡¯t fight back. I am a victim too¡­¡± Her voice faltered and turned into a sob. The way she cried softly would melt the heart of anyone watching, but Maximus said to her coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t put on a show in front of me. That¡¯ll only disgust me.¡± ¡°Whether or not you believe in me, I do love you a lot. I¡¯m willing to run away with you and live like nomads!¡± she pleaded, tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°Did you say you love me?¡± He sneered. ¡°Would you have said that if my core was destroyed? Would you have apologized if I hadn¡¯t defeated Luther Williams? You do not love me for who I am- you¡¯re only after my power, my potential, and my social status!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I do not want to hear any exnation. From now on, you and I shall go separate ways. There¡¯s nothing left between us!¡± He wore a steely expression. ¡°Max, I know I don¡¯t deserve you, but I¡¯ll still pray for you. When you¡¯re alone in the night, I hope you think of me, your mentee, and the beautiful memories we made in the past. I¡¯ll leave now and never show up in front of you. I wish you a great career ahead¡­¡± With that, she left with tears in her eyes He opened his mouth but said nothing. He felt both love and hatred for Caitlyn, and he knew very well that they could never get back together. Once bitten, twice shy! ¡°Let¡¯s go. Time to drink.¡± After settling the trouble, Dustin and Maximus left in no time. The battle started abruptly and ended in a simr fashion. Through this incident, Dustin¡¯s poprity skyrocketed, and he was known as a martial arts genius. Many believed that the martial arts field in Balerno would be shaken up with the arrival of Dustin Rhys after this battle. ¡°Mr. Dunn, if I recall correctly, Dustin Rhys came here with you, right? Does that mean you haveid im to him?¡± a middle-aged martial artist from the crowd threw out a question. ¡°Well¡­¡± Ralph felt the eyes on him and forced a smile. ¡°Since you found out about it, I shall not keep it a secret. To be honest with you, Dustin Rhys has be the principal disciple of the Steel Legion!¡± His im prompted a collective gasp. ¡°What? Has Dustin Rhys joined the Steel Legion?¡± ¡°My goodness! Mr. Dunn, you hit the jackpot!¡± ¡°Mr. Dunn, you hide your talents well. How did you manage to scout a genius like him? We¡¯re envious!¡± Congrattions, Mr. Dunn. Do remember me if you have anything good to share with themunity.¡± The martial artists started ttering Ralph and currying favor, especially the hot-blooded teens who were itching to join. ¡°Mr. Dunn, do you still take in disciples? I want to join the Steel Legion!¡± ¡°Me too! Count me in!¡± ¡°The Steel Legion must have a solid foundation to nurture a genius like Dustin Rhys. I want in too!¡± The young martial artists around them were a bubbling cacophony; each worried they¡¯d be one step behind ¡°That is always open to consideration. The Steel Legion always wees upstanding men who fight for justice!¡± Ralph was beaming merrily at the enthusiastic response. He was taken aback by the effectiveness of name-dropping Dustin, which immediately garnered the interest of many young martial artists. If the trend continued, he believed the Steel Legion would prosper under his wise and courageous leadership! ¡°Uh¡­¡± Abby had a funny look on her face when she witnessed the crowd¡¯s eagerness. Her grandpa¡¯s brazenness came as a surprise-he wanted to associate the guild with Dustin, even though Dustin had clearly turned him down. She wondered, ¡°Is this what they call the ¡®real world¡¯? Chapter 320 It was noon. At the clubhouse of the Hummer¡¯s residence, Edwin Hummer was struck on the head with a wine bottle. Blood trickled down his body, along with the merlot. ¡°Hummer! I was screwed because of you!¡± Tatum sat on the couch; his features contorted in anger. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Dustin Rhys was a nobody? Why was he that powerful? Did you lie to me on. purpose?¡± At his mentor¡¯s request, Tatum had shown up to avenge Joshua Hummer. In the beginning, he thought he could show off his talent, but he was badly defeated in the end. Not only that, his core was destroyed. He had all the reason to be mad. ¡°Sir Thunders, in my records, Dustin Rhys did note from a remarkable background. It wasn¡¯t wrong to describe him as a nobody. As for his actual abilities, I recall giving you a heads up, but you didn¡¯t take it seriously,¡± Edwin murmured with his head hung low. ¡°Are you ming me for being weak?¡± Tatum glowered at him. If he weren¡¯t hurt, he would have taught Edwin a lesson. ¡°In my opinion, it is unnecessary to issue a public challenge to men like Dustin Rhys. You can use whatever means to get him killed,¡± Edwin further exined. ¡°Oh, are you fucking teaching me how to get things done now? Tatum¡¯s expression darkened, his eyes gleaming with hostility. ¡°Of course not.¡± Edwin lowered his head. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°I have no time for you!¡± Tatum looked irritated. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get Substratumis from Dr. Linden Watkins? Give it to me now. I need it for my injuries¡± Substratumis, the core restoration pill, was created to heal internal injuries. It was rather effective in restoring one¡¯s core. As long as the patient took it within 24 hours, they would stand a chance to regenerate their core. However, due to the preciousness of the ingredients, the Stoneray Valley only produced a few pills annually. Each batch of pills would be scooped up by members of various guilds upon hitting the market. Thankfully, Edwin had spent a fortune on one of those pills, just in time for Tatum to use it. ¡°Sir Thunders, I identally crushed the pill. So, I can¡¯t help you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Edwin shook his head regrettably. ¡°You crushed the pill?¡± Tatum¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he snickered. ¡°Are you kidding me? Any sane person would take great care of that precious pill. How could you have crushed it? Your son¡¯s dead anyway, so you can¡¯t use it on him. Who else except for me will need your pill?¡± ¡°Sir Thunders, I am telling you the truth.¡± Edwin appeared serious. ¡°Oh, shut up! If you don¡¯t hand me the restorative pill today, I¡¯ll crush your legs!¡± Tatum threatened him spitefully. Edwin stared at Tatum with his cold but bright eyes. ¡°But, Sir Thunders, I wonder how you are going to do that, given that your core has been destroyed.¡± ¡°Hah! I might not have any bit of internal energy left, but killing a man like you is child¡¯s y!¡± Tatum was conceited. ¡°Is that so?¡± Edwin chuckled icily and brandished a gun from his back without warning. He pointed it at Tatum. ¡°Can a man without internal energy defend himself from bullets?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Tatum¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°How dare you point a gun at me, you son of a bitch. Do you know who I am? Put the gun down and cut your hands in front of me. If not, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Edwin suddenly pulled the trigger before Tatum could finish his sentence. Following a loud bang, the bullet shot Tatum in the forehead, leaving a sttered mess of blood on the wall. Tatum grunted, his body trembling and his eyes wide-opened in disbelief. He¡¯d never believe that Edwin would pull the trigger on him, and a fatal, point-nk shot at that. Finally, Tatum¡¯s body slumped heavily onto the floor, his eyes remaining open as he drew hisst breath. ¡°Huh?¡± Fletcher Lawson, who had been standing by the side, appeared mortified at the scene. ¡°S- Sir Hummer, what are you doing? Tatum Thunders is Sir Lincoln¡¯s principal disciple. How are we going to exin this to Sir Lincoln?¡± He secretly thought Edwin had gone mad for having the guts to murder Tatum. ¡°Yeah, I killed him. Why do I need to exin that? Edwin took out a handkerchief and calmly wiped the spot of his head injury from the wine bottle attack. ¡°If Sir Lincoln learns about this, he will not let this slip!¡± Fletcher was panicking as he pictured the guildmaster of Boulderthorn, halfway to bing a grandmaster. The man was powerful enough to massacre the entire Hummer Family! ¡°If we don¡¯t tell, no one will know,¡± Edwin muttered emotionlessly. ¡°But Tatum died on our territory. How can we hide the fact?¡± Fletcher was drenched in cold sweat by now. ¡°You don¡¯t have to panic. Just remember-none of us met Tatum Thunders today. He suffered a sudden death in his home after the battle with Dustin. We shall leave Boulderthorn to figure out the murderer, and we have no clue about it at all. Got it?¡± Edwin tilted his head, his eyes shimmering with a cold gaze. ¡°Sir Hummer, are you telling me to¡­ shift the me to Dustin Rhys?¡± It didn¡¯t take Fletcher long to piece the puzzle. ¡°It was Dustin Rhys¡¯ doing all along. When did we shift the me to him?¡± Edwin questioned. ¡°Oh, right! It¡¯s all Dustin Rhys¡¯ fault!¡± Fletcher nodded furiously. At that point, he finally caught a glimpse of the depths of Edwin¡¯s dark soul. Edwin had decided to kill a top ace like Tatum without blinking an eye. The mere thought of it was mind-numbing. At the Boulderthorn branch in Millsburg, Clement Lincoln sat on the throne, his expression darkening when Tatum Thunders¡¯ body was brought back. As the guildmaster of Boulderthorn who had extensive experience in the field, he never had anyone offending him in this manner. ¡°Who was it? Who did this?¡± He gritted his teeth as his eyes bulged. Sir Lincoln, it was Dustin Rhys!¡± Luther started fanning the mes. ¡°Dustin Rhys pulled dirty tricks in the battle and destroyed Tatum¡¯s core. Tatum was assassinated right after that!¡± ¡°Dustin Rhys! It¡¯s him again!¡± Clement banged his fists on the table out of rage, and the wooden table instantly cracked and split into pieces. First, it was Joshua Hummer. Now, it was Tatum. Clement had lost two beloved disciples, one of whom was his heir. It was tough not to feel anger and hatred at the culprit. ¡°Sir Lincoln, Dustin Rhys is sly and ruthless. He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. If we don¡¯t get rid of him in time, he might be a pain in the ass in the future!¡± Luther added fuel to the fire. ¡°Send out my orders-The Royal Valor of Boulder thorn is looking to arrest Dustin Rhys!¡± Clement said with grief. ¡°I¡¯ll use all necessary means and make any sacrifices to tear him into pieces!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± His disciples bowed and took his orders The Royal Valor was shaken from the orders, and its aces were called back from all corners of the world for the quest. At that moment, Dustin Rhys was the most-wanted man on the Royal Valor¡¯s cklist. Chapter 321 In the evening, Dustin was focused on drug research at the Peaceful Medical Centre when a silver Bentley rolled to a stop at the entrance. The door opened, and Natasha, dressed in a bodycon silver dress, strutted out, her hips swaying alluringly as she walked. ¡°Dear, I¡¯m here¡­¡± She entered the medical center with a sweet smile and took Dustin by his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll bring you out to have a nice dinner tonight!¡± ¡°A nice dinner? Where to?¡± He was, curious, but she dragged him into her car without further exnation. ¡°You¡¯ll know when we¡¯re there.¡± The car cruised at a steady speed down the streets. Forty minutester, it parked in front of the entrance of a high-end recreational club. ¡°Ms. Harmon, you¡¯re here! Pleasee with me,¡± one of the ushers led the way as the other ushers lined up and bowed to the guests. They shuffled up to the restaurant on the second floor and made their way to a spacious private lounge, where a couple of young men and women had congregated. They were dressed to the nines and acted gracefully. One could tell that they were no ordinary folks. ¡°Natasha, you¡¯re finally here! I thought we¡¯d be stood up again because you¡¯re too busy!¡± A woman in a crimson dress stood up to greet Natasha and Dustin. She was lovely and tall, and her bodycon long dress hugged her curves at the perfect ces, showing off her voluptuous figure to everyone. ¡°Zoey, I will never stand you up. We don¡¯t get to meet up often as old schoolmates. We definitely need to catch up in this rare gathering.¡± Natasha beamed at the woman named Zoey. ¡°Natasha, is this your boyfriend?¡± Zoey scanned Dustin from head to toe with curiosity. She decided that he was good-looking but dressed rather shabbily. He didn¡¯t look like he was from a wealthy family. ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯ll introduce you to each other. This is my man, Dustin Rhys.¡± Smiling, Natasha introduced her friends to Dustin as well, ¡°Dear, these are my schoolmates. This gorgeous woman here with big tits and a big ass is Zoey Forster. This is L Benson, with short hair and dimples. Oh, and this is a mega star in Dragonmarsh, queen of entertainment-Adriana Lovett. These two guys are Zeke Perry and Gordon Flynn.¡± ¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡± Dustin shed them a dignified smile. One had to admit that birds of a feather do flock together. Natasha was attractive, and so were her friends. Adriana stood out especially, and she rivaled Natasha in terms of appearance. It was no surprise that she was crowned the queen of entertainment. ¡°Natasha, your boyfriend doesn¡¯t look familiar. I wonder what he is working as,¡± the man named Zeke Perry inquired. ¡°Oh, my man is a doctor.¡± Natasha looked proud, but her friends were baffled. ¡°He¡¯s a doctor?¡± They thought it was ridiculous that Natasha, the precious daughter of the Harmon Family, was dating a doctor. So, Natasha, is Mr. Rhys an alumnus of Harvard Medical School or Stanford Medicine?¡± Zeke pressed on. In their eyes, only the best could date Natasha. ¡°No.¡± Dustin shook his head. Zeke asked, ¡°Oh! May I know which medical school you graduated from? And where are you practicing now?¡± ¡°I did not attend university. I¡¯m now running a humble medical center,¡± Dustin did not shun the topic.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°A medical center? Are you kidding us?¡± Chapter 322 Zeke¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. Not only was Dustin not an alumnus of a prestigious institution. but he also did not attend university Was he even a good match for Natasha? ¡°Natasha, what¡¯s going on? You didn¡¯t drag a random man here just to shut us up, did you?¡± Zoey was displeased, for she believed that a doctor from an ordinary medical center wasn¡¯t worthy of sharing a dinner table with their group ¡°Stop acting funny Dustin is an expert in medicine and martial arts You¡¯ll know soon.¡± Natasha puffed her chest with a smile. ¡°Natasha, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯d be better off dating me if you were giving this doctor a chance,¡± Gordon finally spoke up half-jokingly He had once pursued Natasha but was turned down. Now that Natasha got her eyes on an ordinary doctor, he started to think he had a chance because he felt that he was way better than Dustin. After all, the Flynn family was one of the elites in Balerno. ¡°Right, Natasha, I think Gordon¡¯s pretty decent He stayed single just to wait for you. Why don¡¯t you. consider him?¡± Zoey winked at Natasha and started matchmaking ¡°Gordon? Nah, he¡¯s not my type,¡± Natasha shot down the suggestion. ¡°Natasha, now, you¡¯re being harsh Gordon graduated from a prestigious university He runs apany worth billions Isn¡¯t he a stronger candidate than a doctor? Zoey analyzed ¡°Gordon¡¯s life is none of my business My boyfriend is Dustin Please do not joke about this topic¡± Natasha frowned a little, clearly crossed. ¡°Plus, if you are talking about an excellent candidate, Dustin is the best for me Even a hundred Gordons Ean¡¯t beat a single Dustin Rhys ¡± The expression on the faces of Natasha¡¯s friends froze, none expected that remark from Natasha Haimon, and they wondered if Natasha, the Steel Lady, was just like the average woman blinded, by love ¡°Hmph¡¯ I¡¯m not a big shot, but I rake in billions annually. If this gentleman here is a hundred times better than I am, does that mean he is making hundreds of billions per year?¡± Gordon started acting funny. He was obviously unsatisfied with Natasha¡¯sparison. ¡°The money you earn doesn¡¯t mean a thing Even if Dustin is dirt poor, I will still love him. Do you get it now?¡± Natasha schooled her friends coldly ¡°Hah! So, he¡¯s a sugar baby Gordon snorted with disdain, and the other friends joined him to look down on Dustin. ¡°Gordon Flynn, watch your mouth! If you¡¯re not hungry, perhaps you should see yourself out!¡± Natasha¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Alright, alright Natasha, we¡¯re all old schoolmates here. They¡¯re only pulling your leg. Just rx. Come here. Take a seat, everyone,¡± Zoey hurriedly yed the mediator when she realized the situation was rapidly deteriorating. Gordon didn¡¯t say a word after that, but he shot a venomous look at Dustin. After they took their seats, they started chatting and eating harmoniously. However, they gave Dustin the cold shoulder due to his low social status. Still, he was unconcerned by the treatment and enjoyed his drinks and food as though he wasn¡¯t part of the group. In the middle of the conversations, the door to the private lounge flung open. A middle-aged man. with a beer belly marched in with two bodyguards in tow. Adriana, who had been rather quiet, suddenly seemed frantic when she noticed the intruders. ¡°Ms. Lovett, why didn¡¯t you pick up our calls? Do you think we couldn¡¯t hunt you down if you hid in a small town?¡± The middle-aged man shed a menacing grin. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My contract with thepany is annulled! Stop harassing me!¡± Adriana warned them. The man scoffed. ¡°Hah! Is that for you to decide? What do you take our boss for? Thepany invested money and effort tounch you to fame. Now that you¡¯re established, you n to go solo! You¡¯re taking advantage of us, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve paid you back the money I made over these years! What more do you want?¡± Her face fell. ¡°Hmph! That tiny amount of money isn¡¯t worth a thing! Our boss is interested in you as a product. As long as you¡¯re with the agency, you¡¯ll bring in dough constantly. You must know that, don¡¯t you?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°I will not go with you! Just give up!¡± Adriana appeared adamant, but the man snickered and said, ¡± That¡¯s not for you to decide too. Guys, take her!¡± Chapter 323 ¡°Guys! Take her!¡± Under the man¡¯s orders, the two bodyguards stepped forward, ready to act. ¡°Hold on!¡± Zeke stood up suddenly and hissed, ¡°Adriana is my schoolmate. I don¡¯t care who you are. You need to get the fuck out right now, or I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The audacity to take her in our presence!¡± Gordon mmed the table with ant imposing air. Adriana was a rising star, crowned the queen of entertainment, and she rivaled Natasha in the looks department Of course, the guys would not give up on the opportunity to save the damsel in distress. ¡°Sir, this has nothing to do with you Stay out of it¡± the middle-aged man warned the guys icily. ¡°Hmph! We see it as our business! Get out of here if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Zeke bellowed at them.. ¡°Throw these jerks out!¡± the middle-aged man roared, and the two bodyguards went to work. Seeing that, Zeke and Gordon confidently took on one bodyguard each. Zeke¡¯s style was more of a street gangster¡¯s-he ruthlessly hit the bodyguard on the head with a beer bottle. Meanwhile, Gordon showed off his martial arts skills from his past practice, looking majestic in action. With their teamwork, they managed to take down the two bodyguards in no time. ¡°Who are you? And why did you poke your nose in others¡¯ business?¡± The middle-aged man had a frosty look on his face. ¡°Listen up-I¡¯m Zeke Perry, from the Perry family!¡± ¡°And I am Gordon Flynn. If you have any grudges, you shoulde at us instead of harassing a woman That¡¯s cowardice.¡± The two men were beaming after showing off their heroism in front of the prettydies. It felt good. ¡°Okay! I have your faces in my mind! Just wait for it!¡± The middle-aged man shot them a deadly re and left. ¡°Hmph! Run any slower, and I¡¯ll break your leg!¡± Zeke waved his beer bottle wildly. ¡°Clowns! How dare they make a scene in front of us! Gordon seemed arrogant. Zoey¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration. ¡°I never knew you guys were that great at fighting! It was eye- opening!¡± ¡°Hah, that was nothing! Back in the day, Gordon and I took down ten guys in the bar!¡± Zeke proudly reminisced. She beamed at him. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Zeke, Gordon, thank you so much.¡± Adriana was grateful to them. She had gone to tiny Balerno from Stonia to run from the trouble, but they hunted her down anyway. She couldn¡¯t picture the oue if she were caught and dragged away. ¡°Adriana, we¡¯re all schoolmates. Just rx when you¡¯re with us. If youe across any trouble, just come to us, and we¡¯ll take care of it for you!¡± Zeke thumped his chest and promised her. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Natasha was rather curious. ¡°Adriana, who did you get into trouble with, to the point that you had to run all the way to Balerno from Stonia?¡± ¡°I got into trouble with the boss of the entertainment agency,¡± Adriana replied with a sigh. ¡°When I was younger, I had a dream to be a star and signed a contract with an agency without much thinking. Since then, I¡¯ve be their money tree They worked me all year long without off days. I didn¡¯t mind working hard, but after I achieved some fame, the bosses started arranging for me to attend dinners and parties. I was made to entertain the government officials and business magnates.¡± She added, ¡°At first, they wanted me to drink at the parties. Later, they wanted me to sleep with some of the men. There was no way I¡¯d agree with that, so I kept saying no. They tried a lot of methods on me, offering me money and threatening me. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and paid a huge penalty to nullify the contract. But they still refuse to let me go!¡± She was close to tears at this point. The public only saw the attractive lifestyle of a star, not knowing that she had suffered a lot in this line of work. The queen of entertainment was nothing more than an empty title. The industry was moreplicated than most people imagined it to be. Chapter 324 Had it not been for her seniors¡¯ protection, Adriana believed she would have fallen into the abyss. ¡°How dare these bastards force you into such filthy deals? That¡¯s shameless!¡± Zeke was indignant after hearing her ount. ¡°Hmph! They¡¯re just an entertainment agency. How dare they do that to you? Do they think they are above thew?¡± Gordon fumed and promised, ¡°Adriana, do not worry. We will see this through. No matter who your boss is, we won¡¯t go easy on him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We will surely avenge you!¡± the others chimed in, looking as though they were ready for a battle. ¡°Thank you.¡± Tears of gratitude streamed down Adriana¡¯s face. ¡°By the way, Adriana, what¡¯s the name of your boss?¡± Natasha suddenly asked. ¡°I only know that Langford is hisst name. I don¡¯t know anything else,¡± Adriana answered. ¡°Langford?¡± The friends exchanged nces, and after connecting the dots, they appeared terrified. ¡°That can¡¯t be it! Is he from the Langford family of Glenstead?¡± The aristocrats of Stonia were at a different level than those from Balerno-the elites that established themselves in the royal city came from lineages that spanned centuries. Natasha and her friends believed they¡¯d be in great trouble if the boss of the entertainment agency were truly from the Langford family of Glenstead. ¡°Adriana, what¡¯s the name of your agency?¡± Natasha cautiously prodded. Adriana answered, ¡°It¡¯s called Langford Productions Everyone paled at the mention of the agency¡¯s name. Langford Productions was the entertainment agency under Langford Inc.! It was no surprise that the men from the agency woulde for Adriana in Balerno all the way from Stonia-the Langford family was the mastermind behind it all. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Adriana quickly sensed that something was off. She had no clue about the man behind Langford Productions, but she was aware of the agency¡¯s huge influence. ¡°Adriana, you might have run into trouble. The boss of Langford Productions isn¡¯t your average millionaire.¡± Natasha put on a grim expression. Only Zoey looked unbothered. ¡°Natasha, stop scaring her. We aren¡¯t afraid of the boss of a random entertainment agency when we have Zeke and Gordon backing us!¡± Zeke and Gordon exchanged looks, intimidated because they knew the Langford family was untouchable. ¡°Friends, shall we head to the next ce to have fun since we¡¯re done with dinner?¡± Zeke suddenly threw a suggestion out of fear that the Langfords mighte after them. Gordon agreed, ¡°Right! It¡¯s quite boring here. Let¡¯s go to the bar!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure. No one objected to that, and they started gathering their stuff before leaving. At that moment, they heard amotion at the door. Next, the middle-aged men who had left earlier barged into the ce with reinforcements. ¡°Leave? Where are you leaving?¡± ¡°How dare you go against our boss? None of you shall leave here!¡± ¡°Get every single one of them. Circle them now!¡± Under the orders, a group of bodyguards closed in on Natasha and her friends. Thedies were scared when they saw the threatening scowl on the bodyguards¡¯ faces. ¡°Sir, I am Zeke Perry. Please show us some mercy and call the guards off.¡± Zeke bit the bullet and handed the man a check. ¡°Here¡¯s a little token from me. Just think of it aspensation.¡± ¡°Call them off? How about no, you motherfucker?¡± The middle-aged man was boiling in anger as he pped Zeke across the face. Chapter 325 Zeke almost toppled over from the p by the middle-aged man. ¡°You¡­¡± Zeke gritted his teeth, a scowl forming on his face after being humiliated in front of everyone. However, his hands were tied because the men outnumbered him and came with the backing of the Langfords. ¡°My friend, let¡¯s not burn bridges. What¡¯s the point ofing at us?¡± Gordon frowned and intervened ¡°Fuck you!¡± The man grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it on Gordon¡¯s head. The beer was everywhere in an instant, and Gordon was bleeding from the head. ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± Zoey jumped out and protested, Do you know who you just hit? He¡¯s the son of the Flynn family-Gordon Flynn!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care wherever the fuck he¡¯s from. He¡¯s dead meat if he gets into trouble with the Langfords. ¡°The man was ferocious. Zoey choked on anger. ¡°Y-y-you¡¯d better not be a bully!¡± ¡°What if I am a bully? Whoever tries to step up today will stand in the firing line!¡± The man gestured, and his bodyguards drew their swords. Their threatening postures immediately shut her 1. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Yo, dude! I thought you were a hero just now! Why are you quiet now?¡± The man pped Gordon on the face repeatedly in an attempt to humiliate him. ¡°Friend, if what you want is money, we have room for discussion,¡± Gordon bit the bullet and negotiated ¡°Room for a fucking discussion?¡± The man kicked Gordon aside and even spat on him with disdain while he was at it. ¡°Who do you think you are? You don¡¯t have the right to discuss anything with me. Do you believe that I couldn¡¯t make you vanish from the surface of the earth when I give the orders?¡± Gordon, looking mortified, finally fell silent. The man snickered. ¡°Two useless pieces of trash. Showing off in front of me? You¡¯d better know your limits.¡± Then, he turned his attention to Adriana and smiled at her. ¡°Ms. Lovett, it seems like no one can save you now. Come with us.¡± She bit her lips and cast a pleading nce at Gordon However, Gordon and Zeke hung their heads low, too timid to make a sound. ¡°Ms. Lovett, if you don¡¯t y nice, do not me us forying a finger on your friends!¡± The man - resorted to threats. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave with you!¡± She took a deep breath and chose to surrender, knowing what the men were capable of doing. If she fought back, she would unnecessarily hurt everyone at the :??? ?? scene. But Natasha stood before her and coldly confronted the men, ¡°Wait a minute! How much do you want in exchange for Adriana¡¯s freedom?¡± ¡°Oh! Here¡¯s another prettydy!¡± The man scanned her from head to toe with a renewed interest in his eyes. Natasha was as good-looking as Adriana, and some might even argue that she had a sexier figure. The man believed Natasha would be their new money tree if she gained fame. ¡°I can let her go. But you will have to leave with us instead.¡± He cackled wickedly. ¡°If you entertain and please my boss, he is open to any discussion.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not be greedy!¡± Her expression froze. The Langfords had a sprawling business empite, but they were not as invincible as to do whatever they wanted in Balerno. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pretty feisty, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s exactly my type! It¡¯s rare toe across ady like you. Since we are in luck today, we can¡¯t possibly miss the chance. Guys, take both of them.¡± The man did not want to engage further and gave his orders ¡°Hey. Time to stop it.¡± At that time, Dustin finally rose from his seat after filling himself with food and drinks. Sensing his imposing aura, the bodyguards dared not take a step forward. ¡°And where the fuck did youe from?¡± Chapter 326 The middle-aged man¡¯s expression was unfriendly, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t try to be a hero. Otherwise, I¡¯ll break both your legs!¡± ¡°You can hit anyone but her.¡± Dustin stood in front of Natasha, his gaze calm. ¡°And if I do?¡± he sneered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cripple you,¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°You must be tired of living, bastard!¡± The middle-aged man finally erupted in anger. ¡°Get him! I want him beaten mercilessly! I¡¯ll take full responsibility if he dies!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± On hismand, the bodyguards stopped holding back, immediately brandishing their knives at Dustin. Dustin mmed one hand on the table, and the knives on the table bounced up. With a wave of his sleeves, sharp whistles were heard. Appearing like hidden weapons, the knives shot straight into the bodyguards¡¯ knees. In a blink of an eye, the previously arrogant and intimidating group of bodyguards were taken down. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°What?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s expression shifted upon the sceneid out before him. He¡¯d been around long enough to realize he¡¯d encountered a skilled martial artist that day. ¡°Holy shit! This guy have skills?¡± Zoey was shocked She would have never thought that an ordinary doctor would have such impressive skills. Even Zeke and Gordon were taken aback. They looked at each other with a bewildered look on their faces. Dustin must have had immense strength to be able to pierce a knife through the bodyguards¡¯ knees. What was more astonishing was that he attacked with such uracy that each bodyguard had the exact same injury. ¡°Huh?¡± Adriana was surprised, and her gaze betrayed a spark of interest. ¡°Who the hell are you, punk? How dare you poke your nose into the Langford family¡¯s business?¡± The middle-aged man carried a dark expression. ¡°So what if you¡¯re from the Langford family? I¡¯m butting in since I can¡¯t stand you harassing a woman,¡± Dustin replied dismissively. ¡°Just you wait and see, punk!¡± The man gritted his teeth and was about to leave when Dustin grabbed him by the cor and pulled back forcefully. With a resounding bang, the man crashed into the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Did I say you can leave?¡± Dustin was calm. ¡°You¡­ what do you want?¡± His body felt like it was about to fall apart as he clenched his jaw. ¡°You think you can act as if nothing happened and escape just like that? Think again. Get down on your knees and apologize to everyone here,¡± Dustin ordered coldly. ¡°Never!¡± he refused immediately. ¡°Oh?¡± Dustin raised his eyebrows and gave him a resounding p. A few teeth fell out from the force. ¡°You dare hit me? I¡¯m from the Langford family!¡± He was resentful. ¡°That p is for the Langford family.¡± Without another word, Dustinnded two more ps, leaving the man dazed and unable to steady himself. Zeke¡¯s expression changed as he watched the scene unfold before him. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re crazy! Stop this instant! Gordon added with a dark expression, ¡°The Langford family is very powerful. You¡¯re going to die for humiliating them in public. Even if you don¡¯t value your life, don¡¯t drag us down with you!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys getting overly worked up for a mere servant of the Langford family?¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°You-¡± Their expressions turned ugly as soon as Dustin said that. Chapter 327 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I started this. I¡¯ll make sure not to pull you both down into this mess. Of course, if you¡¯re scared, you could leave first. I didn¡¯t see a thing,¡± Dustin said casually. A few simple words had made them feel indignant, and their faces burned, especially from the looks the three women were giving them. It was humiliating to be looked down on by an ordinary doctor. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat, punk! All of you are dead meat!¡± The middle-aged man got up from the floor with a disheveled appearance. ¡°Say that again? Who¡¯s dead meat?¡± Dustin gave him another p. ¡°You¡± Before he could speak, another heavy pnded on his face. With a grunt, finally, he fainted from the attacks. Zoey and the rest of them watched in shock. They couldn¡¯t believe Dustin was merciless and dared attack with such force, even though he knew the other party was from the Langford family. He must really not value his life! ¡°Weakling.¡± Dustin dusted his hands, feeling unsatisfied. ¡°Dustin! Do you know what you¡¯ve just done? Not even the Gods can save you for offending the Langford family,¡± Gordon admonished him sternly but also gloated at his misfortune. Even though he was surprised by Dusin¡¯s martial skills, he knew his actions would only lead to his demise. ¡°Keep your judgment to yourselves. Just because you¡¯re afraid of the Langfords doesn¡¯t mean I am too.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Hmph! You must not be aware of how scary they could be!¡± Zeke shook his head as if he was looking at an idiot. The Langford family was Stonia¡¯s most powerful and wealthy aristocratic family. Other than the Tremendous Three, no one else dared confront the Langfords directly in the whole of Balerno. With Dustin¡¯s mere background as an ordinary doctor, he should have made sure he knew who he was going up against before attacking a Langford family servant. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We shouldn¡¯t stay here any longer. Let¡¯s go.¡± Zoey¡¯s gaze betrayed her nerves. After what happened, she understood how terrifying the Langfords could be. Dustin suddenly said, ¡°Ms. Harmon, you should go first. I have a few things left to do.¡± Since he¡¯d already made an enemy out of the Langfords, he might as well deal with the issue cleanly. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Natasha stared nkly at him. Nothing much, just going to finish up some unfinished business,¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Hey! Are you crazy? Their men will be here soon You¡¯ll be dead meat by then,¡± Zoey said with a frown. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Dustin wasn¡¯t bothered. ¡°Be careful Natasha gave him a long gaze before pulling Adriana out of the door. She knew that her presence would cause him more trouble. ¡°Forget it. Suit yourself.¡± Zoey shook her head and left. ¡°Hmph! You should know better. You¡¯ll find out soon enough how powerful the Langfords are.¡± ¡°Since you won¡¯t listen to our advice, there¡¯s no point in stopping you from being the dead meat you love to be.¡± Zeke and Gordon followed behind them after throwing out those words. All of them finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the restaurant. ¡°Guys, what should we do now?¡± Standing near the entrance, Zoey said with uncertainty, ¡°Adriana has been marked by the Langfords. If we don¡¯t think of something, this won¡¯t end well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Adriana is not strong enough to fight against those brutal swine.¡± Zeke was slightly worried. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°They¡¯re not too unreasonable. Perhaps we could talk it out. I just so happen to be acquainted with Luis Langford. I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be a problem as long as I can convince Mr. Langford.¡± ¡°Gordon, you know Mr. Langford? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? I almost peed my pants just now.¡± Zeke was surprised. ¡°Thest time I went to Stonia, I attended a party of his and got to know him there.¡± Gordon smiled. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! I can¡¯t believe you know someone so powerful!¡± Chapter 328 Zoey was ecstatic and chimed in, ¡°Adriana, there¡¯s hope! As long as Gordon convinces Mr. Langford, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be safe then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Thanks, Gordon!¡± As Adriana thanked him profusely, her cleavage came into full This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. view. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just helping out a friend.¡± Gordon waved his hand like it was a minor issue. ¡°Alright, since we¡¯ve resolved the matter, let¡¯s go for a few more rounds of drinks,¡± Zeke said, calling up his driver and ushering them into his car Just as they were about to depart, more than ten ck SUVS screeched to a halt in front of the restaurant, surrounding it entirely. As the doors opened, a group of fighters with batons in hand got off and barged into the restaurant with a murderous look. ¡°Dang! Weren¡¯t those the Langfords¡¯ men?¡± Zeke¡¯s eye twitched, and he was inexplicably nervous. He thought they were lucky to have left in time. If they had been slower by even two minutes, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape then. ¡°Natasha, will your boyfriend be alright?¡± Adriana was worried. After all, Dustin had saved her earlier. She would feel bad if something happened to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He can handle it.¡± Natasha smiled faintly. She was aware of his abilities. Fighting a few ordinary fighters would be like a breeze to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He only has two fists. Even if he had skills, how would he survive against so many of them?¡± Gordon shook his head but was happy about Dustin¡¯s predicament. ¡°That¡¯s right! The Langfords have plenty of highly skilled martial artists. How would he take all of them on?¡± Zeke pursed his lips. In their eyes, Dustin only liked seeking attention As soon as he encountered Langfords¡¯ skilled fighters, he¡¯d end up dead. Natasha didn¡¯t bother exining further since they didn¡¯t believe her. In the meantime, in the private room of the restaurant, Dustin was silently enjoying his food. He was eating with great enthusiasm when the door was kicked down. Arge number of fighters barged in, surrounding him in no time. The man who fainted earlier suddenly sprung up, his expression menacing. ¡°Hey, punk! My backup is here. You¡¯re dead meat this time!¡± It was evident that he had been ying dead. This is all of them? I thought you were bringing an army.¡± Dustin shook his head, seemingly regretful. ¡°You¡¯re still talking back in the face of death? Kill him!¡± the middle-aged man bellowed. Dozens of them brandished their weapons, prepared to attack, when suddenly, someone yelled at the door. ¡°Hold it! Following the voice, a figure appeared. It was Dahlia who rushed in, d in branded clothing Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed at the sight of the woman Why did he keep running into her? ¡°I thought I was mistaken, but it really is you.¡± She carried aplicated expression as she looked. at Dustin. ¡°So what if it¡¯s me? I¡¯ve told you not to appear before me again,¡± Dustin said coldly. Dahlta frowned at his words, but she turned to the middle-aged man instead. ¡°Mr. Atwood, what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Mrs. Langford, this punk dared butt into our business. I¡¯m about to give him a lesson. With your dignified status, I ask that you step aside lest you ruin your clothes.¡± Mr. Atwood smiled apologetically. ¡°Mr. Atwood, this is a friend of mine. Can you let him go?¡± Dahlia responded. ¡°A friend?¡± he frowned slightly. Since he was pped earlier, he was quite unwilling. ¡°Hmm? Do my words not carry weight? Do I need to get Luis here to talk to you?¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°No, no. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Mrs. Langford Since he¡¯s your friend, naturally, we won¡¯t dare touch him.¡± Mr. Atwood smiled awkwardly and gave the signal, leaving with all the men present. ¡°Mrs. Langford? How impressive.¡± Dustin sneered coldly,pletely ungrateful. Chapter 329 Dahlia put on a calm front even though she felt hurt from the icy re Dustin was giving her. ¡± Dustin, I just didn¡¯t want you to get into trouble. I didn¡¯t do it so you can feel indebted to me,¡± she said nonchntly. ¡°I don¡¯t think what happens to me is any of your business.¡± ¡°I know you hate me. I know I¡¯ve wronged you too. Il try my best to make it up to you in the future. ¡°Make it up to me?¡± Dustin scoffed, ¡°Oh, Dahlia, you think too highly of yourself. Do you think I actually care?¡± ¡°Then what do you care about? Or perhaps, is there anything you need help on?¡± she asked tentatively. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t need anything. I just need you to get far away from me,¡± Dustin responded. ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± Dahlia frowned. She felt an inexplicable stabbing pain in her chest. ¡°Yeah. You yed me like a dog. Am I supposed to put on a pitiful dog act to please you?¡± Dustin mocked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Dahlia took in a deep breath, but, in the end, she could only lower her head. ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t show me that pitiful expression of yours. It¡¯s repulsive.¡± Dustin¡¯s words were harsh. ¡°I¡­¡± She was unable to continue. There were many times she wanted to tell him the truth but couldn¡¯t. That was because she knew him well. Once he found out the truth, he would definitely make an enemy out of Luis. He would probably even try something foolish that might lead to his demise. All Dahlia wished was for Dustin to live peacefully Even if that meant carrying the burden of his hatred and being his enemy, she would dly ensure it was so. Out of the blue, she asked,¡± How are things with you and Natasha?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing great. We¡¯ve been talking about getting married,¡± Dustin deliberately unnerved her ¡°Is that so? Congrattions.¡± Dahlia forced a smile ¡°Natasha is a great woman. I can tell she likes you a lot. It¡¯s just that both of you have different social standings. You need to work harder to catch up to her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± he responded coldly. ¡°You¡¯re right. Why am I butting into your rtionship? Anyways, I wish both of you the best.¡± Dustin had never seen a smile that tender on her face. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± His brows furrowed. Nothing. I suddenly feel like having a drink. Will you drink a few sses with me?¡± SH ¡°No,¡± Dustin refused right away. ¡°I told you. I have nothing to do with you any longer. From now on, we shall be strangers. Please don¡¯t bother me again in the future. I don¡¯t wish to be yed like a fool a second time!¡± He turned around to leave. ¡°Wait-¡± Dahlia reached out and grabbed his arm instinctively. ¡°Get lost!¡± Looking annoyed, Dustin shrugged her off. Dahlia stumbled and fell to the floor, her handnding on broken pieces of ss. Blood dripped down, as the ss crystals dug into her palms. She frowned but never uttered a word. The pain could never compare to the heartache she was feeling. ¡°You ¡°Seeing that she was hurt, Dustin extended his hand, about to help her up, when he froze midway. After thinking about everything that had happened, he decided to be merciless and ignored her injury. ¡°Seems like you truly hate me. I guess it¡¯s better that way¡­¡± Dahlia smiled and got up slowly. She continued, ¡°I¡¯m getting engaged to Luis tomorrow. After that, I¡¯ll be leaving for Stonia and starting my life as Mrs. Langford. Today should be our final meeting. Thank you for taking care of me these past three years. I¡¯ll never forget it. Humans are such weird creatures. We never appreciate things when we have them, only regretting it when we lose them.¡± With that, she exited the room. Watching her departing figure, Dustin wanted to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say. Dahlia was about to exit the building when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She had noticed a - familiar face. It was Natasha, pacing back and forth at the main entrance. ¡°You¡¯re here too¡­¡± Dahlia gave a faint smile, ¡°Congrattions, you won. Take care of Dustin for me. I wish both of you the best.¡± After she said that she brushed past Natasha. ¡°Huh?¡± Natasha frowned slightly in confusion. She wondered if Dahlia woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. ¡°Why did youe back?¡± Dustin walked out of the room. Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°I was worried, of course. What if something happened to you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just a few weaklings. They can¡¯t hurt me. He forced a smile. Natasha picked up on his unusual behavior. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°No. I just met Dahlia. She said she¡¯s getting engaged tomorrow.¡± Dustin put on a calm front. ¡°Engaged? To whom?¡± Natasha was taken aback. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Luis Langford.¡± ¡°Luis?¡± She frowned. ¡°Is she crazy? Luis is famous for being a yboy, and his temper is erratic. Women involved with him don¡¯t exactly get a fairytale ending.¡± Dustin replied, ¡°Everyone chases after different dreams. Luis is rich and powerful. There¡¯s nothing wrong with her wanting to marry into a wealthy family.¡± ¡°There must be more to this. She doesn¡¯t seem like someone who chases after material wealth,¡± Natasha responded solemnly. Even though they were rivals in love, she didn¡¯t harbor any hate for her.. ¡°I thought so too, but¡­¡± Dustin put on a self-deprecating smile, ¡°People change. She has the right to chase after the things she wants.¡± Hearing him, Natasha nodded, not saying anything more. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± He forced another smile. He was in a good mood earlier, but meeting Dahlia had ruined his day. He even felt a knot in his heart. After Dustin drove off with Natasha, Luis and a white-haired young man walked out slowly from the dark. ¡°Mr. Langford, it seems like there¡¯s something going on between your fianc¨¦e and that Dustin guy. ¡°The white-haired young manughed teasingly. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s just an ant. He must have a death wish to have the guts to steal my woman.¡± Luis¡¯ expression was dark. ¡°Mr. Langford, leave this matter to me. I¡¯ll make sure he disappears from the face of the earth tonight!¡± The white-haired young man grinned. As Luis¡¯ right-hand man, he¡¯d long been skillful at murdering people. Chapter 330 After sending Natasha home, Dustin returned to Peaceful Medical Center. At the same time, a ck vehicle came to a quiet stop at a corner not far away. As the doors opened, a few masked assassins d in ck outfits approached the building slowly, and they all had silenced guns in their hands. They were well-trained and worked well together as they surrounded the entire Peace Medical Center without saying a word, blocking all entrances. ¡°Forward-¡± The leader made a gesture, and the men to the left of him nodded. They were just about to break in when the doors opened with a creak. A warm, yellow light shone out from the inside. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, there¡¯s no need to sneak around. Please,e in.¡± They heard a cold, impassive voice from the inside. The masked assassins¡¯ expressions shifted slightly Looking through the door slit, they saw Dustin leisurely sipping his liquor while seated on a chair. They even noticed a simple meal set out on the table. He appeared calm. There were no signs that he was rmed by the impending disaster that awaited him. ¡°What? Do I need to invite you in personally?¡± Dustin spoke again. The group looked at each other. Leaving only one man behind, the rest of the assassins walked in with their guns raised, finally exposing their cover To prevent an ambush, a few of them even scouted the perimeter. It was only after they ensured it was safe that they let out a silent sigh of relief. ¡°How did you discover us?¡± Their leader was perplexed. After so many years in their line of work, it was the first time they¡¯d met someone who remained exceptionally calm, even with a gun in their face. ¡°You¡¯ve been following me for half an hour now. I might as well be blind if I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Dustin smiled faintly and poured himself another drink. He asked, ¡°So, who sent you? The Hummers or the Langfords?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Does it matter? You¡¯ll be dead anyway,¡± The leader responded coldly. Dustin¡¯s sharp gaze was making him ufortable. ¡°If I¡¯m dying, I should at least know who gave the orders, don¡¯t you think?¡± Dustin looked up slowly. ¡°You want to know the truth? Go ask the devil himself!¡± The leader was tired of the nonsense and aimed his gun at Dustin, pulling the trigger. Having a conversation was frowned upon in their line of work. Two muffled gunshots rang out. One bullet aimed straight for Dustin¡¯s head, while the other went for his chest. Even God wouldn¡¯t be able to save him from the two fatal shots. Just when he thought Dustin was as good as gone, a shocking scene yed out. Just an inch away from their final target, the two bullets came to a halt. They floated in mid-air, unable to move. ¡°What?¡± The assassin was shocked. Two more muffled shots sounded, but the results were the Hearing him, Natasha nodded, not saying anything more. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± He forced another smile. He was in a good mood earlier, but meeting Dahlia had ruined his day. He even felt a knot in his heart. After Dustin drove off with Natasha, Luis and a white-haired young man walked out slowly from the dark. ¡°Mr. Langford, it seems like there¡¯s something going on between your fianc¨¦e and that Dustin guy. ¡°The white-haired young manughed teasingly. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s just an ant. He must have a death wish to have the guts to steal my woman.¡± Luis¡¯ expression was dark. ¡°Mr. Langford, leave this matter to me. I¡¯ll make sure he disappears from the face of the earth tonight!¡± The white-haired young man grinned. As Luis¡¯ right-hand man, he¡¯d long been skillful at murdering people. Chapter 331 ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll talk!¡± The leader of the assassins was scared out of his wits. He divulged every detail, not daring to leave any stone unturned. He revealed the person who hired him and even their whereabouts. He spilled everything. Dustin nodded after he was done listening and dealt with the assassins, before leaving the building once again. While others often took their time seeking revenge, Dustin sought his revenge the very same day. Otherwise, he would lose sleep over it. In the meantime, in the bathtub of a luxurious hotel, the white-haired young man, Wilson White, was speaking to Luis on the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Langford, my men are skilled. They won¡¯t leave a trace. From tomorrow onwards, you will never see that punk again.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be best. I don¡¯t wish for any surprises tomorrow.¡± ¡°Of course, I assure you everything will go smoothly, and you¡¯ll be bringing that beauty home without a hitch.¡± He grinned. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all. That woman won¡¯t let me touch her. I need to get another woman to satisfy my desires.¡± Wilson chuckled. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb your fun.¡± After a few more exchanges of words, he hung up. He then put on a robe and walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Hey, beautiful, I¡¯ming!¡± Wilson was smiling happily, prepared to make love to a beautiful model he met today. However, he froze as he entered the bedroom. The model was missing, there was only a man seated on the bed. That man was Dustin! ¡°H-how are you here?¡± Wilson¡¯s expression changed. Didn¡¯t he already send the assassins? Why was he still alive? ¡°Your men are dead. And it¡¯s your turn now. Anyst words?¡± He spokezily. Wilson¡¯s eye twitched, and he screamed at Dustin, putting up a front, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, punk! You better not try anything. I¡¯m with the Langford family!¡± ¡°I know. So what?¡± Dustin was stone-faced. ¡°If you dare touch me, not only you but all of your family and friends will be doomed!¡± Wilson - threatened. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s always the same script. Can¡¯t youe up with something new?¡± Dustin reached out and grabbed him in a chokehold, lifting him by his neck. ¡°Ugh¡­ Wilson couldn¡¯t breathe, and his face turned red. He shook in fear as he felt he was close to death¡¯s door. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t kill me¡­ I¡¯ll tell you a secret!¡± William panicked after seeing Dustin¡¯s murderous gaze and started begging for his life instead. ¡°Oh? What secret? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Dustin raised his eyebrow, intrigued. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know the real reason Dahlia is marrying Luis. It isn¡¯t for material wealth. She was forced!¡± Wilson released a bombshell. Dustin¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. ¡°Exin! What do you mean?¡± William pointed at Dustin¡¯s fingers. Dustin loosened his grip slightly, Out of breath, William finally spoke, ¡°To get Dahlia by his side, Luis set up a trap and painted James as a murderer. He not only threatened to send her brother to jail, but he also threatened to send you back to prison. She only gave in to the marriage because of you.¡± Dustin felt like he was struck by lightning with this revtion. He had misunderstood her. He¡¯d thought she married into a wealthy family for power and wealth. But it turned out, she was only sacrificing herself for his safety. At that moment, he felt a pang of regret. He regretted not getting the story straight, and he regretted pping her. ¡°Dahlia, oh, Dahlia ¡­ Why are you so foolish?¡± He clenched his jaw and left the ce immediately. Chapter 332 Dustin kept dialing and making calls while he drove. However, no matter how many times he dialed, Dahlia never answered. For some reason, Dustin was anxious. It felt as if something important was slowly slipping out of his grasp. He stepped on the elerator and headed straight for Nicholson Vi. Ever since they got divorced, he¡¯d never set foot in that ce again. But at that moment, he couldn¡¯t care less. After he arrived, he rushed to the entrance, ringing the doorbell and pounding on the door persistently. ¡°How rude! Can¡¯t you knock gently?¡± Following the annoyed voice, the door opened. ¡°Dustin? What are you doing here?¡± Florence frowned, looking upset. Dustin went straight to the point. ¡°Where¡¯s Dahlia? I need to see her!¡± ¡°Hmph! What makes you think you can just barge in here to see her? Get lost!¡± Florence responded harshly. She was about to close the door as she spoke when the door was blocked by a foot. With a solemn expression, Dustin said, ¡°I know Dahlia is inside. I have something to tell her, please let her know.¡± ¡°There is no need to do so. She doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± Florence gave him a contemptuous look and continued, ¡°Let me tell you. My daughter¡¯s engagement party with Mr. Langford is tomorrow. So, from tomorrow onward, she¡¯ll be known as Mrs. Langford. Someone like you will never match up to him. So, please stop disturbing my daughter!¡± ¡°Dahlia cannot marry Luis!¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°I know the truth. I know she was forced. She doesn¡¯t need to sacrifice herself. I can solve everything!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You can¡¯t solve shit!¡± Florence red at him. ¡°Rhys! I¡¯m warning you not to poke your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong! It¡¯s a blessing for my daughter to have the chance to marry the Langfords. I¡¯ll fight you to death if you get in the way!¡± ¡°Is wealth more important than Dahlia¡¯s happiness?¡± Dustin reasoned with her, ¡°Luis is a typical yboy with a vtile temper and violent tendencies. If Dahlia marries him, she¡¯ll be walking into her own misery!¡¯ ¡°Nonsense!¡± Florence erupted in anger. ¡°Rhys! You better not spout nonsense! Luis was brought up in a wealthy family with ss and manners. He¡¯s miles better than you will ever be!¡± To her, Dustin only said those words out of jealousy He was ndering Luis since he knew he wasn¡¯t Luis¡¯petition. She didn¡¯t realize he was such a malicious person! ¡°Dahlia, I know you¡¯re in there. Can you pleasee out and talk to me?¡± Seeing that Florence wouldn¡¯t budge, he raised his voice in hopes that Dahlia could hear him from inside. ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m warning you. My daughter is not at home. If you continue to cause trouble for us, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Florence threatened him. Dustin ignored her and continued yelling, ¡°Dahlia, listen up! I don¡¯t need your sympathy. Don¡¯t make decisions on your own! Do you think a mere Luis can hurt me? You must be crazy! We¡¯re divorced. What makes you think you can use your life to save mine? Can you not think so highly of yourself?¡± His tirade echoed throughout the vi. ¡°Hey! You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡± Florence grabbed a broom and was about to hit him in her fury when a clear voice rang out. ¡°Mom, let me talk to him¡­¡± Dahlia finally walked out. ¡°Dahlia, why did youe out? Just let me deal with this insolent brat.¡± Florence was clearly upset. Chapter 333 ¡°Some things are better discussed in person.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you three minutes. Break it off cleanly.¡± Without another word, Florence went to stand by one side. After all, tomorrow, their family would move to Stonia and live the life of the wealthy. By then, a lowlife like Dustin would never have the chance to see her daughter again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯d never have anything to do with each other? Why are you here?¡± Dahlia looked Dustin straight in the eye. Dustin responded seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve found out the truth. I know Luis forced you into this, but you don¡¯t need to get married to him. I can solve all your problems!¡± Dahlia was momentarily stumped before she put up a polite smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard that, but I¡¯m getting married to Luis on my own ord. I wasn¡¯t forced, but thank you for your concern.¡± So what if he knew? It wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Her marriage to Luis was a strategic union between the Langfords and the Nicholsons. Anyone who dared stand in the way of their marriage would be going up against two majorly influential families. How many people dared make enemies out of the two families in the whole of Balerno? That was why, even if Dustin now knew the truth, it didn¡¯t change anything. It would only cause him more trouble. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Dustin¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°You don¡¯t even like him. Why are you getting married to him?¡± ¡°Does that matter? Luis can give me wealth and riches, as well as power and status, aren¡¯t those enough?¡± Dahlia smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re lying! I know you¡¯re not that kind of person Dustin wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°Stop joking. Do you really know me?¡± She scoffed, ¡°Oh, Dustin. People should live life realistically, especially women. Instead of working so hard to make a name for myself, wouldn¡¯t it be better to marry a wealthy man? I can live an easy life. Why not seize the opportunity?¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze was intense. ¡°No! You don¡¯t mean that¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think. It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not you believe me. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to rest now. Please go back.¡± That was thest thing Dahlia said before turning inside. ¡°Did you hear that? She¡¯s tired. Now get lost!¡± Florence raised her broom aggressively. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! Don¡¯t you dare think you actually helped me. I¡¯ll never be grateful for your actions!¡± Dustin stood by the door and continued with rightful indignation, ¡°Oh, and one more thing. I hate being indebted to someone. I will do everything I can to stop this marriage. I will never let you marry Luis! Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Bastard! If you try anything, I won¡¯t hesitate to beat you to death!¡± Florence was anxious and raised the broom in her hand, about tond a hit, when Dustin grabbed it and broke it easily, This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! I¡¯ll be at the engagement party tomorrow afternoon. All you need to do is nod, and I¡¯ll take you out of there. You don¡¯t need to think about the consequences. Just follow your heart. I will make sure there is nothing to worry about. I will also ensure your safety! Please just trust me. Have absolute faith in me this one time!¡± Dustin finally left after his speech. Since he had found out the truth, he would not allow her to walk into her own misery. It didn¡¯t matter if they were the Langfords or the Nicholsons. If they angered him, he would annihte them all! As Dahlia listened to Dustin¡¯s determined speech, she leaned against the door and sank to the floor. She ended up crouching on the ground as tears streamed down her face. Biting her lips, she wrapped herself in her arms and tried her best to muffle her cries. ¡°Oh, Dustin. Why are you so foolish? Couldn¡¯t you just let go? Why do you need to put yourself in danger like that?¡± Chapter 334 The next morning, at Empire Hotel. A grand wedding was in full swing. The union of the two prominent families had caused a sensation throughout Swinton. Countless businessmen, wealthy individuals, and high-ranking officials arrived with great anticipation. Hundreds of luxury wedding cars were parked at the hotel square, upying almost every avable space. The entire street had also been cordoned off specially for today¡¯s wedding ceremony. Dressed in his groom¡¯s attire, Luis personally weed the guests at the entrance of the lobby. Of course, he only greeted those who held status and influence, while the ordinary guests were attended to by his men. ¡°Mr. Langford¡­¡± At that moment, Wilson walked up to him and said in a hushed voice, ¡°There¡¯s a turn of events. Dustin¡¯s not dead yet, and the assassins I sent out are all missing.¡± ¡°What did you say? What¡¯s the point of me hiring you if you can¡¯t handle a small matter like this?¡± Luis frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I underestimated that punk.¡± Wilson lowered his head in shame. ¡°Forget about it. After today, I¡¯ll send someone personally to deal with him.¡± Luis didn¡¯t bother making a fuss out of it. ¡°Mr. Langford, there¡¯s something else¡­¡± Wilson hesitated to speak. Luis was slightly unhappy. ¡°What now?¡± In a whisper, Wilson continued, ¡°I heard that Dustin might disrupt the wedding today.¡± ¡°Disrupt the wedding?¡± Luis was taken aback for a moment before heughed out loud. ¡°Are you joking? My men are all here. Would he dare act rashly here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to consider all possibilities.¡± Wilson smiled apologetically. ¡°He can try if he wants. I¡¯m itching to see how he¡¯ll barge into my den!¡± Luis sneered coldly. An ordinary citizen, trying to go against him? He didn¡¯t mind shedding blood today at the party if it came to it. In the meantime, in one of the rooms of the hotel, Dahlia sat in front of the dressing table, in a daze. Ever since Dustin came looking for her yesterday, she has been on edge, worried he might attempt something foolish. For this reason, she¡¯d been sending him messages and making calls, but she never received a response. It worried her more as he ignored her. ¡°Dahlia, why are you sulking? You should be smiling. It¡¯s your big day.¡± Right then, Florence walked in with a grin and started picking out Dahlia¡¯s jewelry. Dahlia suddenly asked, ¡°Mom, do you think Dustin wille today?¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± Florence¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯ve looked around the area. It¡¯s heavily guarded here, with security personnel inside and out. If Dustin dares break-in, he¡¯ll probably be beaten up badly.¡± Dahlia¡¯s concern deepened upon hearing her mother¡¯s words. ¡°Dahlia, stop thinking about it. That punk is all talk. He won¡¯t reallye. He¡¯s not stupid. Why would he seek his own demise?¡± Florence took advantage of the situation andforted her. It was clear to her that her daughter had unresolved feelings. Unfortunately, they could never be together. Besides, it was a lifelong dream of Florence to have her daughter marry into a wealthy family. How would she allow someone to ruin her dream that easily? ¡°I hope so¡­¡± Dahlia sighed, but her expression remained troubled. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Florence smiled, leading Dahlia out. At the venue, the seats were already filled with distinguished guests. Amidst the apuse, Luis walked up the stage slowly. He received the microphone from the officiant and said with a face full of smiles, ¡°Dear guests, family, and friends, thank you for attending my wedding. Today is the most important day of my life. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve only known Dahlia for a short time, from the moment Iid my eyes on her, I knew she was the only woman I would want to marry in this lifetime! I hope all of you present here today will bear witness to our grand wedding As soon as he spoke those words, the crowd erupted in thunderous apuse and cheers.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 335 ¡°Herees the bride!¡± The officiant announced. Amidst enthusiastic apuse, Dahlia walked in. She looked gorgeous in a beautiful white gown. and took her ce at the altar on stage. ¡°Oh, my God! The bride is so pretty. She looks like an angel!¡± ¡°They look so good together. They are truly a match made in heaven!¡± Following her appearance, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively as the crowd looked on in admiration. The ceremony officially began with Dahlia¡¯s parents, John and Florence, seated in the front row alongside Luis¡¯ fourth uncle. Seeing the both of thein standing at the altar together, Florence couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face. All her hopes and prayers for her daughter to marry into a wealthy family were finally materializing. While John wore a smile, his eyes betrayed aplexity of emotions. Despite his prolonged absences, he had a basic understanding of what went on at home. As for Luis¡¯ uncle, he had an impassive expression right from the start, not showing much of a reaction. ¡°Dahlia is so lucky to be able to marry Luis.¡± Not far away, Dakota watched the new couple in jealousy. If only she hadn¡¯t been engaged, she would have been the one up there instead. ¡°Hah¡­ It seems like she¡¯s lucky, but she¡¯s actually not. With Luis¡¯ personality, I¡¯m afraid Dahlia won¡¯t be having a good married life.¡± Jane shook her head. She knew of Luis¡¯ reputation. It was finally time to exchange vows as the officiant said, ¡°Dahlia, do you take Luis to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?¡± While Luis was smiling widely, Dahlia looked troubled. After a short silence, he finally noticed that she didn¡¯t seem inclined to speak. Thinking the bride didn¡¯t hear him, the officiant repeated himself, ¡°Dahlia, do you take Luis to be your wedded husband¡­ H In the end, Dahlia remained silent. She truly did not wish to get married to Luis. She didn¡¯t even understand why. That was why she hesitated at thest moment. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t the bride saying anything?¡± ¡°Is she regretting it?¡± As a result of her actions, a wave of dissonant murmurs swiftly swept across the venue. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Dahlia? Are you embarrassing me on purpose?¡± Luis narrowed his T eyes, his expression menacing. ¡°If you dare humiliate me today, our previous agreement will be thrown out the window! I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen then!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Dahlia clenched her fists at his words, finally giving in. ¡°I She was about to exchange her vows when a resounding crash reverberated through the hall. The doors had been kicked open, and at the same time, a tall figure strutted in proudly. ¡°Dustin! Why are you here?¡± Florence mmed her hand on the table and shot up to her feet, feeling shocked and furious. ¡°I¡¯m here to¡­ steal the bride!¡± Chapter 336 ¡°I¡¯m here to¡­ steal the bride!¡± Dustin¡¯s every step resounded through the entire hall like a loud bell; his footsteps could be heard over the quiet hall. The crowd had their eyes wide open, and their expressions were filled with shock. Nobody could have imagined that someone dared object to the union between the Langford family and the Nicholson family. ¡°Oh my goodness! Who is this punk? He dares disrupt the wedding? Does he have a death wish?¡± ¡°You have to give him credit for being so brave. He actually dared to provoke the two powerful families!¡± ¡°Interesting. This is definitely interesting. Seems like a good show is about to start!¡± After a momentary silence, the crowd erupted in frenzied discussion, pointing and gossiping incessantly. ¡°Dustin?¡± Staring at the familiar face, Dahlia¡¯s expression revealed how happy she was. However, that happiness was quickly reced with worry. Although she was grateful and touched, she knew his actions would bring about a disaster. By disrupting the wedding, it meant that he was challenging both the Langfords and the Nicholsons. ¡°Is this punk insane? He¡¯s making a scene all by himself? Where did he get the courage?¡± Dakota was astonished and couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What an idiot!¡± Jane pursed her lips. It was as if she was looking at a dead man. She knew Luis had already made preparations, and stationed numerous security personnel around the hotel. Dustin had sent himself into the lion¡¯s den by barging in here. ¡°Insolent bastard!¡± Luis¡¯ expression turned cold. He felt the urge to kill rising within him. He couldn¡¯t believe Dustin really came to meet his demise! ¡°Rhys! I¡¯m warning you to get your ass out of here! Otherwise, you¡¯ll bear the consequences!¡± Florence screamed in frustration. Her daughter was one step away from getting married into a wealthy family. She would make an enemy out of anyone who dared ruin her dreams. ¡°Dahlia, I¡¯m here.¡± Dustin ignored all the criticisms and threats surrounding him and walked up the stage with deliberate steps. His determined gaze was fixed on the person in front of him. ¡°What are you doing here? Go back immediately! Dahlia¡¯s brows were furrowed, and she looked ¨C anxious. She had noticed the number of bodyguards of the Langford family approaching the stage. Dustin¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°I told you. I won¡¯t let you get married to Luis. I¡¯m definitely taking you away today!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Are you crazy? This is not the ce for you to act so recklessly! Just leave!¡± Dahlia made fervent gestures to urge him to leave. In a serious tone, Dustin told her, ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but please believe me. I promise there won¡¯t be anything to worry about after this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­ You don¡¯t know who you¡¯re up against!¡± Dahlia shook her head vehemently. She knew he could fight. She also knew he had the Harmon family backing him. But even the Harmon family was no match for the Langfords. Not to mention, the Langfords also had the Nicholsons behind them. Dustin suddenly asked, ¡°Dahlia, in all these years, with everything that has happened, have I ever lied to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head firmly. ¡°Since I¡¯ve never lied to you, please believe me once more.¡± Dustin extended his hand as an invitation. Dahlia went silent; her heart was conflicted. She longed to leave with Dustin. Even if that meant eloping and wandering the entire world with him, she would do it dly. However, there were far too many factors to consider. ¡°Dahlia, you don¡¯t need to think about anything else. Leave everything to me. Just this once, let yourself be a little selfish,¡± Dustin said, full of sincerity. Dahlia bit her lips. It seemed like she hade to a decision. She took a deep breath. Alright! She would be selfish this one time! She stopped thinking about the consequences and extended her hand with resolve, holding tight to Dustin¡¯s hand. At that moment, Dustin formed a smile. So did she. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! Do you know what you¡¯re doing? Seeing them holding hands, Luis¡¯ expression wasced with extreme fury. In front of such arge crowd, his fianc¨¦ regretted her decision and decided to elope with another man. Nothing was more humiliating than that! Chapter 337 It was humiliating not only to him but to the entire Langford family! ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! If you dare elope with him, youll be the Nicholson family¡¯s enemy!¡± Jade and Dakota stood up in fury, screaming at the top of their lungs. ¡°Dahlia, please don¡¯t act recklessly! Once you leave with that trash, our family is done for!¡± Florence screamed in panic. Once they humiliated the Langfords, they weren¡¯t just losing out on wealth, their whole family. would be annihted! ¡°Mom, 1¡­¡± Dahlia wasn¡¯t able to continue. I ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here.¡± Dustin tightened his grip on her hand and scanned his surroundings. He dered in a loud voice, ¡°Nobody is stopping me from taking the bride away today! Anyone who is dissatisfied cane for me!¡± The moment Dustin said that, the crowd erupted in an uproar. ¡°Oh, my God! This guy is so cool! He¡¯d fight the world for the woman he loves.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°If only a guy loved me that much, I¡¯d be happy my whole life!¡± ¡°He¡¯s cool, all right. But too bad he¡¯ll be paying a heavy price.¡± ¡°He offended both the Langfords and the Nicholsons. I bet he won¡¯t live to see tomorrow.¡± The guests gossiped fervently as they looked at Dustin, who was still on stage. Voices of shock, praise, and even disdain could be heard. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dahlia ¡± Without another word, he pulled her behind him, ready to leave. ¡°Stop them!¡± Following the angry roar, arge number of security personnel swarmed in from all sides, surrounding the both of them in no time. ¡°Trying to leave? Have I given my permission?¡± Luis¡¯ expression was livid as he approached them slowly. His gaze was intense. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson, I¡¯m giving you onest chance Say your vows now and be mywfully wedded wife, and I will forget about what happened today Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being merciless!¡± I¡¯m also giving you onest chance. Leave Swinton immediately. Otherwise, you will regret it.¡± Dustin responded coldly. ¡°You bastard! Break his limbs!¡± Luis erupted in fury and ordered. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The security personnel swiftly drew out their batons and were about to attack when a figure descended from above, swinging their sword in rapid session The de shimmered and swirled in the air, emitting a series of sharp whistles Before the dozens of security guards could reach them, their arms were severed, scattering limbs on the floor. Blood sttered across the ground, and screams pierced through the air. ¡°What the hell? Who is that? They¡¯re so skilled!¡± The crowd looked on in shock and horror. It was a terrifying sight before them, a man with a single sword effortlessly took down dozens of men ¡°Stop right there!¡± With a wave of his hand, Maximus held his long sword to Luis¡¯ neck. A few of the Langford family¡¯s highly-skilled martial artists, who were about tounch an ambush, stopped in their tracks, afraid of advancing any further. ¡°The audacity!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Let Mr. Langford go!¡± Upon witnessing Luis being held hostage, the crowd erupted into chaos. Their eyes widened in a mix of shock and righteous indignation. Forget about stealing the bride, the audacity to threaten Mr. Langford was akin tomitting a grave crime! ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare to touch me, punk!¡± Luis narrowed his eyes, looking unperturbed. ¡°Really?¡± Maximus sneered and moved his sword slightly. The sharp de sliced through Luis¡¯ skin, drawing a thin line of blood. ¡°You¡± Luis froze, afraid of making another sudden movement. He was worried that the reckless man in front of him would really just kill him! Chapter 338 Because of Maximus¡¯ appearance, the situation turned against the Langford family. While a few highly- skilled martial artists from the Langford family were eager to take action, they were cautious, afraid of hurting Luis. ¡°Both of you should leave first. Leave this ce to me, Dustin,¡± Maximus said confidently. After the battle at Mount Halgue, he¡¯d finally achieved divinity, and his skills improved tremendously. ¡°Leave?¡± Luis sneered. ¡°Where do you think you can hide? Even if you survive today, you will never escape our wrath!¡± Dustin was about to leave when he heard Luis and stopped in his tracks. Turning around, he asked coldly, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± Luisughed diabolically. He had no qualms about confronting Dustin. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you met this friend of yours, but if you think he can go up against me single- handedly, then you¡¯re too naive for your own good. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re that powerful?¡± Dustin questioned him. ¡°Against you? Absolutely!¡± Luis grinned. ¡°Not only you, but Dahlia and everyone around her will get a taste of our revenge! I¡¯m going to make your lives a living hell!¡± Dahlia found herself unsettled by his words. In the end, she couldn¡¯t avoid the very thing she dreaded most. When she made the decision to elope with Dustin, she put her entire family in danger. That burden was overwhelming for her to bear. ¡°How about it? Are you scared now?¡± Luis was pleased with Dustin¡¯s silence. ¡°Rhys! If you don¡¯t want to die like a chicken, get down on your knees immediately! Also, you¡¯re going to send your woman to my bedside personally. Perhaps, then, I will let you live!¡± He¡¯d just finished speaking when a resounding pnded on his cheek, and Dustin¡¯s bright red handprint was clearly imprinted on his face. ¡°Huh?¡± Luis cradled his burning face, dazed. Everyone else looked on in shock. Dustin must have truly gone insane to actually strike Luis in public. ¡°You dare hit me?¡± Luis¡¯ expression grew dark as he finally came back to his senses. ¡°So what if I did? That p was for your shameless boasting!¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand andnded another vicious p on Luis¡¯ face. That was for your arrogance!¡± ¡°p!¡± ¡°That was for threatening Dahlia!¡± ¡°p!¡± That was for being unrepentant! ¡°p!¡± ¡± Dustin pped him left and right, with every earsplitting pnding heavily on his face. The force turned his face bloody and swollen beyond recognition, and he lost a few teeth in between the ps. As the crowd took in Luis¡¯ battered state, they were shocked into silence. They knew blood would be shed today. Nobody would survive when the Langfords sought revenge. ¡°Y-you ¡­ You¡¯re dead meat!¡± ¡°Everyone rted to you will pay as well!¡± The members of the Langford family screamed one after another, their anger reaching a tipping point. ¡°Dahlia, leave this ce with Maximus first. I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± Dustin said as he turned to look behind him. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows knitted. She couldn¡¯t exin the uneasiness she felt. At that moment, regret washed over her as she realized the gravity of her actions. Dustin wasn¡¯t only taking her away from Luis; he was also challenging death head-on! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He smiled. ¡°Maximus, bring her away to somewhere safe.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Maximus nodded. ¡°Dahlia, please follow me. Dustin knows what he¡¯s doing. He won¡¯t be in any danger.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 339 ¡°But-¡± Dahlia wanted to say more. ¡°Just go. I¡¯ll be distracted if you¡¯re here,¡± Dustin interrupted. Left with no choice, Dahlia bobbed her head in agreement helplessly in the end. Since things hade to this point, there was no turning back. As long as Dustin coulde back unscathed, she was willing to give up everything and roam all over the world with him. After making sure that Dahlia had left safely, Dustin¡¯s gaze scanned around the ce and then fixed on the Nicholson family. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and leave!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Dakota and Jane exchanged a nce. Then, they turned around and left on the spot. Dahlia¡¯s breach of promise had caused the Langfords to have a fallout with the Nicholsons. If thetter continued to stay there any longer, trouble mightnd upon them. ¡°What a jinx! Look at what you have gotten us into Florence stomped her feet in anger before fleeing away. Now that the wedding ceremony had been ruined, the Nicholsons¡¯ dream of living a wealthy and comfortable life went up in smoke. Most importantly, they had offended the Langford family. From now on, their days would no longer be peaceful. At that time, Luis¡¯ fourth uncle, Kingston Langford, suddenly stood up and said tly, ¡°You¡¯ve got a nerve of steel, young man. No one has ever dared to humiliate us in public. You¡¯re the first, and of course, you will also be thest! Frankly speaking, I¡¯m quite impressed with your courage. But today is the day you die!¡± As he spoke, he made a hand gesture. Right then, arge group of armed guards barged in from every direction and surrounded Dustin, leaving him no way to escape. ¡°This is bad. Mr. Kingston is doing it for real. That brat is going to be done for.¡± ¡°He snatched the bride away tantly and even got Mr. Luis red in the face. Even if he has ten lives, they are not even enough to pay back for what he has done.¡± ¡°Well, he only has himself to me.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The guests couldn¡¯t help but mutter among themselves as they watched Dustin get trapped in the middle. If you let go of Luis now, I will let you die in one piece.¡± Kingston had an indifferent expression as if he had control over everything.. Are you trying to scare me off since you have the strength in numbers?¡± Dustin nced around without feeling any ounce of fear. Yeah. You¡¯ve got that right.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s see who has more people, then!¡± Dustin took out his phone and dialed a number. Five minutester, the door of the banquet hall burst open. Mason rushed in aggressively with hundreds of gangsters. ¡°Mason Zims from the Drey Group is here with the gang under Mr. Rhys¡¯ orders!¡± At the sight of this, everyone was stunned for a moment before they burst intoughter. ¡°Is this a joke? Are you trying to fight against us with this group of thugs?¡± ¡°Hmph! What an ignorant person! You¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself! ¡°I¡¯ll be so disappointed if this is your trump card.¡± The group of guards led by Kingston had disdainful looks on their faces. They couldn¡¯t believe that even some random thugs had the guts to provoke the Langford family. ¡°Hey, Rhys! Are you in your right mind? Do you actually think that you can outdo us with this bunch of small fry?¡± Luisughed uncontrobly. However, the smile on his face immediately dropped when the next group of people rushed into the hall This time, Hunter was in the lead. ¡°The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Hunter Anderson is here to listen to Mr. Rhys¡¯ orders! Ä¿ Secondster, another group of people showed up, and it went on for a few more rounds. ¡°The chief inspector of the investigation bureau, Aspen Cruiser, is here to assist Mr. Rhys!¡± ¡°Roderick Brooks from the Brooks Corporation is willing to do his best to help Mr. Rhys out!¡± ¡°The mayor of Swinton, Alex Granville, is willing to stay till the end with Mr. Rhys!¡± As the groups barged in one after another, the ridicule directed at Dustin gradually disappeared. It was reced with shock and fear. Chapter 340 Looking at the groups of elites barging into the banquet hall one after another, all the guests at the scene were dumbfounded. None of them expected Dustin to have such great connections. All he did was make a call, and hundreds of people came over to assist him. Not only were there underground organizations and official armed forces, but there was also help from a business tycoon. On top of that, even the mayor of Swinton was here to back him up in person. In other words, as long as Dustin said the word, all the forces in Swinton could be under hismand. That was a terrifying connection he had. No wonder he dared to be insolent in front of the Langford family. He hade prepared. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Now the Langfords were not fighting against Dustin alone, but the whole of Swinton. ¡°Who is he exactly? Howe he can have influence over so many forces?¡± The guests exchanged nces with one another, shocked at the turn of events. At that moment, the arrogant Langford family finally sensed that the current situation wasn¡¯t favoring them. Even though these forces wouldn¡¯t be able to weaken their foothold, the former could still bring trouble to thetter. After all, the Langfords¡¯ power was in Stonia. Requesting immediate help was simply impossible. ¡°It looks like I have underestimated you.¡± After being stunned for a moment, Kingston quickly regained hisposure and said, ¡°But if you think that you can win against us with their help, then you¡¯re wrong. The Langford family had been an influential family in Stonia for generations. Whether it was power or connections, they were way stronger than the ones in Swinton. ¡°Rhys! Indeed, you have more people with you. But what can you do about it?¡± Luis sneered, ¡°They are just a bunch of shrimp.¡± In his eyes, Swinton¡¯s powers were akin to ants. He could even easily get rid of them if he wanted. This was how strong an affluent family from Stonia was. ¡°If they can¡¯t, what about me?¡± Right then, a loud and clear voice pierced the air. A well-dressed, handsome man walked dauntlessly into the banquet hall with a few female officers. He carried such an overwhelming aura with him that everyone lowered their heads subconsciously the moment they saw him. ¡°Adam Spanner-the God of War?¡± Kingston¡¯s eyes widened in fear. It had never urred to him that the chiefmander of the West Army, who was in charge of 300 thousand soldiers, would appear here. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Uncle Kingston? Do you know him?¡± Luis quickly noticed that something wasn¡¯t right. That is Adam Spanner!¡± Kingston eximed Hearing that, Luis was stunned and could no longer maintain hisposure. ¡°What? He is¡­ Adam?¡± As the heir of the wealthiest family in Stonia, Adam was not only a wunderkind but also a living legend. His outstanding battle achievements at a young age had earned him the title of ¡°God of War ¡± and the command of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. In the whole of Stonia, there was barely anyone of his age who could be on par with him. ¡°That¡¯s quite arrogant of you. How dare you bully my friend!¡± As Adam strode in, the crowd automatically stepped aside to make way for him. ¡°Friend? Could it be¡­ him?¡± Kingston¡¯s gaze shifted to Dustin in shock. ¡°How could someone from this insignificant ce know Adam?¡± Kingston thought. ¡°Mr. Kingston, you said that these people weren¡¯t able to drive the Langfords away. But what about with my help?¡± Adam stared piercingly at him, his eyes filled with provocation. ¡°M-Mr. Spanner, what brings you here?¡± Chapter 341 Kingston forced out a smile. ¡°Stop acting like we are close friends!¡± Adam wasn¡¯t giving Kingston any respect. ¡°Weren¡¯t the Langfords full of themselves just minutes ago? Come on, show me how arrogant you can be!¡± When Kingston heard that, his expression darkened. If it had been someone else who humiliated him today, he would have flipped his lid long ago. However, he just couldn¡¯t afford to offend the man standing in front of him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Weren¡¯t you all high and mighty just now? You even had the guts to bully my friend!¡± Adam pointed at them and hauled them over the coals. Kingston and Luis dropped their heads, falling into silence. At the sight of that, the guests were stunned. Who would have expected that there would be a day when Kingston from the Langford family would be chewed out publicly and dared not talk back? It was indeed shocking. ¡°What are you waiting for? Kneel down and apologize to my friend now!¡± Adam shouted. ¡°This¡­¡± Kingston frowned, his expression gloomy As the direct descendants of the Langfords, how could they possibly get down on their knees for someone else? If outsiders knew about it, their reputation would be tarnished. ¡°Adam, you shouldn¡¯t go too far!¡± Luis was slightly bent out of shape. Raising his hand, Adam pped Luis in the face. ¡°Do you think you can stop me?¡± ¡°You¡± Luis parted his lips. However, before he could say anything, he received another p across his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll break your legs if you don¡¯t apologize today!¡± Adam was extremely assertive. Luis¡¯ eyes zed murderously as he gritted his teeth. Although he was livid, deep down, he knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to mess with such a powerful man. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Get on your knees and apologize!¡± Adam shouted again. Just as Luis was about to yield to them, a majestic voice floated across the air. ¡°Adam, don¡¯t you think you are going to the extremes by treating my Langfords like this?¡± At the same time, a bearded, burly middle-aged man with an imposing demeanor walked in. It was the head of the Langford family, Ethan Langford! ¡°Uncle Ethan!¡± ¡°Ethan!¡± When Kingston and Luis saw Ethan, their eyes lit up at once. It was as if they had found their savior. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend Adam because they had no real power in their hands. However, Ethan was different. Not only did he have an official position, but he also possessed great authority, just like Adam. When it came to seniority, even Adam had to show Ethan to show him a certain degree of respect. With Ethan around, it was hard for Adam to take advantage of the situation. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Ethan I didn¡¯t know you would be here too.¡± Adam was quite surprised. ¡°Today is my nephew¡¯s engagement ceremony. As his elder, it¡¯s natural for me to attend,¡± Ethan replied faintly. ¡°Luckily, I came here in time, or else the Langfords would end up at the mercy of others ¡± ¡°Mr Ethan, it was them who threw their weights around. I was just helping you teach them a lesson¡± Adam faked a smile. ¡°Hmph! Even if they made a mistake, an outsider like you is in no position to punish them!¡± Ethan¡¯s gaze was frosty. ¡°What if I insist on doing so?¡± Adam arched his brow. ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll have to see if you have the ability to walk your talk.¡± Ethan waved his hand. Right then, two white-haired men appeared behind Ethan. One of them was taller than the other. Just looking at their stance, one could tell they were unfathomably powerful. Upon seeing them, even Adam couldn¡¯t help but frown. Chapter 342 It was said that the Langfords had two master-level martial artists working for them. They were an extremely powerful pair and wouldn¡¯t show up normally. It seemed that they hade over with Ethan today. Adam rubbed his chin, thinking about how to seek revenge. It wasn¡¯t easy to take the Langfords down with the pair around. ¡°Hmph, what¡¯s so great about the God of War? He still can¡¯t do anything to the Langfords when Uncle Ethan is here,¡± Luis muttered inwardly. There were traces of arrogance on his face. ¡°As expected of Ethan!¡± Kingston held his head up, having regained his previous confidence. Although the Spanner family was powerful, the Langfords weren¡¯t weak either. Now that Ethan was around, members of the Langford family would be unrelenting. Adam turned to look at Dustin and asked, ¡°Dustin it seems like they are not going to let me have my way. Shall we force our way through?¡± As long as Dustin agreed to it, Adam wouldunch his attacks straightaway. After all, someone else would deal with the aftermath. ¡°Since Mr. Ethan is here, forget it, then,¡± Dustin said tly. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the Langfords, but he didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Adam ¡°Alright, whatever you say.¡± Adam shrugged. ¡°Discipline your nephew properly, Mr. Ethan. If this happens again, I won¡¯t let the matter slide easily,¡± Dustin threatened firmly before he turned around to leave. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do you actually think you can just walk away like that after beating up my nephew and humiliating the Langfords? What do you take us as?¡± ¡°Exactly! You have to pay back for what you did!¡± Luis echoed from the side. He was determined to even the score with Dustin. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯m holding back out of respect for you. You shouldn¡¯t go overboard!¡± Adam¡¯s gaze wasced with hostility. ¡°Adam, this is concerning the reputation of the Langford family. I can¡¯t just gloss it over! I can spare his life for your sake, but he has to get down on his knees and apologize to my nephew!¡± Ethan refused to back down. Wealthy families cared about their reputations the most. If the Langfords let the matter go today, it would be equivalent to saying that anyone could walk all over them. ¡°Kneel down and apologize!¡± Luis looked down his nose at Dustin. ¡°So what if you have Adam backing you up? I can still trample you underfoot!¡± Luis mocked him in his heart.. ¡°Kneel before you? Are you worthy of it?¡± Dustin was indifferent to their demands. However, Ethan was different. Not only did he have an official position, but he also possessed great authority, just like Adam. When it came to seniority, even Adam had to show Ethan to show him a certain degree of respect. With Ethan around, it was hard for Adam to take advantage of the situation. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Ethan. I didn¡¯t know you would be here too.¡± Adam was quite surprised. ¡°Today is my nephew¡¯s engagement ceremony. As his elder, it¡¯s natural for me to attend,¡± Ethan replied faintly. ¡°Luckily, I came here in time, or else the Langfords would end up at the mercy of others.¡± ¡°Mr. Ethan, it was them who threw their weights around. I was just helping you teach them a lesson.¡± Adam faked a smile. ¡°Hmph! Even if they made a mistake, an outsider like you is in no position to punish them!¡± Ethan¡¯s gaze was frosty ¡°What if I insist on doing so?¡± Adam arched his brow. ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll have to see if you have the ability to walk your talk.¡± Ethan waved his hand. Right then, two white-haired men appeared behind Ethan. One of them was taller than the other. Just looking at their stance, one could tell they were unfathomably powerful. Upon seeing them, even Adam couldn¡¯t help but frown. It was said that the Langfords had two master-level martial artists working for them. They were. an extremely powerful pair and wouldn¡¯t show up normally. It seemed that they hade over with Ethan today. Adam rubbed his chin, thinking about how to seek revenge. It wasn¡¯t easy to take the Langfords down with the pair around. ¡°Hmph, what¡¯s so great about the God of War? He still can¡¯t do anything to the Langfords when Uncle Ethan is here,¡± Luis muttered inwardly. There were traces of arrogance on his face. ¡°As expected of Ethan!¡± Kingston held his head up having regained his previous confidence. Although the Spanner family was powerful, the Langfords weren¡¯t weak either. Now that Ethan was around, members of the Langford family would be unrelenting. Adam turned to look at Dustin and asked, ¡°Dustint seems like they are not going to let me have my way. Shall we force our way through?¡± As long as Dustin agreed to it, Adam wouldunch his attacks straightaway. After all, someone else would deal with the aftermath. ¡°Since Mr. Ethan is here, forget it, then,¡± Dustin said tly. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the Langfords, but he didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Adam. ¡°Alright, whatever you say.¡± Adam shrugged. ¡°Discipline your nephew properly, Mr. Ethan. If this happens again, I won¡¯t let the matter slide easily,¡± Dustin threatened firmly before he turned around to leave. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Ethan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do you actually think you can just walk away like that after beating up my nephew and humiliating the Langfords? What do you take us as?¡± ¡°Exactly! You have to pay back for what you did!¡± Luis echoed from the side. He was determined to even the score with Dustin. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯m holding back out of respect for you. You shouldn¡¯t go overboard!¡± Adam¡¯s gaze wasced with hostility. ¡°Adam, this is concerning the reputation of the Langford family. I can¡¯t just gloss it over! I can spare his life for your sake, but he has to get down on his knees and apologize to my nephew!¡± Ethan refused to back down. Wealthy families cared about their reputations the most. If the Langfords let the matter go today, it would be equivalent to saying that anyone could walk all over them. ¡°Kneel down and apologize!¡± Luis looked down his nose at Dustin. ¡°So what if you have Adam backing you up? I can still trample you underfoot!¡± Luis mocked him in his heart. ¡°Kneel before you? Are you worthy of it?¡± Dustin was indifferent to their demands. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t assume that you can behave insolently just because you have the Spanner family behind you The world isrger than you think,¡± Ethan warned coldly. With the Langford family¡¯s power, getting rid of a person was simply child¡¯s y to them ¡°Ethan, heed my warning. You can¡¯t afford to offend this friend of mine Don¡¯t get yourself in the soup If you are on the outs with him for real, it¡¯ll be toote for you to beg for mercy,¡± Adam wamed them ¡°What a joke!¡± Ethan snorted. ¡°Adam, since when have you learned to boast so shamelessly? In the whole of Stonia, nobody stands a chance against me!¡± Those he feared were all thousands of miles away ¡°Ethan, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Adam raised his brows This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let me tell you frankly, I¡¯m so going to take this punk down today. You¡¯d better stay out of it!¡± With a snap of Ethan¡¯s fingers, the skilled fighters of the Langford family drew their swords and surrounded Dustin, ready to fight. ¡°Ethan is not giving any respect to Adam. It looks like the punk will be doomed today!¡± ¡°Even the Emperor won¡¯t be able to save him for disgracing the Langfords!¡± ¡°This is the price for offending someone powerful in Stonia¡± The guests couldn¡¯t help but sigh when they saw the scene. Dustin¡¯s forces were indeed impressive However, they were nothing in Ethan¡¯s presence. ¡°Rhys¡¯ Weren¡¯t you acting like you were great earlier? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? The Langford family has a long-standing reputation Even if you have the Emperor backing you today, you will still have to show us respect! If Uncle Ethan orders you to die, you¡¯ll have to do it too!¡± Luis cackled with arrogance. In Ethan¡¯s presence, Luis was a cock who crowed upon his own dunghill. ¡°Oh? Who is asking my son to die?¡± Right then, a t voice came through. It wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone could hear the voice clearly When they looked over, what hove into their view was a thin, middle-aged man limping in His looks and clothes were ordinary, and so was his physique Other than being a little lump and having a little hump on his back, there was nothing special about him If he were to walk in a Crowd, no one would pay any attention to him However, it was such an ordinary person who drained the color from Ethan¡¯s face. His gaze was filled with not only shock but also fear ¡°H-how could it be? No, this is impossible! He stays in the military encampment all year round How can he be here?¡± Ethan was in a fit of panic The moment Ethan saw the hunchbacked man, it was as if he had bumped into a ghost His fingers couldn¡¯t help trembling as he broke into a cold sweat ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ethan? Do you know this person?¡± Kingston, who was standing at the side, quickly sensed that something was amiss ¡°H-he. He is Rufus Rhys!¡± Ethan¡¯s voice quavered. That was a bolt from the blue. When Kingston heard that, his face turned pale at once. ¡°What?! Rufus Rhys?¡± Rufus Rhys, the current head of the Rhys family, was someone who had made great contributions to the nation. He was the bravest in the army when he was young and took the lives of eight hundred thousand people during his time. He had watched over West Lucozia for 20 years and attacked countless barbarians. On top of that, his means of doing things were impartial, and he never infringed on the citizens¡¯ rights. His achievements were so great that he possessed the authority to go against anyone. When he was 30 years old, he was appointed Prince of Theswe and was the second most powerful person in the nation. His status was on par with that of the Emperor, and that made him a truly terrifying figure. Chapter 343 Looking at the hunchbacked man, who appeared as if he had zero prestige, Ethan was scared out of his wits. He dared not say anything. This man in front of him was someone noble from Stonia. Even the crowned head would have to show him respect. Hence, it wasn¡¯t exaggerating to say that Rufus could easily take their lives at will. When Dustin saw him, his expression darkened. There was fury in his eyes. ¡°It looks like a good show ising up.¡± Curling up his lips, Adam gloated and immediately retreated to one side. Under the crowd¡¯s gaze, Rufus limped in, looking like someone of ordinary status. Nevertheless, the people in the hall unconsciously made room for him to walk past them. Finally, he stopped in front of Dustin. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I didn¡¯t expect you to have grown this much.¡± Staring at Dustin, who was taller than him by half a head, Rufus couldn¡¯t help but part his lips and grin. His broken front teeth made him seem a littleical. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be still alive too,¡± Dustin said frostily with a sharp gaze. Hearing that, Ethan and Kingston were shocked. They wondered who Dustin was for him to speak. to Rufus in such a manner. Rufusughed. He didn¡¯t look like he was angry at all. ¡°Well, it¡¯s said that good people die early but not the bad ones. Someone like me, of course, has to live longer. ¡°Really? But you don¡¯t look like someone with a long lifespan,¡± Dustin replied coldly. ¡°Hey! How can you curse your dad like this?¡± ¡°Do I have anything to do with you? Don¡¯t think so highly of yourself.¡± ¡°No matter what you say, it¡¯s not going to change the fact that you¡¯re my son.¡± Rufus shrugged. ¡°Hmph! Ten years ago, I paid you back all that I needed to. We have nothing to do with each other anymore!¡± Dustin had held a grudge against him for a decade ¡°It has been ten years, and you¡¯re still a stubborn one.¡± Rufus shook his head helplessly. Deep down, he knew that what happened between them couldn¡¯t be solved in a day or two. Nevertheless, he would do his best to make it up to his son. ¡°Hey, old man!¡± At that moment, Luis was starting to get impatient. ¡°I have no time to see how affectionate you are with your son. If you don¡¯t want to die, buzz off quickly!¡± Ethan and Kingston were stunned as Luis spoke. They stood there in a daze, feeling at a loss as to what to do. No one in Stonia ever had the guts to be so presumptuous toward Rufus. They wondered if Luis was out of his mind. ¡°And who are you?¡± Rufus spared him a nce. ¡°I¡¯m Luis, a member of the Langford family.¡± With his head held high, he continued loudly, ¡°Your son has humiliated us publicly today, and he needs to pay for that! If he isn¡¯t willing to kneel down and make his apology, you¡¯ll have to do it on his behalf!¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to kneel?¡± Rufus let out a chuckle, appearing to be harmless. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re his father, after all!¡± ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t afford to have me kneeling before you.¡± The corner of Rufus¡¯ lip curled up into a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! Even if the Emperor is hete today, he will have to get down on his knees and apologize! Otherwise, he¡¯ll have to die!¡± As soon as Luis finished saying that, Kingston fainted on the spot. Meanwhile, Ethan¡¯s face was as pale as death, and his legs were trembling uncontrobly. ¡°It¡¯s all over now. We¡¯re doomed. Why does the Langford family have such an idiotic fool?¡± he thought. ¡°Ethan, your family member is quite a character.¡± Rufus faked a smile. ¡°I¡± Ethan opened his mouth to exin. However, before he could say anything, Luis butted in, ¡°Hey! Who do you think you are to be calling my uncle without any honorifics?¡± ¡°How should I address him, then?¡± ¡°Call him Mr. Ethan!¡± Rufusughed and looked at Ethan. ¡°Mr. Ethan, is this the right way?¡± The moment Ethan heard that, he fell directly to his knees. ¡°I beg your mercy, Your Highness!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Upon seeing such a scene, everyone was astonished After all, that was Ethan, the head of the Langfords. They wondered who could make a big shot. like him kneel on the floor. ¡°Uncle Ethan, what¡¯s wrong? What are you doing on the floor? Get up quickly!¡± Luis immediately stretched out his hand to help Ethan up. However, before Luis could touch him. Ethan smacked him hard in the face. ¡°Fuck! Don¡¯t touch me! I have nothing to do with you! From now on, you are no longer a part of the Langford family!¡± ¡°What?¡± Covering his reddened cheek, Luis was confused ¡°Uncle Ethan, what¡¯s going on? Why are you kicking me out of the family all of a sudden? I¡¯m your nephew!¡± ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t have such a moronic nephew like you!¡± Ethan sent another p across Luis¡¯ face. Even if the person who offended Rufus was his biological father, he would have to cut ties with him there and then, let alone his nephew. Sacrificing one person was better than dragging the whole family down. ¡°What¡¯s going on exactly?¡± Luis was on the verge of lears This person standing here is none other than the Prince of Theswe. How dare you act so disrespectfully in front of him? Even the Emperor won¡¯t be able to save you!¡± Ethan reprimanded him fiercely. ¡°What?¡± Luis froze and stood there in a daze with disbelief on his face. It had never urred to him that this ordinary man in front of him would be the dignified Prince of Theswe. ¡°Wait¡­ If he is the Prince of Theswe, then isn¡¯t Dustin the renowned skilled martial artist, Kirin? Oh, God! What kind of person have I offended?¡± Luis muttered inwardly. At the thought of that, Luis¡¯ legs turned to jelly, and he slumped down to the floor. His gaze was filled with despair. Not only did he fight with Kirin over a woman, but he also called the Prince of Theswe an old man. Was there anyone in the world who would do anything much worse than him?! Chapter 344 v Meanwhile, Florence was frantically rummaging through the drawers and cabs in the Nicholson Vi to pack up their things. ¡°Dahlia, quick! Go and get all the jewelry we have in the house! We can¡¯t stay in Swinton anymore. Let¡¯s quickly pack up and flee abroad for the time being. I¡¯ve already bought the flight tickets. We still have several million dors of savings and some valuables at home. Those will be enough for us to survive for a while.¡± Florence was on tenterhooks. Dahlia¡¯s breach of promise had not only humiliated the Langfords but also offended the Glenstead Nicholsons. Even if they were in Stonia, Dahlia and the rest wouldn¡¯t be able to find a safe ce to stay, let alone in a small ce like Swinton. When Florence saw that Dahlia wasn¡¯t responding to her, she became even more anxious. ¡°Dahlia! What are you waiting for? Quickly pack your stuff!¡± ¡°Mom, the matter has yet to reach that extreme. We don¡¯t need to run away.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°s, don¡¯t you realize how serious the current situation is?¡± Florence pped her forehead in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s the Langfords, the cream of Stonia, that we have fallen out with! They are a terrifying existence. How can they possibly let us go when we Nave gotten them hot under the cor?¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. But Dustin said that he has a way to solve the problem. I believe in him,¡± Dahlia replied firmly. ¡°Are you crazy? How can you put your trust in that loser?¡± Florence was breathing fire at that point. ¡°Who does he think he is to go against the Langfords? If it weren¡¯t for him, you wouldn¡¯t have run away from the wedding, and we wouldn¡¯t havee to this point. He¡¯s simply a jinx!¡± The Nicholsons could have led a silk-stocking life. However, Dustin ruined everything in the end. Florence just hated him to the core. Dahlia frowned. ¡°Mom! I breached the marriage promise on my own ord. It has nothing to do. with Dustin!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still defending him at times like this? Do you have to wait until our family is destroyed in his hands for you toe to your senses?¡± Florence asked bitterly. ¡°Enough. I won¡¯t go anywhere without Dustin.¡± Dahlia was firm. Bent out of shape, Florence reproached, ¡°Y-you¡­ You¡¯re hopeless!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°How did I raise her up to be such a foolish daughter? She¡¯d rather be with someone penurious than marry into a rich family. What a stubborn child!¡± Florence muttered inwardly. At that moment, James staggered down the stairs with the tworge suitcases. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m done packing up our things. When are we leaving?¡± ¡°Hmph! Your sister is insisting on waiting for that loser!¡± Florence flumped onto the couch angrily. ¡°Sis, why are you waiting for him? Hasn¡¯t he made our lives miserable enough?¡± James frowned. ¡°You leave with Mom first. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°Leave? Where do you think you are going?¡± Right then, Dakota burst through the door with several people following behind her. ¡°Are you trying to shrug off all the responsibilities after what you have done?¡± ¡°What are you implying?¡± Dahlia knitted her brows ¡°It¡¯s natural to be punished for making a mistake. I¡¯ll have to hand you over to the Langfords so that the conflict between the two families can be resolved!¡± Dakota dered in a stern voice. ¡°What?¡± When Florence heard that, her expression changed in an instant. She stood up and put on an apologetic smile. ¡°Dakota, you don¡¯t have to be this ruthless, do you? Aren¡¯t we family?¡± ¡°Ruthless?¡± Dakota snorted humorlessly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to have the chance to be inws with the Langfords. However, not only did you not cherish this opportunity, but you also dragged the whole family down! Tell me, who is more ruthless?¡± ¡°Dakota, this has nothing to do with my daughter. It was all because of Dustin. If you need someone to me, go and look for him!¡± Florence said in a hurry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Dustin is with the Langfords. Perhaps he has already been skinned alive by now. But Dahlia has yet to make amends for what she did, so she has toe with us!¡± As Dakota spoke, she made a gesture. Secondster several burly bodyguards barged into the house. Chapter 345 ¡°Take her away!¡± Dakota pointed her finger at Dahlia ¡°Let¡¯s see who has the guts to do that!¡± All of a sudden, a loud and stern voice came through the door. Then, Dustin strutted in with Maximus. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being merciless if you dare challenge. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. me today!¡± ¡°Dustin?¡± Dahlia brightened up. At the sight of him, she finally felt relieved. He had promised her that he woulde back safely. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°You. You¡¯re still alive?¡± Dakota¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She clearly saw him surrounded by the Langfords before she left the banquet hall earlier. ¡°How could he escape from that?¡± Dakota thought. ¡°Do you want me to die so badly? No matter what, I am still your mom¡¯s life savior. Don¡¯t you have any sense of gratitude toward me?¡± Dustin replied tly. ¡°Hmph! Stop ying dumb! I don¡¯t care how you escaped! You have offended the Langford family, and now you¡¯re going to suffer because of that!¡± Dakota shot daggers at him. ¡°So what if I offended the Langfords? I have my ways of dealing with them.¡± ¡°You have your ways?¡± Dakota snorted. ¡°Like what? A mere doctor like you is simply courting death by going against the Langfords. ¡°Don¡¯t look down upon people. Not only can I resolve the current problem, but I can also get Luis to come here and apologize in person.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± Hearing that, Dakota was stunned for a moment before she burst intoughter.¡± Dustin, are you in your right mind? Who do you think you are to ask Mr. Langford to apologize?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only good at bragging. I seriously don¡¯t understand why my daughter will take a fancy to you,¡± Florence said disdainfully. Luis was a wealthy aristocrat from Stonia. He could easily get Swinton squashed if he said so. It was already considered extremely lucky to have one¡¯s life spared after offending him. Asking a big shot like him to make an apology was simply wishful thinking. ¡°Well, what if I really do get Luis to apologize?¡± Dustin asked in a provoking manner. ¡°If you can do that, I will change myst name!¡± Dakota sneered. As soon as she finished speaking, countless luxury cars roared and pulled up outside the Nicholson Vi. Within seconds, the vi was surrounded from all sides. Luis and his men hurriedly got out of the car. When Dakota saw that, she couldn¡¯t help butugh and gloat. ¡°Rhys, you¡¯re dead meat! The Langford family is here to get you!¡± ¡°This is bad! Dustin, hurry up and leave!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression also changed at the sight. The other party was nowhere near friendly. ¡°It¡¯s all over now. We should¡¯ve left just now, but you kept insisting on waiting for Dustin. Look, the Langfords have arrived. Now we can¡¯t leave even if we want to!¡± Florence¡¯s face fell. ¡°s! Why are we so unlucky?¡± James uttered mournfully. Just as everyone thought that a great misfortune was impending over them, Luis walked up to Dahlia and directly fell to his knees without hesitation. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I was too ignorant. Everything was my fault. I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me!¡± As Luis spoke, he repeatedly knocked his head to the floor as he bowed. That waspletely unexpected. Everyone at the scene was dumbfounded. They wondered why Luis, a powerful figure, would kneel down and apologize to Dahlia. Chapter 346 ¡°We beg for your forgiveness, Ms. Nicholson!¡± The rest of the Langfords followed suit and kneeled down on the floor. At the sight of that, Dahlia was stunned, and so was Dakota. Even Florence, who had been whining until a moment ago, stood there in a trance. They thought the Langfords were here to seek revenge. However, it had never urred to the Nicholsons that the Langfords would behave so humbly all of a sudden. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I¡¯m sorry. I thought too highly of myself. Please forgive me!¡± When Luis saw that Dahlia wasn¡¯t making any responses, he began to p his face like he was crazy, even though his cheeks were already red and swollen. Despite the pain, he dared not stop. Half an hour ago, after finding out Dustin¡¯s true identity at the banquet hall, Luis was frightened out of his wits. He thought he was doomed. Ethan even wanted to kick him out of the Langford family and cut ties with him. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Dustin was willing to let Luis off the hook on the premise that Luis had to ask for Dahlia¡¯s forgiveness. Luis was, of course, happy with what Dustin said. Hence, he immediately rushed over to the Nicholson Vi to apologize to Dahlia. As long as his life could be spared, he didn¡¯t mind swallowing his pride. ¡°What is going on?¡± Dahlia raised her brows, at a loss as to what to do. A while ago, Luis was still acting all high and mighty, having control over her life, and now he was kneeling before her. She found it hard toprehend such a drastic change in character. ¡°Am I seeing this wrongly?¡± Florence kept rubbing her eyes in disbelief, wondering if that was still the powerful aristocrat. When Dakota finally came to her senses, she immediately reached out her hands to help Luis up. What are you doing, Mr. Luis? Get up quickly! They aren¡¯t worthy of having you kneel down to them.¡± ¡°Out of my sight!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. However, instead of letting her touch him, Luis pped Dakota in the face so hard that she almost fell. If Dakota hadn¡¯t asked him to marry Dahlia, then he wouldn¡¯t have offended Dustin. ¡°Mr. Luis, why did you hit me?¡± Dakota asked aggrievedly as she cupped her cheek. Shut up, or I¡¯ll rip out your tongue!¡± After shooting a fierce re at Dakota, Luis continued to apologize to Dahlia. It was aplete change of attitude. Dakota bit the bullet and asked, ¡°What happened exactly, Mr. Luis? Why don¡¯t you get up first?¡± I-it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll continue kneeling. It¡¯s better this way.¡± He then said to Dahlia, ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I¡¯m extremely remorseful for what I have done. Please give me a chance. I promise I¡¯ll never show up in front of you again. If you¡¯re still angry, I can cut off my finger to prove my sincerity!¡± As he spoke, he took out a knife and cut his finger off directly. ¡°Huh?¡± Dahlia was startled. She did not expect Luis to cut his finger for real and be so cruel to himself. ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll cut off another one!¡± Clenching his teeth, Luis endured the severe pain and cut another of his fingers. With beads of sweat forming on his forehead, he asked, ¡°Ms. Nicholson, has your anger dissipated? If it hasn¡¯t, I can continue cutting them.¡± ¡°Enough¡­ It¡¯s enough.¡± Chapter 347 Dahlia shook her head fervently with a bewildered expression. ¡°Mr. Langford, we¡¯d be more than thankful if you didn¡¯t find any faults with us. We would never dare me you for anything!¡± ¡°Exactly! Please get up, Mr. Langford. Look at you! You¡¯re bleeding so much! I¡¯ll go get you a Band- Aid!¡± Florence quickly went into the bedroom to get the first-aid kit. ¡°A Band-Aid?¡± Luis could not believe his ears. He¡¯d severed two of his fingers, for goodness sake! What use did he have for Band-Aids? ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the hospital, Mr. Langford? Your bleeding doesn¡¯t seem to be stopping,¡± Dahlia suggested cautiously. ¡°Have you forgiven me, Ms. Nicholson?¡± Luis asked expectantly. ¡°I guess so. As long as you don¡¯te and bother me anymore, you¡¯re forgiven.¡± Dahlia nodded. ¡°No problem at all! I¡¯ll make myself scarce now and never bother you again!¡± Luis was ted. He nodded at both Dustin and Dahlia as a sign of apology before he made a run for it with his men in tow. ¡°Hey, Mr. Langford! Your Band-Aid!¡± Florence raised the bandage in her hand and waved it around, but Luis did not even turn back at all. If anything, he picked up his speed. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson, just you wait! I¡¯m not done with you yet!¡± Dakota saw that the situation wasn¡¯t favorable for her, so she escaped too. What happened today was nothing but peculiar. Why did the great Mr. Langford apologize to Dahlia? And he even got down on his knees! How unbelievable. How absurd! She had to thoroughly investigate what exactly was the reason behind all this. ¡°Say, Dahlia, what exactly came over Luis Langford? Has he gone cuckoo?¡± When everyone had left, Florence couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity. From how she saw it, the only usible reasoning behind everything was that Luis had lost his mind Why else would he apologize to them? He even went to such lengths as to amputate himself! Which person in their sane mind would do something like that? ¡°I have no idea either.¡± Dahlia shook her head. Then, her gaze swiftly fell on Dustin. ¡°Did you do something?¡± ¡°Truth be told, I did nothing. It was Luis himself who offended a big shot, so he had to atone for his actions today.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dahlia had her doubts. Dustin had told her before that if she faced any sort of difficulty, he would be able to straighten things out for her. And now he really did clear things out for her. She refused to believe that there wasn¡¯t anything fishy going on behind the scenes. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m acquainted with an influential person.¡± Seeing that he could not hide things any further, Dustin decided toe clean. ¡°Do you remember the man I had dinner with the other night? He¡¯s the scion of the prestigious Spanner family. Both his power and his status greatly exceed those of Luis Langford. He was the one who helped me out.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Mr. Spanner?¡± Dahlia immediately recalled Adam Spanner. ¡°How do you know such a prominent person?¡± She asked dubiously. ¡°I helped him before, so I guess he¡¯s just repaying me a favor.¡± Dustin chuckled. Adam had been a sickly kid who had constantly been bullied, so Dustin would stand up against those rich and arrogant youths of Stonia for him and often taught them a lesson for messing with Adam. Because of that, Dustin even earned himself the nickname ¡°vile demon¡±. ¡°I never would have guessed that you¡¯d be affiliated with such an important person. How did I not know this before?¡± Dahlia asked, curious. ¡°These are old-time stories. No point bringing them up.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Alright then. I will not probe too much into your past. But in the future, please do not act rashly,¡± Dahlia warned in all earnestness. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you get favors from people like him. If you bother him too often, Mr. Spanner won¡¯t want to help you all the time. You have to rely on yourself. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Dustin smiled. As they spoke, a hunched, middle-aged man with gray hair knocked on the door and made his way in. It was none other than Rufus Rhys, the King of Theswe! Chapter 348 ¡°Wha-¡± Dustin¡¯s smile immediately dropped from his face the moment he saw who it was that came in through the door His smile was reced by hostility ¡°Who let you in? Get out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, I¡¯m just here to see my daughter-inw This has nothing to do with you¡± Rufus chuckled merrily as he hobbled in through the door ¡°Do you do you know each other?¡± Dahlia looked from one to the other, perplexed. ¡°You¡¯re Dahlia, aren¡¯t you? As expected, what a beauty! Rufus beamed brightly ¡°Oh, right, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Dustin¡¯s father, your father-inw ¡°Dustin¡¯s father?¡± Dahlia was taken aback by the piece of information Though there wasn¡¯t exactly anything special about Dustin, he had exceptionally good looks He was a fine specimen of a man if anything However, this old man before her was the farthest thing from handsome The two were vastly different in the looks department ¡°What? We don¡¯t look alike?¡± Rufus chuckled nonchntly Thisd looks like his mom, so it makes sense that we look nothing like each other If he looked like me, I guess he¡¯d never find himself such a beautiful wife like you ¡± ¡®Don¡¯t say that, Mi Rhys You carry an air of prowess about you Dahlia felt a little awkward that he saw through her doubt so easily ¡°Rufus Rhys¡¯ You saw the person you were here to meet Now, would you please leave? You¡¯re not wee here¡± Dustin eximed out of nowhere ¡°Hey, watch it! That¡¯s rude¡± Dahlia shot Dustin a re. Then, she swiftly turned around and smiled apologetically at Rufus ¡®Mr Rhys, Dustin¡¯s just in a foul mood today Don¡¯t mind him. Please, have a seat I¡¯ll go make you a cup of tea ¡°Great Rufus grinned ¡°Hmph¡¯ Another freeloader¡± Florence looked Rufus up and down as she studied him haughtily. She could tell from his attire that he wasn¡¯t a wealthy person Sure enough, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree The cker¡¯s father was a bum too ¡°This must be my inw Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t got much for you. As this is our first meeting, all I¡¯ve got for you is this little gift. Please don¡¯t mind it Rufus produced a box from his pocket and handed it to her Florence was awe-struck when she opened up the box to take a quick look inside. A sapphire the size of an egg wasid inside the box. It was so clear and exquisite. ¡°This thing. It isn¡¯t a fake -stone, is it?¡± Florence strongly doubted that it was a genuine gemstone. It was rare enough toe by a regr sapphire the size of one¡¯s fingernail. But this one was the size of an egg! It was shocking, to say the least. ¡°No way. This is a family heirloom¡± Rufusughed ¡°An heirloom? That¡¯s great!¡± Florence immediately broke out into a wide smile when she heard that. She reckoned that he was a fool to give her something so precious. A sapphire of that size ¡°How do you know such a prominent person?¡± She asked dubiously. ¡°I helped him before, so I guess he¡¯s just repaying me a favor.¡± Dustin chuckled Adam had been a sickly kid who had constantly been bullied, so Dustin would stand up against those rich and arrogant youths of Stonia for him and often taught them a lesson for messing with Adam. Because of that, Dustin even earned himself the nickname ¡°vile demon¡±. ¡°I never would have guessed that you¡¯d be affiliated with such an important person. How did I not know this before?¡± Dahlia asked, curious ¡°These are old-time stories No point bringing them up. ¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Alright then. I will not probe too much into your past. But in the future, please do not act rashly,¡± Dahlia warned in all earnestness. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you get favors from people like him. If you bother him too often, Mr. Spanner won¡¯t want to help you all the time. You have to rely on yourself. H ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Dustin smiled. As they spoke, a hunched, middle-aged man with gray hair knocked on the door and made his way in. It was none other than Rufus Rhys, the King of Theswe! ¡°Wha-¡± Dustin¡¯s smile immediately dropped from his face the moment he saw who it was that came in through the door. His smile was reced by hostility. ¡°Who let you in? Get out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, I¡¯m just here to see my daughter-inw. This has nothing to do with you.¡± Rufus chuckled merrily as he hobbled in through the door. ¡°Do you do you know each other?¡± Dahlia looked from one to the other, perplexed. ¡°You¡¯re Dahlia, aren¡¯t you? As expected, what a beauty!¡± Rufus beamed brightly. ¡°Oh, right, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Dustin¡¯s father, your father-inw.¡± ¡°Dustin¡¯s father?¡± Dahlia was taken aback by the piece of information. Though there wasn¡¯t exactly anything special about Dustin, he had exceptionally good looks. He was a fine specimen of a man if anything. However, this old man before her was the farthest thing from handsome. The two were vastly different in the looks department. ¡°What? We don¡¯t look alike?¡± Rufus chuckled nonchntly. ¡°Thisd looks like his mom, so it makes sense that we look nothing like each other. If he looked like me, I guess he¡¯d never find himself such a beautiful wife like you.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Mr. Rhys. You carry an air of prowess about you.¡± Dahlia felt a little awkward that he saw through her doubt so easily. ¡°Rufus Rhys! You saw the person you were here to meet. Now, would you please leave? You¡¯re not wee here!¡± Dustin eximed out of nowhere. ¡°Hey, watch it! That¡¯s rude!¡± Dahlia shot Dustin a re. Then, she swiftly turned around and smiled apologetically at Rufus. ¡°Mr. Rhys, Dustin¡¯s just in a foul mood today. Don¡¯t mind him. Please, have a seat! I¡¯ll go make you a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Rufus grinned. ¡°Hmph! Another freeloader!¡± Florence looked Rufus up and down as she studied him haughtily. She could tell from his attire that he wasn¡¯t a wealthy person. Sure enough, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. The cker¡¯s father was a bum top. ¡°This must be my inw! Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t got much for you. As this is our first meeting, all I¡¯ve got for you is this little gift. Please don¡¯t mind it ¡°Rufus produced a box from his pocket and handed it to her. Florence was awe-struck when she opened up the box to take a quick look inside. A sapphire the size of an egg wasid inside the box. It was so clear and exquisite. ¡°This thing¡­ It isn¡¯t a fake ¨Cstone, is it?¡± Florence strongly doubted that it was a genuine gemstone. It was rare enough toe by a regr sapphire the size of one¡¯s fingernail. But this one was the size of an egg! It was shocking, to say the least. ¡°No way. This is a family heirloom.¡± Rufusughed ¡°An heirloom? That¡¯s great!¡± Florence immediately broke out into a wide smile when she heard that. She reckoned that he was a fool to give her something.so precious. A sapphire of that size ¡°How do you know such a prominent person?¡± She asked dubiously. ¡°I helped him before, so I guess he¡¯s just repaying me a favor.¡± Dustin chuckled. Adam had been a sickly kid who had constantly been bullied, so Dustin would stand up against those rich and arrogant youths of Stonia for him and often taught them a lesson for messing with Adam. Because of that, Dustin even earned himself the nickname ¡°vile demon¡±. ¡°I never would have guessed that you¡¯d be affiliated with such an important person. How did I not know this before?¡± Dahlia asked, curious. ¡°These are old-time stories. No point bringing them up.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Alright then. I will not probe too much into your past. But in the future, please do not act rashly,¡± Dahlia warned in all earnestness. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you get favors from people like him. If you bother him too often, Mr. Spanner won¡¯t want to help you all the time. You have to rely on yourself. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Dustin smiled. As they spoke, a hunched, middle-aged man with gray hair knocked on the door and made his way in. It was none other than Rufus Rhys, the King of Theswe! Chapter 349 ¡°Lunch is ready!¡± Florence had quickly whipped up avish meal, and every dish looked. sumptuous. Dustin had been prepared to make an excuse and slip away but was stopped by Dahlia. In the end, he had no choice but to stay for the meal with Rufus. It was the first time the father and son pair had had a meal together at the same table. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. As they ate, Rufus¡¯ eyes gradually welled up with tears. It felt like it¡¯d been a lifetime for him, but the day finally came when he could sit down and have a meal with his son. He had yet to receive his son¡¯s forgiveness, but what he had now was good enough. He was already very satisfied. Of course, many people out there would never believe that the ruthless and formidable Prince of Theswe would get teary-eyed over a meal. Once he had his fill, Rufus tactfully took his leave He knew that if he stayed on any longer, his son would most likely lose his temper. Rufus left the Nicholson Vi with a spring in his step. ¡°How did things go, Sir?¡± When he got into the car, Albert, who sat in the passenger seat, asked inquisitively. ¡°Hahaha! I had a meal with my son today!¡± Rufusughed heartily. Anyone could see that he was pleased The driver found it strange that he¡¯d be so d because of a meal. ¡°So you had a meal with your son, what¡¯s the big deal? Does it really warrant such joy from you? You¡¯re the Prince of Theswe! Where¡¯d your dignity go?¡± He thought to himself. ¡°Congrattions, Sir! That¡¯s one step closer to sess!¡± Albert smiled. He was the only one who knew how much it meant to Rufus to have a meal with his son. Even winning ten cities was nowhere near as important as that. ¡°We¡¯re indeed off to a good start, but knowing that rascal, it¡¯ll be difficult to make much progress.¡± At the thought of that, Rufus was once again troubled. ¡°Take it slow, Sir. I believe that one day, Mr. Logan will find it in him to forgive you,¡± Albert consoled him. ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡± Rufus sighed before he continued ¡°Oh before I forget, is my daughter-inw rted to the Nicholson family of Glenstead?¡± ¡°Yes, ording to my investigations, she is from the prestigious Nicholson family of Glenstead. -Albert nodded. ¡°Very well, give that fe-what¡¯s his name? Reggie?¡± ¡°Regulus Nicholson.¡± ¡°Ah, right, give Regulus a call. Have him take good care of my daughter-inw, but make sure that he isn¡¯t exposed. I wouldn¡¯t want to frighten her,¡± Rufus said after some consideration. Gaining his son¡¯s forgiveness would be a challenge, but he could get his daughter-inw on his side first. That would make things much easier for him. ¡°Rest assured, Sir. I know what to do.¡± Albert nodded. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s go visit the Drunken Maniac at Peaceful Medical Center. It¡¯s been a long time. You old buddies should catch up.¡± Back at the Nicholson Vi, Dustin watched emotionlessly as Rufus¡¯ car drove off. He knew perfectly well that what happened back then had nothing to do with Rufus, but he still could not forgive him. He was but a mere mortal. He wasn¡¯t above his emotions. All his life, he had known that kindness should be repaid with kindness and that revenge must be sought for any wrongs. He would willingly go against the world for his family and loved ones. It was different for Rufus, however. As a person of status, his priority was always what benefited him, and his gains and losses. Outsiders might think that Rufus did nothing wrong, but to Dustin, his one mistake was that he did absolutely nothing at all. ¡°Why are you spacing out?¡± Dahlia picked up a cup of hot tea and walked over to Dustin to pass it to him. ¡°Nothing.¡± Dustin smiled and took a sip of tea. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that both your parents had passed away? Who was this father of yours today?¡± Dahlia found things puzzling. ¡°He¡¯s as good as dead to me,¡± Dustin stated calmly. ¡°I guess there must be some sort of major conflict going on between you. Can I ask what it is about?¡± Dahlia tried to make sense of the situation Chapter 350 Dahlia was genuinely curious about Dustin¡¯s past. After getting to know him better these days, she found that he was indeed a mystery. ¡°It¡¯s along story.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be here whenever you feel like talking about it.¡± Dahlia gave him a warm smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder these days. Let¡¯s go to the mall to get some new clothes for winter,¡± Dahlia suggested. ¡°Sure, we can get some new clothes, but I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m broke!¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Ugh! What a miser!¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for everything today. Will that do?¡± ¡°Why, thank you, Ms. Nicholson!¡± Without another word, Dustin hurried off to bring the car over. It¡¯s been three years since they got married, but they rarely went out shopping together. The moment they left, Florence immediately took out the sapphire and had a good look at it. ¡°Oh, my precious honeybunch of a sapphire! What luck I¡¯m in today!¡± The more she studied it, the more she loved it. ¡°Aunt Florence, what are you looking at?¡± Right then, Julie walked in. ¡°Julie! You¡¯vee at just the right time! Come have a look at this!¡± Florence showed off the sapphire to Julie and handed it to her. ¡°A sapphire?¡± When Julie had a good look at it, her voice raised a pitch and she sounded so excited. ¡°Aunt Florence, where did you get such an enormous sapphire? It must be worth a fortune! ¡°Haha! You might not believe this, but it was Dustin¡¯s father who gave this to me.¡± Florence beamed proudly. ¡°What? Dustin¡¯s father?¡± Julie was shocked and could not believe her ears. ¡°Aunt Florence, didn¡¯t you say that Dustin¡¯s as broke as can be? How can his father afford to give you something so precious?¡± ¡°I find it strange too.¡± Florence rubbed her chin. ¡°I was wondering if Dustin secretly came from a wealthy family. Maybe he¡¯s just kept a low profile all this while so we never noticed.¡± ¡°Him? The son of a wealthy family? Does he look like one?¡± Julie wondered out loud. ¡°If he isn¡¯t, then how can his father afford to give me such a huge sapphire just like that?¡± Florence continued to expound on the situation. ¡°Aunt Florence, let¡¯s put that aside for now. The matter of utmost importance now is whether you¡¯ve found someone to verify if the sapphire¡¯s genuine?¡± Julie piped up. ¡°But it¡¯s so pretty! It can¡¯t be a fake gem, can it? Besides, Dustin¡¯s father said this is a family heirloom!¡± Florence refused to believe that the gem could be a fake. ¡°Aunt Florence, how can you believe everything he says? You¡¯re too gullible! For safety¡¯s sake, it¡¯s best if you get it appraised! You never know if it¡¯s a sham!¡± Julie instigated. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Florence nodded. ¡°But where should I get it appraised?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Aunt Florence. I know just the right person to get it appraised. Just let me have the sapphire for a while, and we¡¯ll soon have our answer,¡± Julie affirmed confidently. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Florence did not doubt Julie even for a moment, and passed the sapphire along with the box it came with to her. Half an hourter, in the gemologicalboratory. ¡°What? This is a genuine sapphire worth billions? You¨Cyou¡¯re not mistaken, are you?¡± Julie was dumbfounded when she heard the results. ¡°We¡¯ve run multiple tests on it. It can¡¯t be wrong. In fact, this is an extremely rare variety of sapphire. If it were to be auctioned, the starting bid would be one billion, at the very least,¡± the expert appraiser told her. ¡°Great! This is just great! We¡¯ve struck gold this time!¡± Julie burst outughing. A sapphire worth billions! How did they run into such luck? Just then, Julie¡¯s phone rang. She answered the call. It was Florence. ¡°Hello, Julie. How did the appraisal go? Is it a genuine sapphire?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°O¨Cof course it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a fake one!¡± An idea came to Julie. She feigned disappointment. ¡°Aunt Florence, you¡¯ve been deceived by Dustin and his father! I just had the sapphire appraised. They confirmed that it¡¯s just a synthetic gemstone. It¡¯ll just cost you maybe 20 or 30 dors to get your hands on one. It¡¯s trash. I¡¯ve thrown it away!¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s synthetic? Those darned loafers! How dare they trick me! I¡¯ll make them pay!¡± She let out a curse and cut the call. Chapter 351 That evening at Peaceful Medical Center, Natasha waltzed in through the doors happily with two bottles of wine in her hand. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m back! Look what I brought! These are aged wines, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love them!¡± All of a sudden, the smile on her face froze as she noticed that not only was Dustin not inside, but there were also two strangers in there instead. Gregory, who was usually in a drunken stupor, now sat upright with a stern expression on his face. How peculiar. ¡°Mr. Jones, who are they?¡± Natasha¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°You¡¯re back,ss? Here, let me introduce them. This one here is Dustin¡¯s father, and this one is an old pal of mine.¡± Gregory gestured to Rufus and Albert, respectively, as he introduced them to Natasha. ¡°Dustin¡¯s father?¡± Natasha¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, so my father¨Cinw is here! I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you!¡± As she spoke, she immediately got up and poured them each a cup of tea. Then, she smiled sweetly and said to Rufus, ¡°Please have some tea, Father!¡± ¡°What?¡± Rufus took a while to adapt to such enthusiasm. ¡°Youngdy, may I know who you might be?¡± ¡°As this is our first time meeting, it¡¯s only expected that you do not know me, Father. My name is Natasha Harmon, and I¡¯m Dustin¡¯s wife, so I¡¯m your daughter¨Cinw.¡± Natasha beamed brightly with confidence. ¡°My daughter¨Cinw?¡± Rufus was taken aback momentarily. Then, it quickly dawned on him what exactly was going on. He broke out into a heartyugh. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great! How lucky my son is to have such an enchanting wife like you! This is amazing!¡± As expected of a man from the Rhys family. Dustin managed to snag two charmingdies without anyone knowing. He sure had his way with women! Rufus was delighted. ¡°Oh, you tter me too much, Father. I¡¯m the lucky one to have Dustin. He¡¯s such an amazing man. I¡¯d say he¡¯s quite a catch!¡± Natasha chuckled. ¡°Oh, is thatd really such a fine man?¡± Rufus teased. ¡°Of course he is!¡± Natasha did not go easy on her praise. ¡°Not only is he capable intellectually, but he¡¯s also skilled in martial arts. Besides, his medical skills are top¨Cnotch. It seems like there isn¡¯t anything he can¡¯t do! And to top it off, he¡¯s such a gentle and caring man who shoulders his responsibilities well. You don¡¯te by men like him these days!¡± ¡°Hahaha! You sure know your man well!¡± Rufus chortled loudly when he heard his son being praised. He beamed so brightly that his wrinkles showed, but pride was evident on his face. He was beyond himself with joy. What was more delightful than hearing one¡¯s own child being praised by others? ¡°Of course, it goes without saying that you must have taught him well for him to turn out into such an amazing person, Father. Now that I think about it, ultimately, you¡¯re the one who has the Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. wisdom to raise such a brilliant son!¡± Natasha took the opportunity to praise Rufus as well. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus was truly over the moon. Heughed so much that his cheeks started to hurt. He had never been so happy in the past ten years. Albert, who sat beside him, smiled brightly too. He was happy for Rufus that he had yet another daughter¨Cinw. ¡°Oh, you do have your way with your words, youngdy! Since you called me ¡®father¡®, I must give you a present.¡± After Rufus calmed down from his joyfulughter, Rufus took out a dagger and handed it to Natasha. ¡°This dagger has been by my side for many, many years. It shall be my gift to you to mark our first meeting.¡± ¡°This is too precious! I cannot have it!¡± Natasha waved her hands in protest. With her sharp eyes, she could tell at a nce that the dagger wasn¡¯t just any other dagger. Just the gemstones embedded on the hilt for decoration alone were worth an exorbitant amount, much less the de itself. ¡°Have it. It isn¡¯t worth much. It¡¯d be good to carry it around as protection,¡± Rufus chuckled. Seeing how understanding his daughter¨Cinw was, he would dly give her the stars above if she so wished, let alone just a dagger. ¡°Just ept it,ss. This is your father¨Cinw¡¯s affection towards you.¡± Mr. Jones winked at her. The dagger was listed as one of the top ten des in the world. Even the Sword Whisperer, who was obsessed with swords, had requested to have the dagger multiple times before, but Rufus had never been willing to part with it. ¡°Alright, then. Thank you, Father.¡± Natasha smiled sweetly at him and quickly stashed the dagger away safely. Then, they both had a good chat and quickly bonded with each other, so they decided to just address each other as father and daughter, respectively. For a moment, all was warm and cozy in the medical center. ¡°Natasha, when did youe?¡± Right then, Dustin, who was just done shopping, entered. There was a smile on his face when he saw Natasha, however, when he caught sight of Rufus, his smile died down. ¡°Oh, not too long ago. And what a coincidence that I met Father! Why did you not tell me that Father wasing? I had nothing prepared!¡± Natasha whined. Had she known that Dustin¡¯s father would drop by, she would have prepared some presents for him to win him over and gain her future father¨Cinw¡¯s favor. Chapter 352 ¡°Natasha, you haven¡¯t had dinner yet, have you? Come on, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡± Dustin did not answer her and changed the topic instead. ¡°Now that you mention it, I am feeling a bit hungry. Father, shall we go grab a bite?¡± Natasha turned around to ask Rufus. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. We¡¯ll go get dinner, just the two of us,¡± Dustin insisted. ¡°Well¡­¡± Natasha paused. She could sense that something was off between the two. ¡°Natasha, go ahead and enjoy your meal together. We, old folks, won¡¯t tag along and ruin your fun. Run along now.¡± Rufus smiled and nodded at her. ¡°Alright, Father. We¡¯ll be quick and buy some food back for you.¡± Natasha did not try to pry further. After she made sure they were alright, she left with Dustin. All was quiet in the car before Natasha broke the silence. ¡°Your father¡­ Did you have a fallout with him?¡± ¡°A fallout?¡± Dustinughed dryly. ¡°If only it was that simple, things would be much easier.¡± ¡°So then what is it? Can you tell me?¡± Natasha coaxed softly. She had never seen such a mncholy expression on Dustin. ¡°Say, if a man¡¯s wife and son were harmed, and he did absolutely nothing about it, do you even still consider him a man?¡± Dustin did not straight up tell Natasha what had happened between him and his father, but he threw her a hypothetical situation instead. ¡°Well, could it be possible that the man had his dilemmas too?¡± Natasha asked warily. ¡°As long as he puts his mind to it, there isn¡¯t anything that he can¡¯t do. Dilemmas? They¡¯re just excuses.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°As I have not experienced what you¡¯ve been through, I¡¯m not in a position to offer you any advice. However, I do believe that one day, all truths wille to light.¡± ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Where do you want to have dinner tonight?¡± Dustin changed the topic yet again. ¡°Shall we go to Hillview Restaurant?¡± Natasha suggested with a smile. ¡°Sure!¡± Dustin nodded. Then, with a step on the elerator, they sped off towards Hillview Restaurant. As the car went around a bend, there was suddenly a loud bang. They seemed to have hit something. ¡°Oh no! We¡¯ve run someone over!¡± Natasha paled. She saw clearly through the rearview mirror that an olddy was groaning in pain in the middle of the road. ¡°Are you alright, ma¡¯am?¡± The moment Dustin pulled the car over, Natasha rushed out of the car and hurried over to check on the olddy. But just as her hand touched the olddy¡¯s shoulder, the olddy leaped up and pulled out a dirk, intending to stab Natasha with it. Utterly shocked by the turn of events, Natasha failed to duck in time. Just as she thought that would be the end of her, a hand reached over and grabbed the de of the dirk. With a forceful jerk, the dirk snapped into two. ¡°Who sent you?¡± Dustin stared icily at the olddy, chucking the de away as it ttered to the ground. ¡°You have a bounty of a hundred billion on your head, and she has ten billion on hers. What a waste! I was just inches away from having ten billion dors in my pocket.¡± The olddy cackled maniacally, showing off her yellow teeth. ¡°A Bounty Killer.¡± Dustin squinted. Edwin Hummer had offered a bounty of a hundred billion dors to have Dustin killed. Though they had put an end to the Hummers, Edwin Hummer was still alive, so the bounty had yet to be called off. The olddy sniggered evilly. ¡°Since you know that I¡¯m a Bounty Killer, then you should understand that today is the day you meet your maker!¡± ¡°You wish to kill us? Just you alone?¡± Dustin asked contemptuously. ¡°There¡¯s such a huge bounty for you! Of course, I¡¯m not the only one after you! Look around you!¡± The olddy lifted her chin to the side. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Dustin looked in the direction she signaled to find that they had been surrounded. He could see that eight figures were closing in on them. Though there weren¡¯t many of them, they were all adept assassins. ¡°I know you¡¯re gifted, young man, so I deliberately sent for the Eight Giants today. Skilled as you may be, you stand no chance against them! The more you struggle, the more suffering you¡¯ll put yourself through, so don¡¯t even think about escaping,¡± the olddy taunted. ¡°The Eight Giants? Are they powerful?¡± Dustin was unfazed. ¡°Hah! Are they powerful? Truth be told, young man, once the Eight Giants have their eyes set on someone, not a single one of their targets has ever escaped alive!¡± She announced confidently. The moment she finished speaking, Dustin flicked his wrist, and a loud whooshing sound was heard. Immediately, the Eight Giants stopped in their tracks and crashed heavily to the ground. On closer inspection, there was a silver needle buried smack in the middle of each of their foreheads. All eight of them died right then and there. Chapter 353 The olddy stood frozen in ce as she watched the Eight Giants crash to the ground with dull thuds, one after another. All the calmness and confidence she had earlier on hadpletely vanished into thin air and were instead reced by downright fear. Those were the Eight Giants! They were renowned bounty hunters who had yet to fail before this! Ever since they set foot in the field, they had been revered by all and had never missed a single target. No matter how great their opponents were, they had been able to wipe them out without breaking a sweat. She had thought that with the Eight Giants working alongside her, everything would have gone smoothly without any hups. Who would have guessed that they¡¯d be defeated in a matter of seconds? They did not even have time to react! What freak of nature was this man standing before her? Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Those are the Eight Giants that you¡¯ve been harping on about? Pretty weak, aren¡¯t they?¡± Dustin shook his head. How dare mere mortals who had yet to achieve divinity dream about assassinating him? ¡°Y¨Cy¨Cyou¡­ What tactics did you use?¡± The olddy was so flustered that she stumbled several steps backward. Panic was evident on her face. ¡°I have only one question for you. How many more of you Bounty Killers are after me?¡± ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know. We Bounty Killers work independently. I¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can go straight to hell now.¡± Before she could evenplete her sentence, Dustin sent another silver needle flying with a flick of his wrist. She, too, dropped dead on the spot. The Bounty Killers was an extremely mysterious organization of bounty hunters. Every individual in the organization was an expert at what they did, and each one was more powerful than the one before. He had to call off the bounty on him and Natasha as soon as possible, or it was going to mean more trouble for them. Just then, his phone started to ring. He answered the call to find that it was from Maximus. ¡± Dustin! Things are looking ugly here. The Boulderthorns have surrounded the medical center!¡± ¡°The Boulderthorns?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°Were they sent by Royal Valor?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Royal Valor sent all their elites along too! Even their best warriors are here. They¡¯re here to kill you! Go hide somewhere, and whatever you do, remember to stay away from here!¡± Maximus warned him. They were severely outnumbered. As powerful as Dustin was, he could not hold up against all of Royal Valor¡¯s warriors surrounding him. ¡°I know what to do. Take Caitlyn and bring her out of there.¡± Dustin ended the call. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Natasha asked worriedly from beside him. ¡°Nothing much. There¡¯s just a minorplication over at the medical center. You head back to Park ce first. I¡¯ll make it up for dinner tomorrow.¡± Dustin smiled at her assuredly. ¡°Okay. You take care!¡± Natasha nodded at him and drove off without any further questions. ¡°What an exciting evening. Who would have guessed that Royal Valor would join in on the fun.¡± Dustin scoffed. He hailed a cab and went straight back to Peaceful Medical Center. Boulderthorn was a major sect of the Balerno martial arts discipline. Dustin had intended to keep things peaceful between them, but since they refused to back off, he would dly face them head- 1. on. At that moment, there were more than 20 cars pulled up around Peaceful Medical Center, surrounding the ce tightly. All surveince cameras in the vicinity were destroyed, and every alley in the area was blocked by Boulderthorn guild members. Not a single person could get past their barricade. Several hundred elite Boulderthorn guild members stood at the door; a murderous aura surrounded them. They looked like they were prepared to annihte whoever and whatever that stood between them and their goal. ¡°Maximus Kane! I¡¯m asking you this for thest time, where is Dustin?¡± A young man in a white shirt stood at the forefront of the crowd with the tip of his sword pointing squarely at Maximus. The person was none other than Keane Tovello, the second¨Cmost senior guild member of Royal Valor. After the death of Tatum Thunders, he became the ace of Royal Valor. In order to win the guild members over and for them to ept him, he had to avenge the previous ace of the guild. ¡°Keane Tovello, if you must know, Dustin has already left Swinton. If there¡¯s anything you need from him, you cane to me!¡± Maximus dered loudly. ¡°Hah! You ignorant fool! I see you¡¯re the type who refuses to cry until death stares you in the face!¡± Keane was infuriated. With a light tap of his feet, he swiftly leaped towards Maximus in an attempt to take him down. ¡°I have long since heard that you¡¯re adept with a sword. Let¡¯s have a look at how good you are, then! Maximus wasn¡¯t daunted by him in the least. As a burst of energy coursed through his body, the sword that he carried with him on his back was unsheathed, and with a single¨Chanded forward motion, the swordunched through the air, aimed straight at Keane¡¯s chest. Keane let out a grunt and sliced through the air with his sword. He brought down a shower of sparks on himself as his sword made contact with Maximus¡® sword, which sent it flying. Maximus sprang upwards with a ¡°whoosh¡± and urately caught his sword mid¨Cair. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, he used the Illusory Sword technique. As the name suggested, it was a technique that cast an illusion on its opponent, causing a momentary distraction. With Dustin¡¯s guidance, Maximus advanced in his swordsmanship. Now that he had mastered the Illusory Sword technique, he used it and cast an illusion of countless swords flying around in the air, all aiming at Keane. It was an extremely impressive technique. ¡°Superior skills indeed! No wonder you¡¯re behaving so arrogantly!¡± Keane shot Maximus a re and no longer held back, unleashing all that he had. In a split second, the calmness of the night sky was broken by the sparks of swordsing into contact with each other and the whoosh of rapid movements. The crowd of elite Boulderthorn guild members instinctively backed off to make space for them. Chapter 354 Amid a fierce battle between two divine¨Clevel masters, ordinary warriors would never stand a chance to approach them. While the battle was in full swing, Rufus, Gregory, and Albert were happily drinking inside the medical clinic. Used to such chaotic scenes, they naturally paid no mind to such minor scuffles. On the other hand, Caitlyn, who was pouring them drinks, wasn¡¯t as calm as them. She anxiously peered through the doorway, her worries evident. How could Maximus handle all the opponents alone? ¡°Only if Mr. Rhys was here.¡± As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Caitlyn immediately shook her head. No! Those people were here for Dustin. If Dustin were here, things would only get more dangerous! ¡°Kid, stop fretting over there. Thatd will be fine for now. Bring us another bottle of wine!¡± Gregory shouted. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ming¡­¡± Upon hearing his words, Caitlyn promptly retrieved another bottle of wine from the counter. Observing the calm demeanor of the three men, she frowned and curiously asked, ¡°Mr. Jones, aren¡¯t you all worried at all? If those bad guys were to barge in, you would be in danger!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? Life¡¯s a cheap thing, and if we die, we die,¡± Gregory answered casually. ¡°Gosh, don¡¯t be such a doomsayer!¡± Caitlyn pouted and said solemnly, ¡°Mr. Jones, you will live a long and healthy life. Even if there¡¯s danger, I will protect you!¡± With that, she grabbed a mop nearby and acted like a bodyguard, vowing to defend the medical center. Her actions caused the three men tough in amusement. ¡°She¡¯s truly an interesting girl.¡± Rufus grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. None of us will die today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Caitlyn¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Of course. Do you think I would lie to you about such matters?¡± Rufus chuckled and pointed at Albert. ¡°See this old man here? He¡¯s a powerful guy. Dealing with these minions is a piece of cake for him.¡°¨C ¡°Is that so?¡± Caitlyn sized Albert up. She seemed skeptical. He was an elderly man in his sixties or seventies, walking with a cane. How could he withstand a fight? The wind could even blow him down! After observing everyone, she realized she was the youngest and strongest of the four of them. Indeed, it seemed like the responsibility to protect them all would fall on her shoulders. With this in mind, Caitlyn raised the mop again and stood guard at the entrance. Clearly, she didn¡¯t trust these three oldies. ¡°Rufus, these minions are indeed nothing to fear. However, people have found out about your arrival in Swinton. I guess Streuqua will not let this opportunity slip by,¡± Albert suddenly said, his tone serious. ¡°Are you suggesting that someone wille to assassinate me?¡± Rufus raised his ss and took a sip. ¡°Yes.¡± Albert nodded. As the Prince of West Lucozia, Rufus stood like an invincible barrier. He could single¨Chandedly intimidate the Gods of Streuqua. If Rufus encountered an assassination attempt, it would undoubtedly lead to a border conflict. In West Lucozia, there were numerous experts to protect him. No matter how powerful Streuqua was, they would not find the slightest loophole. However, the situation was different in Swinton. Without the protection of the West Lucozia army and death warriors, it presented a rare opportunity for Streuqua to carry out an assassination attempt. Therefore, Albert was sure there would be chaos in theing days. ¡°Let them try all they want. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time,¡± Rufus shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. Even in West Lucozia, assassination attempts would ur every now and then. So, of course, it would happen in Swinton. Outside the medical center, the duel between the two swordsmanship prodigies had reached a white¨C hot stage. Both sides had sustained injuries, and it was difficult to determine the victor. Maximus¡® movements were fast and urate. He was particrly fierce and used ruthless. techniques. In terms of swordsmanship alone, Maximus was superior to Keane. However, Keane had higher cultivation and was in a more stable state. He was closer to divinity. Thus, their battle was neck¨Cand¨Cneck. ¡°When did this kid be so powerful?¡± Standing among the crowd, Luther watched the two fight with a look of astonishment on his face. Keane was a Divine¨Clevel martial artist and a sword prodigy. Yet, he couldn¡¯t defeat Maximus. Did Maximus already reached divinity as well? ¡°Hmph! What a waste of time!¡± Meanwhile, Clement looked displeased as he peered through the window of his car at the battle ahead. He had thought that his second disciple could easily im victory, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to be unable to handle a mere minion. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Seeing the deadlock persist, Clement flicked his wrist, and a chess piece precisely struck Maximus¡® knee. Maximus groaned and fell to his knees. In that instant, Keane thrusted his sword at him! Chapter 355 ¡°Go to hell!¡± Noticing an opening, Keane immediately seized the opportunity and fiercely swung his sword down. At that moment, a silver needle suddenly appeared, flew past the crowd, and struck Keane¡¯s sword. ¡°ng!¡± With a ng, Kaene¡¯s long sword shattered. ¡°What? Who the hell did that?¡± Keane quickly retreated and had his guard up. The fact that someone could use the needles as a weapon and break his sword demonstrated the profound internal energy of the assant. ¡°To bully the weak with strength is one thing, but resorting to sneak attacks as well? Are all the people from Boulderthorn so despicable?¡± A cold voice came from behind. Everyone turned around and saw a handsome man slowly walking out of the shadows. He then stood tall under a streetmp. It was none other than Dustin, who had just arrived! ¡°Sir Lincoln, that¡¯s the guy! That¡¯s Dustin! He¡¯s the one who murdered Tatum¡¯s nephew!¡± Seeing the neer, Luther immediately roared, ¡°Kill him! Kill him quickly! We must avenge Tatum!¡± Brody and Oliver stood up, their aura intimidating. Ever since their father was crippled, the status of their lineage has plummeted. Naturally, they harbored a deep hatred toward Dustin, the one responsible for everything. ¡°Young man! So you¡¯re the one who killed my two beloved disciples?¡± Clement narrowed his eyes, his face filled with hostility. ¡°I killed Joshua, but not Tatum. I only crippled him,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°Nonsense! You killed Tatum!¡± Brody shouted angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right! We saw through you a long time ago! You took advantage of Tatum¡¯s severe injuries and launched a sneak attack. How despicable and shameless!¡± Oliver chimed in. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone through all the trouble if I wanted to kill Tatum. I would have finished him off directly in the arena. But of course, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can assume I killed him,¡± Dustin replied indifferently. Looking at the current situation, Dustin knew there was no hope of clearing up the misunderstanding. No matter how much he exined, it would be futile. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, Sir Lincoln! Did you hear that? This brat is extremely arrogant!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t tear him limb from limb, how will Boulderthron continue to stand on in the martial world?¡± Luther and his two sons continued to fuel the mes. ¡°Young man! ording to the rules of the martial world, a life for a life. If you offer your neck for the kill, I can give you a quick death!¡± Clement dered. ¡°Go ahead if you want to fight. Stop talking so much nonsense,¡± Dustin replied rudely. ¡°Not bad, kid! You¡¯re surely arrogant!¡± Clement¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If I personally take action, others will use me of bullying the weak with strength. So today, let my disciples have a go at you. If you manage to survive by some stroke of luck, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡± ¡°Formation!¡± With a single gesture from Clement, seven of Keane¡¯s disciples stepped forward and surrounded Dustin from all sides. Those disciples were the best in Royal Valor. All of them were powerful. Among the seven, three had already reached divinity, while the other four were High¨Clevel martial artists. Royal Valor was truly showcasing its experts! ¡°Dustin, I¡¯ll help you!¡± Maximus quickly realized that something was amiss. ¡°No.¡± Dustin raised his hand and rejected Maximus¡® offer. I want to see how formidable Royal Valor, one of the eight sects of Boulderthorn, truly is!¡± ¡°Hmph! Today, I¡¯ll make you admit defeat willingly! The Star¨Cshifting Technique! Transform!¡± Keane shouted, and suddenly, the seven disciples changed their positions. They trapped Dustin in a peculiar formation. ¡°The Big Dipper Array? Haha. This brat is doomed!¡± Luther¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but light up with joy when he saw the scene before him. The Big Dipper Array was a well¨Cknown formation in martial arts. In the formation, each of the seven participants took the positions of Dubhe, Merak, Phkeda, Megraz, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid. With this, they would trap their enemy. The seven individuals would continuously move in an unending cycle as the formation changed. Once the formation took shape, no one could break it! ¡°Attack!¡± Keane attacked from the front with three people, while the other three attacked from behind. Chapter 356 Disying a perfect bnce between offense and defense, the seven individuals worked together seamlessly. Theyplemented each other with no discernible ws. As the formation came into motion, the sharp, sword¨Clike aura was formed and ran rampant instantly. A swirling gust of wind sent the sand and stones flying. ¡°Interesting.¡± Dustin frowned. His figure flickered as he dodged. He moved like a fish swimming in the water, constantly evading attacks within the sea of swords. It seemed dangerous, yet he managed to dodge every strike at critical moments. The sharp, sword- like aura grazed his body, but it couldn¡¯t harm him in the slightest. Brody and Oliver clenched their fists, their expressions filled with excitement. They would loudly cheer whenever Dustin seemed to be in danger. However, they gritted their teeth with hatred when they saw him narrowly escape. ¡°Calm down. The Big Dipper Array grows more powerful as it faces stronger opponents. Once the offensive is in full swing, it bes like a raging wave, one wave after another, and it bes unstoppable. The longer he drags it out, the more dangerous it bes for that brat,¡± Luther exined calmly. In his eyes, Dustin¡¯s defeat was only a matter of time. ¡°Dustin, catch the sword!¡± Maximus called out to Dustin. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Maximus quickly thought of a clever idea. He threw his sword directly into the middle of the deadly formation. ¡°Alright!¡± Dustin stepped on the ground and instantly soared into the air before grabbing the sword in his hand. ¡°He must be seeking death!¡± Seeing Dustin leap into the air, Keane smirked. Hemanded the sword formation to attack from bottom to top. In a battle between experts, showing weaknesses was thest thing one would want to do. Being in the air without support was like presenting oneself as an easy target. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Looking at the sword formation beneath him, Dustin sneered disdainfully. He forcefully swung his sword downward. ¡°Swish!¡± Like a meteor descending from the heavens, the shining sword shed into the formation. ¡°ng!¡± The formation was instantly shattered into pieces. Keane and his sevenpanions were forced to retreat because of the powerful force. All of them were stunned. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Keane furrowed his brows. The strength of the Big Dipper Arrayid in harnessing the power of seven individuals tounch a combined attack. There was only one possibility of the formation breaking. And that was someone with strength surpassing thebined force of the seven members of the Big Dipper Array. Did Dustin¡¯s strength far exceed their expectations? No! It couldn¡¯t be possible! It must be an ident! ¡°Cycle of the Sun and Moon! Change formation!¡± Keane shouted loudly,manding everyone to change their formation again. The Big Dipper Array had seven variations and styles. It could attack, defend, and move at any speed. It was ever¨Cchanging and unpredictable. ¡°I¡¯m just ying around with you. Are you even taking this fight seriously?¡± Dustin said, losing interest as he watched Keane and the others scattering away. He swung his long sword. The sword shed and shot out of his hand instantly, heading toward the chests of the seven guys. ¡°Defend!¡± The faces of the seven individuals fell slightly. They instinctively raised their swords to block Dustin¡¯s attack. Soon, Dustin¡¯s sword struck them, and all seven of their swords shattered to the ground. The relentless force of the impact sent the seven individuals flying backward and coughing up blood. One person was severely injured, while the rest died on the spot! For a moment, everyone at the scene fell intoplete silence. Chapter 357 As they looked at the six corpses on the ground and Keane, who was heavily injured and coughed up blood, all the disciples of Boulderthorn were dumbfounded. They never expected Dustin would break the Big Dipper Array and simultaneously kill six top- notch experts from Royal Valor with just one sword Was their opponent hiding his true strength all along? ¡°How ¡­ How is this possible?¡± Luther widened his eyes in disbelief. Dustin actually broke the renowned Big Dipper Array. Not to mention, he did it so effortlessly. Just how powerful was this guy? ¡°No way! The seven top experts of Royal Valor couldn¡¯t defeat him?¡± ¡°This guy must be on some kind of drug; otherwise, how could he be so powerful?¡± Brody and Oliver exchanged nces, their faces full of confusion. ¡°This guy is on a different level!¡± Even Clement¡¯s face turned grave at that moment. Dustin wiped out the Big Dipper Array so effortlessly. Not to mention he only used a sword! From that incident, it could well be said that Dustin was about to reach divinity. His martial talent must be extraordinary to possess such formidable power at such a young age! It was definitely a bad idea to provoke such a monster. The only thing they could do now was use all means to exterminate Dustin. Otherwise, if they waited another two years, even Clement wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress him. ¡°All disciples of Royal Valor, listen up! Surround him!¡± Clement suddenly shouted. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hundreds of elites from Royal Valor quickly surrounded Dustin. They faced Dustin, oozing a murderous aura. ¡°You people from Boulderthorn are truly unreliable. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going back on your own words,¡± Dustin said, looking at them with disdain. He was not surprised by Clement¡¯s treacherous actions. Those who resorted to sneak attacks when their disciples were in battle could not be trusted. ¡°Young man! Pardon me. me yourself for being too threatening to be left alive!¡± Clement said coldly. ¡°Good! Then today, I will eliminate the entire Royal Valor!¡± Dustin waved his sword, and a tremendous pressure exploded at once. Instantly, a howling gale blew up. His robe fluttered, and his hair stood on end. He exuded an aura of invincibility, as if he could defeat every one of them alone! ¡°Ah!¡± Just as the two sides were about to erupt into a full¨Cscale battle, a piercing scream suddenly resounded from the crowd. Everyone instinctively turned their heads and saw that a burly man with blond hair and a foreign appearance had appeared out of nowhere. He was holding the head of a Royal Valor disciple with his bare hands. ¡°Haha¡­¡± The blond man grinned and then forcefully put pressure on his finger. With a loud ¡°pop¡°, the head of the Royal Valor disciple exploded like a ball. His methods were extremely cruel. ¡°This is outrageous!¡± ¡°How daring!¡± ¡°Who is this guy? How dare he kill a Royal Valor disciple? He must have a death wish!¡± Seeing this scene, everyone raged. Unanimously, they aimed their weapons at the blond man. While internal conflicts within the martial world were one thing, all martial artists would unite when facing an external enemy. It was an unwritten rule. ¡°You bunch of weaklings!¡± The blond man showed disdain and extended his hand, beckoning the crowd toe at him as if inviting them to attack him all at once. ¡°How dare you?¡± Several Royal Valor disciples were furious and immediately wielded their weapons. They began shing at him. ¡°ng, ng, ng¡­¡± Apanied by the sound of metals colliding, all the weapons that struck the blond man were shattered. ¡°What?¡± The disciples were shocked. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. However, before they could react, the blond man suddenly made a move. Chapter 358 He pped two of the guys hard on the head. Two loud bangs rang out the next second, and their heads exploded like watermelons. The remaining two individuals instinctively tried to step back, but the blond man caught them and crushed their skulls with his bare hands. It was bloody, cruel, and savage. Onlookers felt their scalps tingling with horror. ¡°Attack together! Kill him!¡± Clement¡¯s face darkened. He immediately ordered his disciples to take action. ¡°Attack!¡± Over a hundred disciples of Royal Valor shouted angrily andunched a coordinated assault. Grinning, the blond man slightly bent his legs and jumped off the ground. ¡°Boom!¡± The ground exploded, and a pit formed. Like a bullet fired from a gun, the blond man directlynded in the crowd. Wherever he went, bodies were strewn across the ground, drenched in blood. Anyone blocking his path was brutally crushed by his unstoppable force! ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The blond manughed wildly, growing more excited as he killed the disciples. He was like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage The Royal Valor disciples were likembs waiting to be ughtered. They couldn¡¯t fight back at all. ¡°Beast! Stop this madness!¡± Seeing more than half of his disciples dead or injured, Clement could no longer contain his anger. He shouted furiously and leaped up, delivering a full¨Cforce palm strike to the back of the blond man. ¡°Boom!¡± A muffled sound echoed. The blond man¡¯s body trembled slightly, but then he casually turned his head. There was a hint of disdain on his face. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Clement¡¯s eyelid twitched, and his face paled with horror. The opponent had taken his full¨Cforce palm strike directly without the slightest injury. Was this guy even human? ¡°Go to hell!¡± Clement gritted his teeth and forcefully delivered a powerful kick to the blond man¡¯s head. ¡°Boom!¡± Another muffled sound rang out. The blond man¡¯s head only turned to the side slightly, then quickly returned to its original position, completely unharmed. Clement was terrified by the scene. Cold sweat began to drip down his forehead, ¡°You weakling!¡± The blond man smirked and threw a light punch. Clement closed his eyes and instinctively raised his arms to block the attack. ¡°Boom!¡± A loud explosion reverberated. Clement¡¯s arm instantly fractured, and his entire body was sent flying over ten meters before crashing heavily into a tree. Blood spewed from his mouth. ¡°What ¡­?¡± Witnessing this scene, everyone was dumbfounded. No one could have imagined that Clement, the esteemed guildmaster of Royal Valor, who was halfway to bing a grandmaster, couldn¡¯t withstand a single punch from the blond man! What the hell was this creature? Terrified, the crowd scattered in all directions, not daring to get close. ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡± Both astonished and scared, Clementid helplessly on the ground. There was only one possibility for the person to defeat him with just one move. He must be a formidable grandmaster! ¡°I am from the Hall of Gods, bestowed with the name Ares!¡± the blond man proudly dered. ¡°The Hall of Gods from Streuqua? You¡¯re the God of War, Ares?¡± Everyone was shocked at his introduction. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The Hall of Gods was the most prestigious martial organization in Streuqua. It was home to numerous formidable individuals, each with their own unique abilities and talents. Any one of them can wreak havoc wherever they go! Not to mention those who were bestowed with divine titles. They were truly unmatched powerhouses. Take the current figure, Ares, the God of War, for example. In Dragonmarsh, he would be considered a martial arts grandmaster and would stand out as one of the best among the grandmasters. An existence like him could easily overpower not just Royal Valor alone, but even if all eight sects joined forces, they would still be unable to stand against him. However, Clement didn¡¯t understand why a top¨Ctier powerhouse from the Hall of Gods suddenly appeared in Swinton. Also, why did he unleash such a merciless onught against the disciples of Boulderthorn? Chapter 359 ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on? Why is the God of War from the Hall of Gods here?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Could Sir Lincoln have crossed some big shot from the Hall of Gods?¡± Both Oliver and Brody cowered in fear when they saw the man with blonde hair who was brimming with a murderous air. ¡°How the fuck would I know? Why are you even asking me?¡± Luther gulped nervously and chided them. They had been there to ambush Dustin and had never expected to be assaulted by such a formidable individual from the Hall of Gods. This was mind¨Cblowing! ¡°Your Excellency, I have never offended any of you from the Hall of Gods. Why have youe to massacre the members of Boulderthorn?¡± Clement asked, his face pale with fear. ¡°What? Arent you all the West Lucozian army?¡± The blonde¨Chaired man asked with confusion. ¡°Huh? West Lucozian army? We¡¯re members of the Boulderthorn guild!¡± Clement eximed defeatedly. After all the mess, it turns out that the members of his guild died for no reason. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not the West Lucozian army? No wonder you¡¯re all so weak! But that¡¯s alright. There¡¯s nothing we can do about the dead anymore. I¡¯ll just take this as a warm¨Cup exercise.¡± The blonde¨Chaired manughed hysterically. Clement stood there, dumbfounded. But there was nothing he could do. He dare not retaliate either. This was a grandmaster they were talking about! He could kill them all as easily as one would kill an ant. ¡°Ares, stop messing around. Stay focused on our mission.¡± Right then, the crisp voice of a woman rang from a distance. Immediately after, a purple¨Chaired woman donned in full armor made her way towards them from the shadows. She held a sword in her left hand and a shield in her right The shapely and sexy woman exuded an overwhelming aura all around her. ¡°You know that my power heightens along with the number of people I kill, Athena. I¡¯m merely warming up. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± The blonde¨Chaired man chuckled. ¡°Athena?¡± The crowd was once again astonished. Never in a hundred years would they have foreseen the Goddess of War from the Hall of Gods to be there too. This was another powerful god who was no less formidable than Ares, the God of War! Just Ares alone was enough to wipe out Royal Valor in its entirety. With Athena there, even if the eight major guilds joined hands, they would stand no chance against these two! ¡°Come on out, you two. No point hiding anymore,¡± Athena suddenly called out. As she said that, two more figures emerged from the shadows. One was a handsome man with his hand holding a bow and some arrows, and the other was a ripped and bulky man who was about six and a half feet tall. ¡°Apollo of the Hall of Gods,¡± the handsome man said first, not forgetting to flex his muscles. ¡°Heracles,¡± the built man grunted, obviously not a chatty person. The moment they spoke, Clement and the rest of the Boulderthorns were utterly bbergasted, looking ashen. ¡°Apollo, the God of Sun?¡± ¡°And Heracles, the God of Strength?¡± ¡°Well, fuck me! Four of the major gods from the Hall of Gods are here! Are we doomed?¡± The crowd was terrified. Ares, the God of War, Athena, the Goddess of War. Apollo, the God of Sun; and Heracles, the God of Strength! They weren¡¯t just any other gods from the Hall of Gods! These were major gods! It was already a great enough deal to see one of them, much less all four of them! Who would have thought that all four of them would appear in one ce together? This was truly shocking! These four put together were enough to go against the entire Boulderthorn guild! ¡°How could this be? Why has the Hall of Gods sent so many major gods here? What¡¯s going on?¡± Clement felt weak in his knees. Nobody could care less for the guild master of Boulderthorn when there were four major gods here! He was nothingpared to them! ¡°Oh no, we won¡¯t die here today, will we?¡± Oliver and Brody were drenched in sweat and in a state of Chapter 360 Both Oliver and Brody felt their knees start to buckle. ¡°Why are such legendary beings here?¡± Luther¡¯s face was as white as a sheet as hemented inwardly. Had he known that he would meet these masters here, he never would havee in the first ce! Everyone was silenced by the presence of the four major gods from the Hall of Gods. An overwhelming, murderous aura permeated every inch of the ce. The crowd stood idly in ce, and no one dared to speak, move, or even so much as breathe loudly. At that moment, they knew that they were no longer in control of their lives. And the fact was, they weren¡¯t wrong. Not in the least. In the presence of the four major gods, their lives were as insignificant as ants. Beneath their fear and terror, there was also a genuine curiosity as to what exactly brought the four major gods there. ¡°Mr. Rhys, we know you¡¯re in there. Would you pleasee out to meet us?¡± The four major gods stood in a row, and it was Athena who first broke the silence. ¡°How merry it is out here!¡± Rufus walked out with a ss of wine as heughed heartily. ¡°Since the Hall of Gods sent all four of you, I guess they¡¯re really intent on ending me today!¡± ¡°Mr. Rhys, the Hall of Gods really admires talented people like you. As long as you agree to join us, not only will you walk away unscathed today, but you will also gain our protection!¡± Athena dered loudly. ¡°Haha! From what you¡¯re saying, I gather that you¡¯re proposing that I betray my country?¡± Rufus asked with amusement. ¡°We can give you everything that Dragonmarsh has to offer and more! You will be able to fully unleash your talents in Streuqua,¡± Athena persuaded unceasingly. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, there are three things I¡¯ll never do. First, I¡¯ll never kill the weak, the old, women, and children. Secondly, I¡¯ll never put up with corrupt bureaucrats. And finally, I¡¯ll never betray my country. So, unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to disappoint you today.¡± Rufus¡® smile remained as wide as ever. ¡°If you do not agree, then today is the day you¡¯ll meet your maker!¡± Athena¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°Are you able to kill me with just the four of you?¡± Rufus took a sip of his wine. ¡°We might not be able to go to war against you, but there¡¯s nobody out there who does a better job at assassinating than us!¡± Athena announced confidently. ¡°Cut the chit¨Cchat! I can¡¯t wait to get things started!¡± Aresughed maniacally and began to move. With an agile leap, he charged toward Rufus like a bullet. ¡°Get him!¡± With Athena¡¯smand, all of them charged toward Rufus immediately. Though all four of them were major gods, none of them dared ck off in the slightest because the person standing in front of them was someone worthy of being taken seriously by them. ¡°Major gods? Hah! I call bullshit on that!¡± Albert, who stood behind Rufus, scoffed. In one swift motion, he stepped in front of Rufus and met the four major gods head¨Con. In an instant, thunderous sounds echoed from all around as fierce gales howled unceasingly and waves of true energy swept across their surroundings. The members of Royal Valor backed off as quickly as they could, lest they got caught in the middle. Dustin stood at the entrance to the medical center and squinted as he watched the battle between the five of them. The Rhys family had three great generals, namely the Sword Whisperer, the Executioner, and the Drunken Maniac. Out of the three of them, the Sword Whisperer was undoubtedly the most powerful. However, the most ruthless of them all was none other than Albert, the Executioner. Albert had reached peak level grandmastery ten years ago. Now that ten years had passed, he¡¯d refined his skills so much more that he was on par with the four major gods. ¡°Oh my goodness! Who¡¯s this old fe? How can he hold up against the four major gods so well?¡± Oliver and Brody were amazed by what they saw. From their point of view, the four major gods were deities who had total control during any battle! And when four such unrivaled beings teamed up and were still no match for an old man, it was truly mystifying! ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t barge into the medical center earlier on! I¡¯d be dead meat if I did!¡± Clement broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the ongoing fight. Never in his dreams had he ever thought that there would be such a powerful master in the tiny medical center! He wouldn¡¯t even know how he died if he actually went and challenged such a person! Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Hang on¡­ The old man was someone from Peaceful Medical Center. And Peaceful Medical Center belonged to Dustin. Could it be possible that Dustin was somehow rted to the old man? Ashen- faced, Clement dared not even continue his train of thought. Chapter 361 As the battle raged on, Albert held his ground firmly against the four major gods¡® attacks. The five figures moved around so fast that they seemed to be intertwined, and it was impossible to tell them apart. It was quite an overwhelming sight to behold. Everywhere they passed by, trees would fall and houses would copse. The entire ce was in ruins. Dustin stood at the entrance to the medical center, blocking out the asional stray bursts of true energy that went their way. It was a good thing that Albert had the sense to lead the fight away from them or the medical center would also have been destroyed. ¡°Dustin, who would have thought that you had such a powerful elder in your family! Even the four major gods cannot defeat him!¡± Maximus stared straight ahead at the five figures who were engaged in a tight battle. They moved so fast that he could not even make out who each person was. ¡°He¡¯s not an elder,¡± Dustin said coldly, ¡°He¡¯s not? Then why is he with your father?¡± Maximus was intrigued. ¡°He¡¯s just a servant working for the Rhys family,¡± Dustin answered aloofly. He didn¡¯t particrly like Albert. ¡°A servant?¡± Maximus could not believe his ears. He was awe¨Cstruck, to say the least. ¡°You have such a powerful person as a servant? Are you royalty, Dustin?¡± Maximus wondered to himself. ¡°We¡¯ve got trouble.¡± Suddenly, Dustin seemed to detect something. His head whipped up, and he stared intently down the street. The lights along the street briefly dimmed before they started to flicker. In the blurriness, a figure could be seening towards them. When the lights came on, the figure disappeared, and when the lights went out, the figure materialized again. He approached closer each time the lights flickered, and in just a matter of seconds, the person appeared before the crowd. It was an old man with a ck beard who wore a dark cloak. He was shrouded in a dark mist and emanated an air of demise. ¡°I¨CI¨CI¡­ I know him! He¡¯s Hades, God of the Underworld from the Hall of Gods!¡± Someone from the crowd eximed all of a sudden. Chaos broke out instantly! ¡°Good heavens! Even Hades, God of the Underworld is here! What on earth is going on today?¡± The three Williams men were scared out of their wits and reduced to a flustered state. The reason behind their shock was that Hades, God of the Underworld, was a royal god! His status and power far exceeded those of major gods like Athena and Ares. They were on twopletely different levels. There was no mistake in saying that his presence in the Hall of Gods was unparalleled. If the strongest of major gods wereparable to grandmasters in Dragonmarsh, then a royal god would be equivalent to the most superior of ultimate grandmasters. There were only a handful of ultimate grandmasters in Dragonmarsh, and each of them was regarded as a national treasure. They usually busied themselves with protecting the country¡¯s borders or guarding the pce grounds, and they rarely ever made public appearances. The same could be said for the royal gods of the Hall of Gods. They were never deployed unless their nation¡¯s security was at risk of being breached. Akin to nuclear weapons, they were more often used to intimidate and deter enemies rather than to engage in actual battles. But today, it was truly beyond anyone¡¯s imagination that the most elite person in Streuqua, a royal god from the Hall of Gods, would actually make an appearance here in Dragonmarsh! Were they here to initiate war? ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mr. Rhys.¡± Hades took off his cloak and nodded at Rufus like he was greeting an old friend. ¡°The Hall of Gods has truly gone all out this time around! Even a royal god has been deployed! Wouldn¡¯t it be a cmity if your nation lost you here?¡± Rufus raised a brow, looking as calm as ever. ¡°Mr. Rhys, if you were in West Lucozia, it goes without saying that I would not act rashly. Unfortunately, you have chosen to leave your own safe zone, so don¡¯t be surprised that we¡¯re taking action,¡± Hades said with a smirk. ¡°Oh, so do you think that you¡¯re able to kill me?¡± Rufus asked lightly. ¡°We¡¯ve done our investigation. You only have a grandmaster guarding you now. Athena and the rest of them will be able to keep him busy. And that would leave me to deal with you alone, and I¡¯m fairly certain I can take your life.¡± Hades was very confident in their n. There was an ace in the West Lucozian army who was extremely aplished in his swordsmanship, and Hades knew that he was no match against that person. But luckily for them, person was not here today, so this was the best chance for the Hall of Gods tounch an attack on them. thatContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As long as Rufus died, West Lucozia would be left without a leader, and Streuqua could boldly invade them, and they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. This was a vital step for them, and they would not allow themselves to fail! ¡°Since you already have everything nned out,e on then,¡± Rufus invited impassively. ¡°Have your last look at the mortal realm, Mr. Rhys!¡± Chapter 362 Hades mimicked a courteous Dragonmarshian gesture before he raised a hand and swiftly brought it downward. As a loud thunder boomed around them, the dark shadow of a palm the size of a hill materialized out of nowhere, and with the downward motion of Hades¡® hand, it too mmed down upon Rufus. Under the enormous shadow, Rufus looked as tiny as an ant. Had the impact been brought down anywhere else, it would have reduced the entire medical center to a pile of rubble, much less any human. ¡°Boom!¡± Even from a great distance away, most of the Boulderthorn members fell to their knees and threw up blood from the remnant of the force. Vulnerable bystanders were always the ones who bore the brunt of the consequences whenever there were conflicts between those of greater power. Ultimate grandmasters were basically nuclear weapons in human form! Just one move from them was enough to bring down mountains and cause the earth beneath their feet to part! Of course, these mere mortals would not be able to withstand it. ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed when he saw the huge shadow of a palm overhead. Just as he was hesitating on whether he should go ahead and make a move, an old man dressed in white emerged and pulled Rufus behind him. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At the same time, the old man emitted dazzling golden rays from his body, and a golden giant about 15 feet tall arose from behind him. In one swift motion, the giant¡¯s fist made contact with the enormous palm¨Cshaped shadow. With a reverberating bang, the shadow, which was about the size of a hill, instantly shattered into fine shards. The golden giant stood motionless and steady behind the old man, looking very much like a golden statue. ¡°Who are you?¡± Hades demanded maliciously. He had thought that they had their assassination n down to a tee. It had never urred to them that there would be a secret master hidden under their nose. ¡°You may call me Wilkins. I¡¯m just a regr attendant in Aylka.¡± Though the old man had white hair, he had a childlike appearance. When he spoke, his gaze was cast downward to the ground, showing extreme humility and submission, and hecked any sort of authority. ¡°Mr. Wilkins?¡± Hades squinted as he studied the man in front of him. Then, it suddenly seemed to dawn on him. ¡°Oh! I remember now. So you¡¯re Nestor Wilkins? The legendary, unrivaled master within the pce gates?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor. Nothing of the sort.¡± Still, the old man hung his head low, as if embarrassed. ¡°I do not care if that¡¯s a rumor. I need you to get lost right now, or I¡¯ll make sure you never get to see the next sunrise!¡± Hades ordered haughtily. They were in Dragonmarsh territory now, so he needed to get things done as fast as possible. The longer things dragged on, the higher their chances of failing were. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Nestor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯vee bearing two orders, and the first one is to protect the prince.¡± ¡°Oh? And what of the second one?¡± Hades asked nonchntly. ¡°To annihte the gods of Streuqua.¡± And as he spoke, Nestor suddenly disappeared into thin air. When he took form again, he stood right in front of Hades with less than three feet between them. ¡°Huh?¡± Hades nched. He felt like he had fallen into an icy stream. His scalp crawled, and all his hair stood on end. Just as he was about to make a move, Nestor grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up over his head. Hades stiffened all over, and he could not feel his limbs. He could not even lift a finger. Gasps of astonishment broke out all around as they saw how weak Hades was in this person¡¯s hands. ¡°We havews here. And when you¡¯re in our territory, you¡¯ve got to obey ourws. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a human, a demon, or a god; if you break ourws, you will pay for it. Oh, and I forgot to mention, no gods allowed in Dragonmarsh!¡± And with that, Nestor¡¯s grip on Hades¡® throat tightened, and with a deafening crack, his neck was snapped in two. Hades ceased to exist right then and there. Chapter 363 A deathly silence fell over the crowd. Even the fierce battle that raged on between Albert and the four major gods came to a standstill. Everyone gaped with disbelief as they watched on. Hades, the God of the Underworld, a royal god of the Hall of Gods, had died just like that? With just one move? By a mere mortal? How the hell was that possible? He possessed powers no less than those of ultimate grandmasters and was a supreme expert in Streuqua! His level of destruction was supposed to be on the same level as nuclear weapons! But such an impressive person just had his neck snapped by an old man! How horrifying! After a short moment of eerie silence, amotion broke out. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hallucinating, was I? A royal god from the Hall of Gods had just been killed in one move?¡± ¡°Oh goodness! What¡¯s going on? Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°An impressive fight! An impressive fight indeed!¡± The members of Boulderthorn watched everything with their hearts in their mouths. From the Williams men to the guildmaster, Sir Lincoln, every one of them was gripped by fear. Who would have thought that an attendant was so mighty? Was this truly the power of the unrivaled master in the pce? He was fearsome! ¡°Lord Hades died?¡± Athena and the rest of the major gods were horrified by the sight before them. Their original n had been to let the four of them hold the West Lucozian army back while Lord Hades delivered the fatal blow to Rufus. They had predicted every possibility that could happen during the assassination, rehearsed a million times, and had a sess rate of over 99%. But in all of their predictions, they had never expected Nestor to arrive so soon, and that even Lord Hades was no match for him. As much as they were unwilling to ept defeat, they had no means of denying it. They were utterly andpletely defeated! ¡°Ares! Get out of here!¡± Athena hissed through clenched teeth as she made a dash for it. ¡°Damn it! We were so close!¡± Ares roared defiantly. However, he had no other choice but to escape along with hisrades. If the person was able to kill Lord Hades, then they clearly weren¡¯t a match for him. ¡°Do you think that you can escape?¡± Nestor¡¯s eyes narrowed before he disappeared once again. When he appeared again five minutester, he held four heads in his hands. Athena, Ares, Apollo, and Heracles¡­ The four major gods from the Hall of Gods. Not a single one of them escaped. All four of them died at the hands of Nestor Wilkins. The crowd inhaled sharply at the grotesque sight of four bloody heads hanging from his hands. To even have the chance of escaping was a luxury in and of itself in the face of true power. At that moment, Nestor was a person who was many times more daunting than any God they ever believed in. With a dull thud, Nestor chucked the heads aside. Then, under the disbelieving gaze of the crowd, he got on one knee before Rufus and Dustin. ¡°Nestor Wilkins at your service, Your Highness, Prince of Theswe! And at your service, Your Grace!¡± With that, he bowed deeply with such humility towards them. ¡°What?¡± The crowd felt as if they had been struck by lightning and were all shocked silly. They had not even gotten over the fact that four major gods and a royal god had been killed today, and now they had even more surprising news to digest.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Never in their dreams had they ever imagined that the unrivaled master from the pce, someone who had killed Hades with just a single move, would get on his knees and bow to another person. in public. How the hell was that possible? They had always known that only the strong were respected. The old man, Nestor, seemed almost invincible! He was definitely the most superior person in all of Dragonmarsh! Chapter 364 A person as mighty as him should have been respected and admired by all, no matter where he went. His presence alone should be worshiped like that of a god, so why was he behaving so humbly? ¡°Prince of Theswe? Your Grace?¡± Clement stared dully, first at Rufus and then at Dustin. He felt an immense fear that he had never experienced before crept up on him and spread throughout his entire being. There was only one person in the whole world who was known as the Prince of Theswe, and that person was the ruler of West Lucozia, the person who had total control over the Rhys household, and the one person who reigned Dragonmarsh. It was the remarkable Rufus Rhys. Could it be possible that the ugly and hunched old man was the indestructible Prince of Theswe? At the thought of that, Clement was so terrified that he broke out in a cold sweat and looked as white as a sheet. And if the hunched old man was the Prince of Theswe, then wouldn¡¯t Dustin, who was addressed as ¡°Your Grace¡°, be the son of the Prince of Theswe? Which would make him¡­ the renowned Kirin, Logan Rhys? Clement¡¯s knees buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground on his backside. His face was ashen, and his gaze was full of despair. He wasn¡¯t the only one reduced to such a state. By then, all three of the Williams men were also trembling and shaking in fear. Brody, especially, quivered like a leaf, and his pants were dripping wet. He was so scared that he had wet himself! None of them had ever thought that the person they had assumed to be just a small fry would turn out to be the son of the Prince of Theswe! And they had offended him! ¡°Get up, Mr. Wilkins. What¡¯s a grown man doing staying on his knees everywhere he goes? Oh, wait. I nearly forgot. You¡¯re not a man, are you?¡± Rufus mocked with the hint of a smile teasing on his lips. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Nestor¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he resumed his humble and submissive facade. ¡°You¡¯vee just in time today. You must have followed me the entire way here?¡± Rufus asked intentionally. ¡°The master was worried about your safety, Your Highness, so he sent me to secretly protect you along the way. I beg for your pardon ¡± Nestor lowered his head. ¡°To protect me? I¡¯m sure you meant he sent you to spy on me?¡± Rufus smiled ambiguously. ¡°Please do not get the wrong idea, Sir. You are of esteemed status, and your identity dictates the destiny of the whole of Dragonmarsh. Even the slightest scratch or injury on you would threaten the fate of the nation,¡± Nestor exined humbly. ¡°Hah! What a good attendant you are!¡± Rufus reached out to give Nestor a pat on the back. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Nestor nodded. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay here any longer, Sir. Please return to West Lucozia immediately to ensure that you face no mishap.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you telling me what to do now?¡± Rufus¡® expression darkened. ¡°I would never dare to.¡± Nestor held his head low. ¡°If you¡¯re a servant, then act as a servant should. Don¡¯t you ever dare tell me what to do, or you¡¯ll be sorry,¡± Rufus warned. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Nestor remained submissive and kept his gaze fixed on the ground. ¡°Well, why are you still here? Get lost!¡± Rufus waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Nestor answered. Just as he was about to take his leave, he was stopped by Dustin. ¡°Hold up! Did I say you could leave?¡± ¡°Do you have any orders, Your Grace?¡± Once again, Nestor kept his head low. ¡°Tell me, were you involved in the incident ten years ago?¡± Dustin asked coldly. ¡°I do not understand what you¡¯re referring to, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Do you not understand, or are you feigning ignorance?¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze was frosty, and killing intent was starting to surface. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Did you have anything to do with my mother¡¯s death?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°You must have been mistaken, Your Grace. I know nothing about it.¡± Nestor shook his head. ¡°Who, in the whole of Aylka, could stop my mother, if not for you, an ultimate grandmaster?¡± Dustin clenched his fists, and fury burned within him. ¡°From what I know, the princess consort had passed on due to an ailment.¡± Nestor sidestepped. ¡°F*ck you and your ailments! Go to hell, vermin!¡± Dustin pulled out his sword and charged head- on toward him. Chapter 365 With a whoosh, Dustin¡¯s sword immediately emitted blinding rays. Swift as the wind and with such immense strength, he drove his sword toward Nestor¡¯s chest. Out of nowhere, an enormous and translucent golden bell came down out of the sky andnded around Nestor with a dull thud, shielding him from Dustin¡¯s attack. As the tip of Dustin¡¯s sword made contact with the golden bell, rings of ripples spread out from the point of contact as they would on the surface of the water. There weren¡¯t any sounds produced, no explosion, and not even so much as a tiny ng from the impact. The true energy that Dustin channeled waspletely absorbed by the bell and did not harm Nestor at all. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°What are you doing, Your Grace?¡± Nestor¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°I¡¯m doing away with you!¡± Dustin kicked himself off the ground and propelled himself forward, stabbing the golden bell forcefully. Strong ripples spread out across the bell once again, but still, it remained intact and did not even budge an inch from its position. ¡°Your Grace, I came bearing orders from the master. Do you think this is a good idea?¡± Nestor asked calmly. Dustin did not say a word and merely drove his sword against the bell continuously. With his ceaseless effort, the bell gradually started to vibrate, and the ripples on it grew more violent. After another ten stabs or so, Dustin¡¯s sword suddenly snapped with a ng and fell to the ground noisily. It was just an ordinary sword that could not withstand the constant surges of true energy channeled from Dustin. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Rufus stopped Dustin when he saw that Dustin was still intent on attacking Nestor. ¡°You¡¯re no match for him. There¡¯s no point carrying on.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s to say I¡¯m no match for him? We¡¯ll never know until we end this!¡± Dustin retorted defiantly. ¡°He came under orders, and he has someone behind him. If anything were to happen to him here, you wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences!¡± Rufus warned him. ¡°So? Are you telling me that I should stand idly by and watch as my mother¡¯s murderer walks away without doing anything?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked much like a bloodthirsty beast. ¡°Hear me out, Logan. Now¡¯s not the time yet.¡± Rufus shook his head. Nestor was the King¡¯s most trusted guard. If, for any reason, he happened to die in their hands, it would have many repercussions. He did not wish for his son to be entangled in the mess that took ce all those years ago. At least, not yet; it was still not the time yet. ¡°Rufus Rhys, if you do not wish to be implicated, then just back off! I will take full responsibility and bear all the consequences of my actions today. This has nothing to do with the Rhys family!¡± Dustin roared menacingly before once again charging toward Nestor with his broken sword. This time, Nestor no longer yed the part of the defensive party. He removed the golden bell that shielded him from Dustin¡¯s attacks and let Dustin do as he wished. Just as Dustin was about to make contact with his target, a dragon cane parried his sword, blocking his advances. ¡°Mr. Logan! Please calm down! Many will die if you harm him!¡± Albert warned gravely. ¡°How dare you block me!¡± Dustin¡¯s expression darkened even more. He looked feral and seemed intent on murdering anyone who dared stop him from achieving his goal of killing Nestor. ¡°Quit messing around,d!¡± Gregory, who stood a little way to the back, called out to him. ¡°All this fighting is meaningless. If you really have a mind to get revenge, you might as well just march right up to Stonia andunch an attack on Aylka!¡± Dustin clenched his jaws and took a deep breath when he heard that. Finally, he suppressed his urge to kill and backed off. Of course, he knew that Nestor was nothing more than a puppet and that there was someone else behind the scenes. Gregory was right. If he really wanted revenge, he would have to go up to them with his head held high and kill openly without any restraints. He would make those who were in power in Aylka tremble with fear! ¡°What are you still standing around here for, scum? Get the hell out of here now!¡± Rufus struck Nestor harshly with his foot. ¡°I shall take my leave now,¡± Nestor said humbly before he nodded at them and turned to leave. But before he left, he deliberately turned back and shot Dustin a challenging nce. ¡°Listen up, Wilkins! I will personally go to Aylka for you in a year! I will fight you to the death at the highest fort in Aylka!¡± Dustin¡¯s fury was overwhelming and unbridled. ¡°I await for your presence, Your Grace.¡± Nestor smiled curtly before quickly disappearing into the darkness. ¡°You acted too rashly, young man! Even though he¡¯s just an attendant, he¡¯s an unrivaled master in Aylka! The Sword Whisperer is the only person in the whole of West Lucozia who can put up a fight against him! Did you really think that it would be so easy to kill him?¡± Gregory asked huffily. His words seemed to have more effect on Dustin than Rufus¡®. ¡°Of course, I know that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to kill him off. I was just putting on a show.¡± The resentful and feral expression on his face hadpletely dissolved away and was instead reced by his usual calmness and nonchnce. ¡°Putting on a show?¡± Gregory did not understand what he meant. ¡°A decade ago, he designed such an intricate scheme just to do away with me. I do not believe that his desire to get rid of me will change after a decade. If I did not make a move earlier on, he¡¯d still find a means of assessing me. If that were the case, I¡¯d much rather make the first move and show him what a vengeful and aggressive young rascal I am,¡± Dustin said aloofly. ¡°Have you been acting the whole time,d?¡± Gregory quickly caught on to what he meant. ¡°Not exactly acting. I was dead serious about wanting to do him in. I simply made myself seem more impulsive and quick¨Ctempered, and I also showed him how little progress I¡¯ve made over the years so that they would not be too wary and guarded against me.¡± Dustin looked up calmly into the sky with bright eyes. He had ten years of practice that allowed him to mask his emotions and not let anyone see past his true feelings. ¡°The strong show weakness to their enemies, whereas the weak show strength. Well done, young man! You truly have some tricks up your sleeves!¡± Gregoryughed heartily. ¡°Hah! He takes after his father!¡± Rufus lifted his chin proudly. Dustin paid him no heed and raised his sword. With a quick swish, he brought his sword down in an arc, and Clement, who had been secretly attempting to escape, was sliced in half. ¡°Pl¨Cplease don¡¯t kill me¡­ I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t-¡± Luther and his two sons were begging on their knees as tears ran down their faces. But before they could even finish their words, Dustin brought his sword down on them, and all three of them were beheaded. ¡°I gave you lots of chances, but you never treasured them.¡± And then, he turned around and walked into the center as though nothing had ever happened. ¡°Albert, spare no one,¡± Rufus ordered impassively. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Albert nodded. Then, a murderous glint shed in his eyes as he turned to face the members of Royal Valor. He looked like a ravenous beast who had spotted a flock ofmbs. They were going to pay with their lives for angering Rufus! Chapter 366 After he left Peaceful Medical Center, Nestor quickly got into a car. The driver was a pale young man with handsome features who had ayer of thick makeup and bright red lipstick. It was hard to identify his gender at first nce. ¡°Who would have thought that Logan Rhys would have gone into hiding in such a pathetic medical center for the past ten years that he¡¯d been missing, Mr. Wilkins? And it seems like he¡¯s still very much hung up on the incident back then. Should I put an end to him when the opportunity arises so that we won¡¯t get into any trouble with him in the future?¡± The pale man had a shrill voice that carried a hint of malice. ¡°We can¡¯t kill him yet,¡± Nestor said calmly with his eyes closed. ¡°So long as Rufus is still in power, nobody will be able to harm him.¡± ¡°Every mortal goes through life and death, Sir. I promise I¡¯ll make his death look so natural that nobody will suspect anything amiss.¡± The pale man chuckled venomously. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Things aren¡¯t as simple as you make them out to be.¡± Nestor shook his head. ¡°Do you know why Rufus willingly stayed cooped up in West Lucozia serving our master when he has such impressive skills and a troop of 500,000 men at his disposal?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because he¡¯s intimidated by our majestic and powerful master!¡± The pale man dered proudly. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s partially true that he¡¯s intimidated, but more importantly, it¡¯s because he¡¯s worried about the potential consequences.¡± Nestor gave a slight smile. ¡°As long as the so¨Ccalled Kirin is around, Rufus will never take action, no matter how ambitious he is. On the contrary, Rufus would be an uncontroble beast with nothing left to lose once his son was dead. And when that dayes, Stonia¡¯s destiny will be rewritten.¡± When the Princess Consort of West Lucozia died a decade ago, Rufus had attempted to deploy his armies from the borders several times. But in the end, he always held back. Was the reason behind it because he feared death? Or was it because he feared the King? What a joke! The true reason behind his retreat was to protect Logan. Simply put, the influential and great Prince of Theswe only had onest precious treasure left, and that was his son, Logan. If anything were to happen to him, mayhem would break out in Stonia. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m just worried that when Logan returns to West Lucozia and inherits the throne, it¡¯ll bring great disaster upon us!¡± The pale man reminded Nestor. ¡°Hah! The so¨Ccalled Kirin that people imed to be an unrivaled genius is just a rascal who¡¯s still wet behind the ears. He¡¯s impulsive and easily angered; he¡¯s utterly transparent. Even if a person like him inherits the throne, he¡¯d just be a reckless man who does not warrant our fear. I¡¯m certain. that once Rufus Rhys dies, the entire Rhys family, and even the whole of West Lucozia, will fall apart and end up in a mess!¡± Nestor smiled vilely. ¡°But Rufus is only in his fifties. What if he still has a long life ahead of him? Will we continue living in fear for another twenty or thirty years toe?¡± The pale man frowned. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t take so long. Just wait. Things will soone to an end.¡± A meaningful smirk crept up on Nestor¡¯s face. The master had waited for ten years; it was ten years¡® worth ofying out their tactics. It was almost time to carry out their n and reap the fruits of theirbor. When Dustin woke up the next morning, the medical center had been thoroughly cleaned, both inside and out. All traces of the fight that took ce the night prior had vanished, and all relevant information had been hidden away. Everything was as calm and peaceful as before.. ¡°Lad, your father has returned to West Lucozia.¡± Gregory walked down the stairs toward him. As opposed to his usual drunken state, he seemed exceptionally sober today. Chapter 367 ¡°He should have left long ago. He¡¯s only going to bring us trouble if he stays here,¡± Dustin said frostily. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Before your father left, he asked me to talk you into returning to the Rhys family. I refused.¡± Gregory sat down on a chair and poured himself a cup of tea. ¡°I told him that the Rhys household is a dangerous ce to be in. I¡¯d much rather see you do what you love and live your best life out here than be constantly caught in power struggles and deceitful maniptions back there. Surprisingly, he agreed. He told me that all he wants is for you to be happy, and that the Rhys family will always be there to back you up. His only wish is for you to make time to go back and visit your mother¡¯s grave to pay her respect.¡± Dustin stood there, frozen in ce, when he heard that. He felt a prick on his chest, right above his heart. He reached up to find that it was the crystal ne that his mother had left him. Taking in a deep breath, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back. But now¡¯s not the time. The day the murderer pays with his life will be the day I return!¡± Because how could he visit his mother¡¯s grave now knowing that her death has yet to be avenged? ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ve said all that¡¯s left to be said. You make your own decision.¡± Then Gregory downed the cup of tea and went upstairs, ready to go back to bed again. As for Dustin, he sat on a chair and started to ponder over his great vengeance scheme. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Dahlia walked in and waved a hand in front of Dustin¡¯s face. ¡°Hey, when did youe in?¡± Dustin was surprised to see her. ¡°You didn¡¯t even see meing in? What are you so lost in thought over? Is it me you¡¯re thinking about, or is it Natasha that¡¯s upying your thoughts?¡± Dahlia probed inquisitively. ¡°Neither.¡± Dustin shook his head. That was a trick question, and he knew better than to answer it. ¡°Oh? Is there someone else that you¡¯ve got your mind on?¡± Dahlia asked, looking at him questioningly. ¡°Of course not!¡± Dustin was amused by Dahlia¡¯s question. Then, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°Did youe here so early in the morning to ask me about this?¡± ¡°Hah! Do you think I have nothing better to do with my time?¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯vee to share some good news! The Nicholson family in Glenstead has finally epted our family again! We¡¯ll be reunified. From now on, we¡¯ll be scions of a prestigious family!¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so? Well, congrattions!¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not all!¡± Dahlia smiled proudly. ¡°Not only have we been epted to return, but the patriarch of the family, Regulus Nicholson, has also listed me as a potential sessor! I¡¯ll stand a chance of competing against the rest of his offspring as the future head of the household!¡± ¡°So what you mean, is that as long as you perform well, you stand a chance of bing the head of a prominent family?¡± Dustin was quick to catch on. ¡°Precisely!¡± Dahlia snapped her fingers and giggled excitedly. ¡°So many people dream about being listed as potential sessors of the family. I never would have guessed that the patriarch would choose me! What a pleasant surprise!¡± Truth be told, she hadn¡¯t held high hopes of being reunited with the Nicholson family of Glenstead. She knew that even if she were to return to the prestigious family, she would not be properly recognized or appreciated as she wasn¡¯t part of the direct lineage. But things were different now. To be selected as a potential sessor was a big deal.. It put her at a different standing and status from all the other descendants who weren¡¯t on the list. This was her one chance to take control of her destiny and break free from the oppression of her family. All she needed to do was prove her worth and defeat herpetitors, and she¡¯d be able to emerge as a sessor and rise above them all. ¡°Congrattions! Seems like the patriarch is cing great importance on your family!¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Well, of course!¡± Dahlia lifted her chin confidently. ¡°Now that the chance presents itself, you better butter me up nice and well or you¡¯ll be sorry you missed the opportunity to do so when I be the sessor!¡± Chapter 368 Amused by Dahlia¡¯s antics, Dustin chuckled and nodded furiously in a joking manner. ¡°Ah, yes! All hail, Ms. Nicholson! The ever¨Ccapable and talented Ms. Nicholson is bound to be the leader of a prominent household one day!¡± Then, he even went so far as to pump his fist in the air dramatically to entertain her. ¡°Hey! Quit fooling around! I¡¯m being serious here! As long as I be the matriarch of the Nicholson family, I¡¯ll be even more influential than Natasha Harmon! And when the timees, I¡¯ll take good care of you!¡± Dahlia raised her chin and dered confidently. Anyone could tell that she was full of hope and determination. In the past, Dahlia had always felt inferiorpared to Natasha due to their differences in background and social status. But now that she was a potential sessor to the Nicholson family, she was on par with her, and they would have to vie for Dustin ording to their abilities. Right then, Dahlia¡¯s phone rang. She answered the call and quickly heard Florence¡¯s voice.¡± Honey, where are you? Come back immediately. Madam Gloria from the Nicholson family in Glenstead is here to see you.¡± ¡± ¡°Madam Gloria? Why is she here?¡± Dahlia tried to gather more information to grasp the situation over at Florence¡¯s. Regulus Nicholson, the patriarch of the family, had been a remarkably outstanding man in his youth, and he had married three wives. His first wife was over 70 years old, and both his second and third wives were more than 60 years old. Gloria Gustav was his third wife. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been selected as a potential sessor of the family? I¡¯m sure Madam Gloria is here to cozy up to you. You¡¯re in luck!¡± Florence eximed excitedly. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll head home right away.¡± Dahlia ended the call, and without saying anything else, she led Dustin out the door with her. ¡°What? I¡¯m going too?¡± Dustin was caught off guard. ¡°You¡¯re part of the family too, aren¡¯t you? So why not?¡± Dahlia retorted. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Alright, cut the chit¨Cchat! This is your chance to gain favor from an influential person!¡± And with that, Dahlia dragged Dustin along with her and got into the car. One had to be assertive and dominant with men asionally. At least that¡¯s what she read. Half an hourter, they pulled up at the entrance to the Nicholson vi. When they got out of the car and went in, they found that there was already quite a crowd in the living room. An olddy with thick make¨Cup who was heavily adorned with all sorts of jewelry sat at the center of the crowd. She even had a serpent¨Chead cane clutched in one of her hands. Dakota and Jane sat to either side of her, regarding her with such reverence and respect, while Florence and James only stood by the side, appearing exceptionally meek. They looked like household staff who were waiting on her when they were, in fact, the rightful owners of the ce. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re finally home!¡± Florence quickly went up to Dahlia when she saw her. However, just as she was about to continue, she caught sight of Dustin following in behind Dahlia. Her expression immediately darkened as she hissed, ¡°Who asked for you to be here, Rhys! I haven¡¯t made you pay for the fake gemstone your father gave me yesterday! How dare you show your face here today?¡± ¡°Fake gemstone?¡± Dustin raised a brow at that. ¡°Are you mistaken? Rufus might be a degenerate, but he¡¯d never stoop so low as to fool others with fake goods.¡± ¡°Hah! How dare you make excuses! I sent Julie to have the gemstone appraised, and they confirmed that it was a synthetic gemstone! I¡¯m warning you, you better pay for my loss! I won¡¯t back off without at least 5 million dors!¡± Florence demanded meanly. ¡°Mom, there might be some misunderstanding going on.¡± Dahlia tried to smooth things over between them. ¡°Hah! What misunderstanding could there be? We have already proven that it¡¯s a fake gemstone! His entire family is full of swindlers!¡± Florence spat angrily. ¡°Hey! What are you bunch bickering about? Don¡¯t you see that my grandma is here? Get over here and pay your respects!¡± Dakota barked impatiently from the couch. How dare they whisper and chat among themselves when her grandmother was right there in the center of the living room? Didn¡¯t they know that they should greet her and pay their respects to her first? How rude! ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not done with you yet!¡± Florence red at Dustin angrily. But when she turned towards Gloria, there was a bright smile on her face once again. Dustin shook his head at her subservient attitude. ¡°Dahlia, this is Madam Gloria. She¡¯s an important person in the Nicholson family!¡± Florence gestured towards the heavily made¨Cup olddy fawningly. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Madam Gloria.¡± Dahlia nodded at Gloria respectively. From the looks of it, Gloria did not look like someone who was nice to be around. ¡°Tea.¡± Gloria sat in the middle of the living room with her hands on her cane, looking condescending and arrogant. ¡°Quick! Serve Madam Gloria some tea!¡± Florence immediately signaled Dahlia. Dahlia nodded, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Gloria respectfully. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is this how you serve tea? Have you no manners?¡± Gloria asked darkly. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia did not understand what she meant by that. ¡°Grandma, this is just how uncultured people behave. They do not know how to conduct themselves befitting of elite families like ours.¡± Dakota smirked. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson, don¡¯t you know that in the Nicholson family, it¡¯s customary for one to stand behind their elders and serve them tea with both hands from behind? That¡¯s how you show your respect and sincerity.¡± ¡°Standing behind them and serving tea from behind?¡± Dahlia frowned. Does anyone still do that these days? She wasn¡¯t a maid¨Cin¨Cwaiting, for goodness¡® sake! ¡°What? You¡¯re not willing to do so? It looks like you¡¯re being disrespectful to my grandma!¡± Dakota remarked snidely. ¡°No, no! That¡¯s definitely not the case!¡± Florence waved her hands quickly. ¡°Dahlia¡¯s just not used to these customs. Please do not get angry, Madam Gloria. I¡¯ll serve you tea.¡± Flustered, Florence took the tea from Dahlia and went around to stand behind Gloria, serving her tea respectfully with both hands. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think you¡¯re even fit to serve me tea?¡± Gloria looked at Florence with such contempt, clearly having no intention to take the cup of tea from her. ¡°Well¡­¡± Florence¡¯s smile stiffened as she stood there awkwardly. In the end, she had no choice but to turn to Dahlia. ¡°Honey, quick, serve Madam Gloria her tea. It makes perfect sense for you to serve your elders tea.¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows knitted together tightly as she looked at Florence pleadingly. Finally, she gave in. She took a cup of tea and stood behind Gloria, and then served it to her with both hands in the most respectful manner. ¡°Hmph! We should have done this right from the start to save us all the hassle!¡± Dakota gloated with a smirk on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you always behave like you¡¯re all that? Where¡¯s the proud act you always got? But after all that, you still have to humble yourself and serve my grandma tea!¡± Dakota thought to herself gleefully. As Dahlia stood behind Gloria and served her the tea, Gloria did not take it immediately. Instead, she let Dahlia stand there for some time before she slowly reached out to take the cup of tea. She took a small sip, turned around, and spat it all on Dahlia¡¯s face. ¡°Hey! Are you trying to scald me with such hot tea?¡± Gloria mmed her hand furiously on the table and shot to her feet, using Dahlia nastily. Chapter 369 At the sight of the cold re Gloria shot her, Dahlia frowned, and her expression darkened too. This was no longer about paying respect or following customary practices. When Gloria spat the tea on her face, she made it clear that she was tantly insulting her. She was here to flex her authority over Dahlia and exert dominance over them all! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Dahlia? Grandma asked for tea, and you served it to her boiling hot? Did you do it on purpose?¡± Dakota started to pin the me relentlessly on Dahlia once she saw the opportunity. ¡°I think someone¡¯s just not happy with us and is deliberately trying to make things difficult!¡± Jane echoed. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, no, no! Dahlia did not do it on purpose! Besides, I¡¯ve had the tea too, it isn¡¯t boiling hot!¡± Florence quickly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Oh, so what you¡¯re saying is that I¡¯m lying?¡± Gloria¡¯s expression was as cold as ice. ¡°N¨Cno! I¨CI must have been mistaken. I¡¯m sure the problem is with me,¡± Florence said apologetically with an awkwardugh. She dared not refute Gloria¡¯s words. Gloria, Jane, and Dakota were secretly pleased by her response. After all, their main purpose there was to unt their dominance so that Dahlia and her family would learn to submit to them. ¡°Why are you still standing there, Dahlia? Pour Grandma another cup of tea!¡± Dakota ordered huffily. She really could not fathom why the patriarch would pick this woman to be a potential. sessor to the family. Even Dakota herself did not have such privilege, so she was both livid and green with envy. ¡°Sure, sure! I¡¯ll pour another cup right away.¡± Not daring to stall any longer, Florence immediately brought a fresh cup of tea over and handed it to Dahlia, beckoning for her to serve Gloria the tea again. Dahlia, however, did not take the cup of tea. She could tell from their actions that they were intentionally being difficult and finding fault with her. ¡°What? Do you think that you¡¯re above all of us?¡± Gloria shot her a nasty side¨Ceye. ¡°If you can¡¯t even perform these basic practices, then I think you¡¯re really unfit to be the sessor of the family!¡± As she said that, she pulled out a document and pped it on the table. ¡°Have you any idea what this is? This is your letter of authorization. The family has a conglomerate with a market value of over 10 billion in the southern province. You have initially been nominated as president to further expand the group, but from what I¡¯ve seen today, you do not seem worthy of the position.¡± Gloria looked down on Dahlia dismissively. ¡°A conglomerate worth over 10 billion?¡± Florence¡¯s breathing became erratic when she heard that. If her daughter were to be president of a conglomerate worth over 10 billion dors, it would drastically improve the family¡¯s status and lifestyle! ¡°Dahlia! Quick! Serve Madam Gloria her tea now!¡± Florence urged, signaling to Dahlia as best she could. This was the opportunity of a lifetime! She¡¯d never let her pass it up! So what if she was humiliated? What did it matter anyway when there were 10 billion dors involved? ¡°Dahlia, keep your eyes on the prize!¡± James urged her too. If he were to be known as the brother of the president of a 10 billion dor conglomerate, all the beautiful women out there would eagerly flock to him in a heartbeat! When Dahlia saw the expectant look in her mother¡¯s and brother¡¯s eyes, she drew a deep breath and finally picked up the cup of tea and served it to Gloria. And then, beyond everyone¡¯s expectations, she took a sip and spat it all on Dahlia¡¯s face once again. ¡°It¡¯s t¨¨pid,¡± she said impassively. By then, even Florence and James could tell that something was amiss. First, she said that it scalded her, and now, sheined that it was tepid. Was it really tea that she was after? It was obvious to everyone that she was deliberately putting on a show to put Dahlia in a difficult position. ¡°Well, why are you idling? Get Grandma another cup!¡± Dakotamanded haughtily with a subtle smile. ¡°So what if you¡¯re chosen as a potential sessor? We still have you under our thumb!¡± Dakota thought to herself smugly. ¡°Fine,¡± Dahlia said nonchntly. Chapter 370 Dahlia seemed adamant about getting things over and done with. But just as she picked up the third cup of tea and was about to serve it, someone¡¯s hand stopped her. She turned around and found that it was Dustin. With a frosty expression, he said, ¡°Let me do it this time.¡± ¡°You?¡± Dahlia did not understand what he was ying at. Knowing him, he wasn¡¯t one to bow down to others¡® wishes easily. Could he be doing this for her? ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think you are even fit to serve Grandma tea?¡± Dakota questioned arrogantly. She was here to shame Dahlia, not this good¨Cfor¨Cnothing scumbag. ¡°Hmph! You uncultured folks! How dare you speak in my presence?¡± Gloria lifted her chin, obviously dissatisfied. ¡°It¡¯s just a cup of tea, what difference does it make who serves you? I¡¯m in an absolutely brilliant mood today, so I¡¯ll personally serve you your tea. Here.¡± Dustin picked up the cup and walked up to Gloria. Then, under everyone¡¯s disbelieving gaze, he emptied the entire cup over Gloria¡¯s head. Everything rained down on her¨Ctea, leaves, and all. Her whole face was wet, with tea leaves sticking all over. For a moment, there was pin¨Cdrop silence in the living room. Nobody had expected Dustin to pull such a reckless move. This was one of the most influential members of the Nicholson family. She was Regulus¡® third wife! Wherever she went, she was admired and respected by all. When had she ever been disgraced as such? ¡°Dustin! How dare you!¡± Dakota was the first to react. ¡°You must be out of your goddamn mind! How dare you humiliate Grandma like this!¡± ¡°Y¨Cyou! Dimwitted swine! Have you any idea what a grave mistake you¡¯vemitted?¡± Gloria red at him with such vengeance. Her body shook with anger. Having been in authority in such a prominent family for so long, she was used to humiliating others, never the other way around. ¡°My, such a fiery temper. I guess one cup isn¡¯t enough to do the job. Here, have another.¡± Dustin smiled mirthlessly and poured a ss of piping hot water before sshing it on Gloria¡¯s face. ¡°Ah-!¡± Gloria shrieked in agony as the water scalded her. The effect was almost immediate, and one side of her face soon became red and swollen. In hindsight, it looked pretty ridiculous and amusing. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Do you see this? This is what I call boiling hot water,¡± Dustin said condescendingly as if educating them. ¡°Rhys! Have you gone mad? How dare you harm them?¡± Florence eximed in a state of shock and anger. It was bad enough that he had poured the first cup of tea on her. To pour a second cup, which was boiling hot, was simply too much! ¡°When did I ever harm anyone? I¡¯m merely serving an elder her tea.¡± Dustin shrugged. Every family had its own rules. He understood that. If she only made Dahlia serve her tea as was customary in the family¡¯s practices, he could let that slip. But it was in for all to see that Gloria had shamed Dahlia on purpose by spitting the tea on Dahlia, and he damn well wasn¡¯t going to sit by and watch her do as she pleased. ¡°Guards! Where are my guards?¡± Gloria roared in a seething rage. Within seconds, two of her bodyguards, who stood guard outside the door, rushed in. ¡°How dare this insolent brat touch me? Guards, beat him up! He needs a good beating to teach him some manners!¡± Gloria roared. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± The two bodyguards received their orders from Gloria and were ready to bring Dustin down. But they had barely approached him when Dustin gave them each a strong p and sent them flying across the room, passed out on the spot. ¡°It isn¡¯t good practice to use your age as leverage. Dahlia is a potential sessor of the family. What good will it do you to disgrace her in public like this? Have you ever considered what consequences you¡¯ll face if she ever bes the next matriarch? Everyone gets old one day, but it¡¯s important to maintain your rity and make wise choices. If you insist on being unreasonable and making things difficult, don¡¯t be surprised when I take action.¡± Chapter 371 Florence and the others present were stunned into silence as they took in Dustin¡¯s righteous speech. Their faces were etched with disbelief. How dare he humiliate the highly respected third matriarch of the Nicholsons in public! ¡°You¡­ insolent brat! You? Teach me a lesson? Do you know I can bring your family to ruins with just one word?¡± Gloria cradled her burning face as she screeched in anger, losing her previous dignified elegance. ¡°You can try.¡± Dustin showed no signs of fear. ¡°Hah!¡± Gloria eximed in anger before dissolving into scornfulughter. ¡°Oh, Florence, what a great family you have. I came all the way here to Swinton just to elevate your family to a higher status. And yet, you¡¯re not only ungrateful, but you dare rebel against me? I believe this letter of appointment would have better use for another person! Since you¡¯re not interested in assuming the role of Chairman at Cardinal Group, I¡¯ll have the family patriarch revoke the appointment.¡± As Gloria pulled out her phone, Florence panicked and fell to her knees with a thud. She begged, ¡± Madam Gloria, let¡¯s not be rash, shall we? This punk has nothing to do with us. You can¡¯t put the me on us for his actions.¡± Dakota interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense, Grandma! This guy is their son¨Cinw!¡± ¡°Ex¨Cex¨Cson¨C inw! They got a divorce a long time ago!¡± Florence corrected her vehemently. ¡°Hmph! No one cares about yourplicated rtionships! Since he¡¯d already married into the Nicholsons, he¡¯s a part of your family!¡± Gloria continued with a dark expression, ¡°Your family had better give us a satisfied response; otherwise, we are no longer family!¡± ¡°R¨Cright! I¡¯ll have him apologize immediately!¡± Florence nodded incessantly and turned toward Dustin. She bellowed, ¡°Rhys! Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and get on your knees!¡± ¡°You can kneel all you want. I¡¯m not about to indulge her,¡± Dustin saidzily. ¡°D¨Cdid you hear that? Did you? This brat has no manners!¡± Gloria was irritated to her core. ¡°Bastard! I told you to apologize!¡± As Florence erupted in fury, she stood up and was about tond a heavy p when Dustin grabbed hold of her hand. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t involve me in your buttering¨Cup scheme!¡± He threw her aside forcefully. Florence staggered back two steps, almost losing her bnce. Her anger reached a tipping point. Wow! Did you justy your hands on me? Dahlia! Look! This is the kind of man you love!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Dahlia shot up and red at Gloria and her group. ¡°Madam Gloria, I¡¯m not sure about your purpose for visiting. If you¡¯re here for a serious matter, please get to the point. I believe it¡¯s pointless if you¡¯re just here to show off your authority.¡± Even though Dahlia was grateful for the opportunity, that didn¡¯t mean she would let them walk all over her. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson, how bold of you! How dare you use that tone with Grandma?¡± Dakota reprimanded her severely. Dahlia replied calmly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my tone? I¡¯m just asking for an exnation. If the family patriarch thinks I¡¯m not fit for the position, I have no qualms for him to revoke the appointment.¡± ¡°You ¡­¡± Dakota was about to start a new tirade when Gloria raised her hand and interrupted her. ¡°Alright, since you wish to discuss serious matters, we¡¯ll follow the usual discourse!¡± Gloria backed off at the mention of the family patriarch, but her expression remained hostile. ¡°Even though the family patriarch has appointed you the chairman of Cardinal Group, there¡¯s a condition. You have to prove you have what it takes to assume control of Cardinal Group.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And how should I do that?¡± Dahlia asked. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Thepany is in the midst of an important expansion and is in urgent need of funds amounting to one billion. You¡¯ll pass the test once you manage to secure one billion in investments.¡± ¡°One billion?¡± Chapter 372 Dahlia frowned, for it wasn¡¯t a small amount. In the whole of Swinton, there were only a few individuals who had one billion in liquid assets to withdraw from. ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re unable to secure the investment funds needed, please step aside and make way for someone more deserving. We don¡¯t want you hindering thepany¡¯s development.¡± Gloria sneered. In truth, she was the one who set the conditions for a one billion investment fund, not the family patriarch. She didn¡¯t wish for an outsider to hold that much authority. That was why she came up with the idea to make her step aside on her own ord. She would also be able to give a good exnation when questioned by the family patriarch. ¡°Why are you silent? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even manage such a small matter?¡± She taunted on purpose. ¡°Hmph! If you can¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll take on the role of chairman instead.¡± Dakota raised her head arrogantly. With her connections and Gloria¡¯s help, one billion wouldn¡¯t be hard to secure. Dustin suddenly spoke, ¡°Who said she couldn¡¯t manage? It¡¯s only one billion. We¡¯ll get it done in three days!¡± ¡°Three days? Are you crazy?¡± Florence almost jumped out of her skin. ¡°How on earth will we secure one billion in three days? That¡¯s a huge amount! Thirty days would be more reasonable!¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°Dustin, where would I get one billion in just three days?¡± Securing one billion already posed a challenge, but now, she had to secure it within three days. It was practically impossible. ¡°Not to worry. Leave it to me. I¡¯ll make sure to get it done.¡± Dustin smiled assuringly. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re the one who promised. I¡¯m giving you exactly three days.¡± Gloria¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she sneered. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it within three days. All of you will get the fuck out of this family! ¡°With that, she left with the aid of her cane, not allowing them any space for a rebuttal. ¡°Hah, what a joke! One billion in three days? Don¡¯t be naive, you¡¯re not that rich!¡± After mocking them, Dakota and Jane followed Gloria. It was impossible for both of them to achieve such a feat, not to mention Dahlia. They believed Dustin was only trying to show off and said so in a moment of indignance. However, that just made him appear childish to them. After they left, Florence burst out in anger, ¡°Rhys! What makes you think you can just agree to their conditions on your own? Do you know that once we fail, Dahlia will lose her position as chairman of Cardinal Group? Are you bringing us down on purpose?¡± Dustin exined, ¡°If we didn¡¯t agree, Dahlia¡¯s position as chairman would be threatened either way.¡± ¡°Hah! Easy for you to say. Even if money fell from the sky, we wouldn¡¯t be able to secure one billion in three days!¡± Florence eximed in frustration. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Dustin responded calmly, ¡°Since I agreed, naturally, that means I¡¯m confident. Just leave it to me.¡± ¡°Leave it to you? Who do you think you are? You just own a shabby medical center. Do you really think you¡¯re someone of high status?¡± Florence admonished him. ¡°Hah! If you do manage to aplish the feat, I¡¯ll get on my knees and kiss your feet!¡± James looked at him in contempt. ¡°Great, that¡¯s a deal.¡± Dustin shed a smile. Chapter 373 Dustin walked out of Nicholson Vi and was about to make a call when his phone rang. It was from Roderick Brooks. Dustin answered, ¡°Hello, Mr. Brooks, I was just about to go look for you. It¡¯s such a coincidence that you called first.¡± ¡°Oh? Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Rhys?¡± Roderick was taken aback. ¡°I have a friend who got into some trouble and needs a sum of money. Would it be possible for me to borrow money from you?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Phew, you scared me. I thought it was something serious. It turns out you just need money. Of course. I might not have much of anything else, but I definitely have money. How much does your friend need?¡± Roderick breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°One billion.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll send it to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Brooks.¡± ¡°No need to be so polite, Mr. Rhys. You were the one who treated my recurring illness!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Congrattions again. Right, is there a reason you called me?¡± Dustin changed the subject. ¡°Mr. Rhys, didn¡¯t you have me be on the lookout for a few precious herbs? I just heard that neighboring Alorith recently put out a few treasures. Apparently, the Heliotrope you¡¯re looking for, which is also known as the thousand¨Cyear green lotus, is among them.¡± Roderick¡¯s revtion caught Dustin off guard. ¡°A thousand¨Cyear green lotus? Are you sure?¡± His eyes widened. He onlycked three more precious herbs to produce Longevitum¨Cthe flower of Crimson Gem, Cherusia, and the thousand¨Cyear green lotus. Each item was an extremely precious treasure that was hard toe by. It came as a happy surprise to him to hear news about the thousand¨Cyear green lotus in such a short time. ¡°It should be true. Anyway, that was how they advertised the auction. Even members of the Stoneray Order are heading there. As for the specifics, we won¡¯t know until we get there.¡± Roderick was careful with his words, afraid of giving the wrong information. ¡°Alright, I hope it won¡¯t trouble you to apany me to the venue.¡± ¡°It would be my honor!¡± Since Alorith was neighboring Swinton, the journey wasn¡¯t far, and it only took two hours by car. As they made casual conversation in Roderick¡¯s car, it didn¡¯t take long before they finally arrived at their destination. The venue was an underground auction house, and the ce teemed with a diverse crowd and a vast array of treasures. They had almost everything one desired, albeit at a higher price. ¡°Mr. Rhys, after you.¡± Roderick led Dustin personally as they headed inside the auction house. At the moment, the venue was a roaring hubbub of voices. Prices rose rapidly from the intense bidding as items were brought on stage one after the other. It was clear that Roderick had made preparations in advance since they both took a seat in the front row. ¡°Mr. Rhys, we¡¯re in luck. It seems like they haven¡¯t started the bidding for the thousand¨Cyear green lotus.¡± Roderick silently breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s always best toe at the right time instead ofing early.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Hey! Are you two here for the thousand¨Cyear green lotus too?¡± At that moment, a young woman seated beside them suddenly spoke. She was wearing a baseball cap and had a lollipop in her mouth. She was also dressed in branded items from head to toe and had a beautiful appearance. However, she seemed to carry a hint of rebelliousness within her. ¡°That¡¯s right. A thousand¨Cyear green lotus is a rare find. Naturally, we wouldn¡¯t miss it for anything.¡± Dustin nodded in response. ¡°Hmph! Let me tell you, I already have it in my bag, so it¡¯ll be best to give up!¡± The woman in the baseball cap said coldly. Roderick stered on a smile. ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you too confident to dere it as your item when the bidding hasn¡¯t started yet?¡± ¡°Confidencees from power. As long as it¡¯s something I want, I will definitely get it. You two, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. You better not challenge me, lest you humiliate yourselves.¡± She cocked her head to one side. Roderick chuckled. ¡°You have a rough temper for your age.¡± He had seen his fair share of wealthy daughters like her, who thought they could show off all because of their minuscule wealth. How naive! Chapter 374 ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Let¡¯s see what happens!¡± The woman in the baseball cap pursed her lips in disdain, while Dustin and Roderick only smiled back in response. As time went on, the auction neared its end, and the remaining highly prized items were brought up on stage. Among them, was the long¨Cawaited thousand¨Cyear green lotus everyone coveted. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, our next item on auction is an extremely rare, precious herb that has thrived for a thousand years. This item is known as the thousand¨Cyear green lotus!¡± With a wave from the auctioneer, a wooden box was brought forward with great care. As the box opened, one translucent and gleaming green lotus was revealed. While its petals were colored green, its core shimmered gold. It appeared to be the epitome of perfection, resembling a delicate work of art as its beauty captivated everyone present. Under the illumination of lights, its colors shone brilliantly. It was truly a sight to behold. ¡°It really is the thousand¨Cyear green lotus. I¡¯m taking this baby home for sure!¡± The woman¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she looked excited. Not only she, but the rest of the bidders had a simr look on their faces. ¡°Now that everyone has seen the precious item, I believe you have a sense of its value. The starting bid for the thousand¨Cyear green lotus is 100 million, with subsequent raises of not less than 5 million. Let¡¯s begin.¡± As soon as the auctioneer announced the start of the bidding, the scene erupted into a frenzy. ¡°120 million!¡± ¡°130 million!¡± ¡°No one gets in my way! 150 million here!¡± Bidding calls drowned out each other as a growing number of wealthy individuals eagerly joined the fray. Equipped with sizable funds, they hade prepared. That was because it was widely understood that the thousand¨Cyear green lotus held immeasurable value and that whoever won the bid would be able to receive substantial returns just from reselling it. In a world abundant with wealth, precious herbs like these that could prolong life were highly favored, especially by the elderly tycoons. It didn¡¯t matter, even if that meant staking their entire fortunes. ¡°500 million here!¡± A man in a long¨Csleeved shirt suddenly raised his paddle. Hismanding voice reverberated through the room, instantly overshadowing the voices of the crowd. ¡°This thousand¨Cyear green lotus belongs to the Stoneray Order. Don¡¯t try to take it from me!¡± The man scrutinized his surroundings, his gaze menacing. Those who caught his gaze instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to look him straight in the eyes. Not many dared to offend the Stoneray Order, as they were Millsburg¡¯s most influential group. Even though the item on auction was a precious treasure, it paled inparison to their lives and wealth. ¡°Are the Stoneray Order all that? I¡¯m bidding 800 million!¡± In the face of the silent crowd, the Chante: 3 woman in the baseball cap suddenly raised her paddle. Her arrogant demeanor clearly showed her lack of respect for the members of the order. The man¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Little brat, who do you think you are? How dare you challenge the Stoneray Order!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°My name is Ja Grant. I¡¯m Tyler Grant¡¯s sister!¡± She dered coolly. Chapter 375 ¡°Tyler Grant?!¡± The crowd erupted in an uproar with her reveal. Everyone in Southern Province knew of Tyler Grant. He was the rising new general of Dragonmarsh. A true prodigy, he had recorded numerous military achievements at a young age and was given the nickname General Lionheart, holding the third¨Chighest rank in the military. Among the younger generation in the entire Southern province, he stood as the leader. Some influential figures even proimed that his achievements in the future would rival those of the God of War, Adam Spanner! The Grant family was already known for being part of the Tremendous Three, and now, with his status as the exceptional genius of the family, his name soared to even greater heights. For the past few years, he had been someone everyone did not dare Cross. When Ja revealed her identity, everyone present was stunned. The man from Stoneray Order especially looked upset, but he was unable to utter another word. Although Stoneray Order possessed significant power, they were ultimately notparable to them. Their power could neverpare to that of one of the families of the Tremendous Three. Not to mention, Ja had Tyler personally backing her. ¡°Why are you silent? Weren¡¯t you being all haughty just a moment ago? Why did you stop showing off in front of me?¡± Ja looked at him in contempt. She silentlyughed at their attempt to show off their background, for she had never lost in that regard. The man in the long¨Csleeved shirt remained silent with his head lowered. ¡°Hmph! How disappointing.¡± The corner of her lips twitched. ¡°Ms. Grant bids 800 million. Are there any further bids?¡± The auctioneer said perfunctorily. He knew from the moment Ja revealed her identity that the thousand¨Cyear green lotus would be hers. After all, who dared challenge the Grant family? Suddenly, a voice rang out unexpectedly. ¡°One billion.¡± Everyone¡¯s head turned toward the voice, only to find a plump middle¨Caged man with his paddle raised. It was none other than Roderick. ¡°Huh?¡± Ja¡¯s brows knitted, ring at the two men beside her. She had not anticipated their audacity to challenge her, especially after she had revealed her background. ¡°Who¡¯s the fatty? His bravery isparable to his size. He actually dared provoke the Grant family¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°He looks familiar. I think it¡¯s Big Buck Brooks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! It is Big Buck Brooks. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s here!¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s Big Buck Brooks? He¡¯s just filthy rich. He¡¯s a nobody to those who hold power. If he offended the Grants, they could just annihte his family for a simple reason.¡± The crowd murmured in discussion as voices of surprise, astonishment, and disdain were heard. Even when he was extremely rich, they knew he wasn¡¯t strong enough to challenge the Grants. ¡°Hey! Are you sure you want to fight me on this?¡± Ja turned her head to the side, giving them a threatening re. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°What do you mean? Since it¡¯s an auction, naturally, we should follow the rules, where the highest bidder wins the item. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Roderick showed no hint of fear. Tyler Grant was indeed formidable. Under normal circumstances, he would never dream of offending him. However, it was different now. This man beside him was like a brother to Adam Spanner, and he had a prince for a father. What was there to fear when he had Dustin to back him? ¡°Alright, since you want to y this game, let¡¯s y till the end!¡± Ja¡¯s expression hardened as she raised her paddle once more. ¡°1.2 billion!¡± ¡°1.3 billion.¡± ¡°1.4 billion!¡± ¡°1.5 billion.¡± ¡°Two billion!¡± Ja¡¯s voice increased by a few octaves. It was obvious that she was unnerved. Chapter 376 Even as the daughter of the Grant family, two billion dors in cash was a stretch. Any more than that, and she would need to ask for money from the family. ¡°2.1 billion dors.¡± Roderick was calm. Ja eximed with gritted teeth, ¡°2.5 billion!¡± She had a murderous gaze. Even if she had to borrow money, she would regain her dignity today! With a smile still stered on his face, Roderick raised the bid, ¡°2.6 billion.¡± His nickname, Big Buck Brooks, was not merely a nickname. The sum of money truly held no significance to him. ¡°Three billion!¡± Ja was seeing red. She looked like a lioness about to tear into her prey. ¡°Three ¡­¡± Roderick raised his paddle, about to continue bidding when Dustin pulled his hand down. ¡°Forget about it. Just let her have it. ¡°What?¡± Roderick was surprised. ¡°Mr. Rhys, isn¡¯t this item something you need? Why are you giving it up? If it¡¯s because of the price, there¡¯s no need to worry. I can deal with it.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with money.¡± Dustin shook his head. As he stared at the precious item on stage, his expression was filled with regret. ¡°The item on auction is not a thousand¨Cyear green lotus. It¡¯s of no use to me.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying that it¡¯s a fake?¡± Roderick failed to contain his shock. Almost no one dared to auction off fake items due to the consequences that came with it. Dustin shook his head again. ¡°I won¡¯t call it fake. It¡¯s just not old enough. I¡¯ve taken a good look at it. Even though it¡¯s a remarkable green lotus, it¡¯s only 900 years old. It¡¯ll take another hundred years to mature into a true thousand¨Cyear green lotus.¡± Even though the only difference between a 900¨Cyear green lotus and a thousand¨Cyear green lotus is a hundred years, their effects were vastly different. He only had one opportunity to refine the Longevitum, and any incongruity would lead to an astronomical difference in its effects. While a thousand¨Cyear green lotus was an invaluable treasure, a 900¨Cyear green lotus was vastly inferior to it. ¡°So it¡¯s only a 900¨Cyear lotus. What a pity.¡± Roderick sighed, his enthusiasm fading instantly. He had hoped to utilize this chance to leave a good impression. It was a pity that fate had other ns. At that moment, the auctioneer suddenly asked, ¡°Ms. Grant bid three billion. Is there a higher bid?¡± Roderick frowned, choosing to remain silent. However, Ja interpreted his expression as a sign of embarrassment due to his inability to afford it. ¡°Hmph! Why are you silent? Just continue challenging me! I¡¯d like to see just how capable you are! ¡°A delighted smile formed on her face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since you like it so much, Ms. Grant, we¡¯ll allow you to have it,¡± Dustin said coolly. Spending three billion to buy a subpar item was foolish, even for the rich. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Allow me to have it? Hah! If you can¡¯t afford it, just say so. You sure have the thickest skin I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Ja mocked. ¡°Suit yourself. Whatever makes you happy.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t bother arguing further, but that made Ja feel like she was throwing punches in the air. What she desired was to see him submit to her and show remorse. His indifferent attitude was making her extremely vexed, but she didn¡¯t have a good excuse to challenge him. In the end, Ja won the bid for the 900¨Cyear green lotus on stage at a sky¨Chigh price. ¡°Next, we have another precious treasure. This item is a natural, uncut red gemstone, and hasn¡¯t gone through any processing whatsoever. Its cut and rity are of unparalleled quality. Please have a look!¡± As the auctioneer spoke, a palm¨Csized, blood¨Ccolored gemstone was brought forth onto the stage. ¡°What?¡± The moment Dustin¡¯s gazended on the gemstone, his pupils constricted. While he was filled with regret just moments ago, it was now reced with renewed vigor and excitement. Chapter 377 ¡°That gem!¡± Dustin was full of excitement at the appearance of the red gemstone. He had resigned himself to leaving empty¨Chanded today, but as luck would have it, he chanced upon another treasure. ¡°Hmph, what a country bumpkin. What¡¯s so exciting about a red gemstone?¡± Taking in the excited look on Dustin¡¯s face, Ja looked at him in contempt. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of those at home. Only a country bumpkin like you who hasn¡¯t seen the world will think it¡¯s special.¡± Dustin ignored her and focused his gaze on the red gemstone on stage. Its surface was colored a blood¨Clike deep crimson, and its shape was simr to a cbash. On the surface, it looked ordinary. However, its desirabilityy in its size, and after some processing, it would undoubtedly turn out to be invaluable. In the eyes of a professional jeweler, this was definitely the finest red crimson. Roderick was confused. ¡°Mr. Rhys, do you like it?¡± Dustin didn¡¯t seem like someone who would covet precious stones, especially with his status. It was just an uncut gemstone. Although it was a precious treasure, it didn¡¯t particrly stand out. ¡°I must take this item home.¡± His answer was simple, yet full of resolution. ¡°Alright! As long as you like it, even if I spend my entire fortune, I¡¯ll make sure to get it for you!¡± Roderick spoke candidly. This was a rare opportunity for him to impress Dustin, and he was determined to seize it. ¡°This is an extremely rare gemstone that was recovered from the deep sea. The starting bid is 50 million dors. Every subsequent raise must not be less than one million. Let¡¯s start!¡± After a short introduction, the auctioneer dered the start of the bidding. In less than no time, the atmosphere returned to its fiery state. ¡°55 million!¡± ¡°60 million!¡± ¡°I¡¯m raising it to 68 million!¡± A flurry of wealthy individuals eagerly raised their paddles, igniting fiercepetition. Considering the size of the gemstone, a conservative estimate ced its value at no less than two to three hundred million. As a businessman, Roderick was naturally well aware of its worth. In order to discourage other potential bidders, he promptly raised his paddle and dered, ¡°300 million!¡± The previously bustling atmosphere instantly grew heavy as Roderick¡¯s words reverberated through the room. Many shook their heads and sighed in resignation. They knew that challenging Big Buck Brooks would be futile when he had his eyes on something. No one present possessed the wealth to surpass him. ¡°Mr. Roderick has raised the bid to 300 million. Is there anyone willing to offer a higher price?¡± The auctioneer scanned the audience, but the potential bidders had all quieted down. At that moment, Ja suddenly raised her paddle. ¡°I¡¯ll raise it to 400 million.¡± Her eyes gleamed with provocation, clearly trying to start another fight with them. ¡°500 million.¡± Roderick didn¡¯t back down. Ja shed a smile. ¡°600 million.¡± She knew they had their sights set on the gemstone and intentionally raised the bid, nning on taking them for their worth.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°700 million.¡± Roderick was expressionless. ¡°800 million.¡± Ja tilted her head up, seemingly ready to fight till the end. ¡°900 million.¡± Chapter 378 Roderick continued bidding. ¡°One billion.¡± Ja showed no signs of letting up. As she was deliberately targeting the gem, the price of the red gemstone hit the billion¨Cdor mark, which had far exceeded the valuation of the gemstone. It would be a great loss for the winning bidder. ¡°It seems like they¡¯vee head¨Cto¨Chead with each other.¡± ¡°I have a bad feeling something is going to happen to Big Buck Brooks for offending Ms. Grant.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just wealthy. How does he have the guts to challenge such a prominent family?¡± The crowd pointed and gossiped fervently, clearly enjoying the farce. ¡°1.5 billion dors.¡± Roderick raised his paddle again, boldly increasing the bid by 500 million dors. ¡°1.6 billion dors.¡± Ja continued challenging him head¨Con. ¡°Two billion dors!¡± Roderick then told her in an impassive tone, ¡°Ms. Grant, if you raise it again, I¡¯ll let you have it.¡± Ja was about to raise it when she froze. She wasn¡¯t interested in the red gemstone. It would be disadvantageous for her if she continued increasing the price and ended up stuck with an item she didn¡¯t need. She knew it was time to end her game. ¡°Forget it. Since you like the gemstone so much, I¡¯ll be the generous one and let you have it,¡± Ja said with a mocking smile. She had raised the price of a two- to three¨Chundred million¨Cdor gemstone to two billion dors, forcing the other party to pay ten times the price. She was satisfied. ¡°Mr. Brooks has ced a bid of 2 billion. Any other contenders? Going once, going twice¡­ sold!¡± The auctioneer struck his hammer, signifying Roderick as the winning bidder of the red gemstone at the staggering price of two billion. After they received the item, Ja mocked them, ¡°Hah ¡­ One look tells me you are from new money. You don¡¯t have any sense. You just had to pay two billion for something that could be bought for 200 million. What an idiot.¡± She deliberately showed off the box containing the thousand¨Cyear green lotus and taunted, ¡°See this? This is a real, invaluable treasure.¡± A scoff escaped from Dustin¡¯s lips. ¡°Ms. Grant, you sure are overconfident. Take a good look at it. Is your green lotus really a thousand years old?¡± She raised her brows. ¡°What nonsense. This precious item is pure, and delicate, and emanates a characteristic smell. Of course, it¡¯s a thousand¨Cyear green lotus!¡± ¡°A thousand¨Cyear green lotus has ten petals and ten seeds. Count them. Does it have enough?¡± Dustin asked with a smile. Hearing him, Ja started to count. Soon, her expression changed. No matter how many times she counted, there were only nine petals and nine seeds. She never managed to count to ten! ¡°Hey! I¡¯m warning you, you better not lie to me! If I find out you are, you¡¯re not leaving this ce!¡± Ja warned coldly. Dustin shrugged his shoulders. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you ask the experts from Stoneray Order? They¡¯re well¨Cversed in various herbs. They¡¯ll definitely be able to tell.¡± ¡°Hey! You there! Come here this instant!¡± Ja turned around and shouted at the man in the long- sleeved shirt from earlier. ¡°Take a good look at this. Is this green lotus a thousand years old?¡± He stared at it, and there was a shift in his expression. ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­ What a pity! Ms. Grant, to be honest, this green lotus is only 900 years old. It¡¯s on the verge of reaching maturity.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°What? 900 years old? Doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s still short of one hundred years?¡± Even an idiot understood the difference a hundred years made. Whether in value or effectiveness, the disparity was immense. ¡°Ms. Grant, even though this item is slightly inferior, it still holds significant value as a collector¡¯s item.¡± The man in the long¨Csleeved shirt smiled apologetically. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°It is indeed a valuable collector¡¯s item. You just need to hold onto it for another hundred years, and you¡¯ll undoubtedly earn a great fortune.¡± Dustin shed her a cheeky smirk. ¡°You¡­¡± Ja¡¯s face puffed up in anger with his words, looking like she had just ingested a load of shit. She would be rotting in the soil in a hundred years! A great fortune, her a s s! Chapter 379 Ja finally realized she had been miserably deceived. However, she only had herself to me for her mistake. Of course, with the power the Grant family held, she could demand a refund from the auctioneer. But if she did that, she would be badly criticized. She couldn¡¯t afford to be humiliated as such. For the sake of her reputation, she could only swallow her resentment. Roderick added insult to injury. ¡°Ms. Grant, it seems like the item that cost you a fortune isn¡¯t that precious after all.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Even though it¡¯scking a few years, it¡¯s still considered a precious treasure.¡± The man in the long¨Csleeved shirt attempted to diffuse the situation. ¡°Did you hear that? Even if it¡¯scking, it¡¯s still precious!¡± Color returned to her expression. Dustin smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask. What¡¯s the value of a 900¨Cyear green lotus?¡± He looked troubled and answered with difficulty, ¡°Based on its effectiveness and age, it should be around three to four hundred million.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? It¡¯s only worth three to four hundred million?¡± Ja was stunned. She bought it for three billion! That was a massive loss of ten times its price! Roderick chuckled teasingly. ¡°Ms. Grant, with your power and wealth, that amount of money is just a small change.¡± Ja was speechless. Her eyes twitched, and her expression turned sour. In the end, it turned out that she was the loser. The man in the long¨Csleeved shirt chimed in, ¡°Mr. Brooks, I don¡¯t think you are in a position to mock her. While Ms. Grant incurred a significant loss, your purchase isn¡¯t exactly a good buy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ja¡¯s eyes brightened. Pointing at the gemstone in his arms, she said, ¡°Even though my treasurecks in age, at least it¡¯s much more useful than your item! Just look at yourselves, you idiots! You spent two billion for a meager gemstone. Anyone can tell that it¡¯s just a processed stone.¡± Roderick responded coolly, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to put a value on happiness. As long as we like it, what¡¯s a few billion?¡± ¡°That is why you two are idiots!¡± She sneered. ¡°I forgot to mention. The Grant family was the one that recovered this red gemstone. In other words, the two billion you just spent went into my pockets. Surprising, huh?¡± Roderick¡¯s brows knitted with her words. It didn¡¯t matter if he¡¯d just incurred a small loss. However, he was also yed by his opponent. Not only did he suffer a loss, but he was also humiliated and called an idiot. It didn¡¯t feel good. In a heavy voice, hemented, ¡°Ms. Grant, you intentionally raised the price with malicious intent.¡± ¡°What about it? Go sue me if you can.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Whatever the case, I¡¯m taking this two billion dors. I¡¯d like to see what you can do if you¡¯re not happy about it!¡± She pursed her lips; her expression was smug. Roderick narrowed his eyes, looking irritated. However, he didn¡¯t utter a word in fear of her family background. Dustin suddenly asked, ¡°Ms. Grant, are you saying this red gemstone is from the Grant family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m the one who sent it here personally to be auctioned off. Why? You¡¯re not happy?¡± She taunted arrogantly. ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy! If it wasn¡¯t for your help, how would I be able to purchase this treasure for a mere two billion?¡± He smiled. ¡°Hey! Are you out of your mind? What treasure? You spent two billion on something that¡¯s only worth two to three hundred million. What gave you the courage to say that?¡± She bellowed inughter, looking at him like he was an idiot. ¡°Young man, is it that hard to admit you lost? Do you need to be so stubborn?¡± Chapter 380 ¡°That¡¯s right. Only people like you would foolishly spend two billion on a red gemstone like that.¡± ¡°I like to call them rich airheads.¡± The crowd pointed and murmured, gossiping among themselves. It seemed to them that Dustin was a prime example of a stubborn man who couldn¡¯t ept defeat. It was clear that he had suffered a loss but was still trying to show off without merit. ¡°Do you hear that? I¡¯m not the only one who thinks you¡¯re an idiot. Everyone else thinks the same.¡± Her lips curled up into a smirk. ¡°Really?¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°It seems like no one has realized this is not an ordinary red gemstone. It¡¯s an extremely rare Crimson Gem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a Crimson Gem? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Ja pursed her lips in disdain. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Allow me to enlighten you today.¡± As he said that, he smashed the gemstone with his palm. Everyone present heard two cracking noises as two visible crack lines formed on the surface. In the blink of an eye, the cracks spread across the whole gemstone. His actions ignited a frenzy among the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s insane! That punk¡¯s gone insane!¡± ¡°Even if he incurred a loss, that was no reason to destroy the gemstone!¡± ¡°Ms. Grant was right. He¡¯s an idiot!¡± The crowd was filled with astonishment and regret as they voiced their disapproval and admonishment. They recognized that it was still a remarkable treasure, and it was such a waste for him to destroy it like that. Ja was initially taken aback, but soon, she couldn¡¯t stop howling inughter. ¡°Hey! Did you get water into your brain? You spent two billion to buy that, yet you smashed it? I¡¯ve never seen anyone as stupid as you!¡± She continuedughing, but it wasn¡¯t long before she went silent. That was because after the gemstone shattered, a crimson flower emerged from the shattered pieces. The flower, translucent and blood¨Ccolored, glistened with a mesmerizing radiance. It embodied the essence of nature in itself, looking perfectly wless. Upon closer inspection, it appeared as if a slow, graceful flow of red liquid was flowing within it. Illuminated under the lights, the crimson flower shone beautifully, resembling an artful. masterpiece that captivated those present, leaving them awestruck. ¡°Could¡­ C¨Ccould it be? Is that the legendary Flower of Crimson Gem?¡± After a momentary daze, the man in the long¨Csleeved shirt suddenly eximed out loud. The crowd erupted into a frenzy at his words. ¡°Flower of Crimson Gem? That¡¯s a Flower of Crimson Gem? I never thought I would be able to see such a treasure in my lifetime!¡± ¡°It¡¯s rumored that the Flower of Crimson Gem can not only prolong life but revive the dead. When taken by ordinary people, they would be reborn, and even achieve greater things!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a priceless treasure! It¡¯s definitely a priceless treasure!¡± ¡°Damn it, that punk spent a mere two billion for a Flower of Crimson Gem. Lucky bastard!¡± The crowd looked at the Flower of Crimson Gem with tremendous greed and envy, like a beggar who chanced upon gold. A few daring individuals had even started concocting a n secretly. ¡°Flower of Crimson Gem? How is that possible?¡± Ja was dumbfounded as she looked on in disbelief. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. A Flower of Crimson Gem was an extremely rare treasure that could only be chanced upon once in a blue moon. It was much more valuable than a thousand¨Cyear green lotus. Who would have thought she could encounter it in a ce like this? At the heart of the matter, the Grant family was the one who discovered that red gemstone, and she had delivered it personally to the auction house. In other words, she had given away that priceless treasure! The realization left her feeling light¨Cheaded. Chapter 381 ¡°Why? Just why!¡± Ja burned with jealousy. If she had known the gemstone was hiding a priceless treasure, she would never have sold it. In the end, it ended up in the hands of a country bumpkin! What a loss! ¡°What a turn of events. This is such a blessing!¡± Dustin held the Flower of Crimson Gem up in one hand, the corner of his lips curling up into a wide smile. From the moment heid eyes on the gemstone, he knew it was hiding something exceptional. Just as he expected, he had discovered a true treasure. The Flower of Crimson Gem was not an ordinary flower. It was an extremely rare treasure. Typically, it could only be found in red gemstones. And it just so happened that the red gemstone on auction today was a Crimson Gem. Previously, he felt regretful thinking about the 900¨Cyear green lotus. However, the appearance of the Flower of Crimson Gem came as a blessing and a happy surprise. At least he didn¡¯t travel all the way here for nothing. ¡°Ms. Grant, don¡¯t you think a price of two billion dors is extremely worth it for this precious item?¡± He turned to look at her and shed a smile. ¡°Should I say you¡¯re the true idiot here?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ja was rendered speechless. The vicious words she had thrown out earlier at them were now directed at herself. She had spent three billion to purchase a subpar item, while Dustin had paid a mere two billion in exchange for an invaluable treasure. The stark difference was maddening! ¡°Ms. Grant, thank you for the treasure. We shall meet again soon.¡± Dustin smiled and prepared to leave. ¡°Hold it!¡± Ja suddenly called out to him. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you going to treat us to a meal?¡± Dustin smiled teasingly. ¡°Stop talking back. I¡¯m taking that Flower of Crimson Gem! Name your price!¡± She demanded angrily. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t going to give up such a rare gem. Dustin refused her outright. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not selling it. ¡°Not selling?¡± Ja scoffed coldly. ¡°Let me tell you honestly. Since I want it, you are selling that treasure to me no matter what.¡± Dustin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Since when has that been thew?¡± ¡°Shut up! My words are thew!¡± She red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t paint me as a bully. Since you spent two billion to purchase it, I¡¯ll buy it back from you for two billion! You won¡¯t incur any losses!¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Dustin smiled. Did she take him for an idiot? He was to resell a two¨Cbillion¨Cdor purchase for two billion dors? ¡°Then you¡¯ll bear the consequences!¡± Ja threatened. The Flower of Crimson Gem would be able to elevate her brother¡¯s martial arts prowess to another level. That was the reason she needed to obtain it, even if that meant putting down her dignity. ¡°It¡¯s a priceless treasure! It¡¯s definitely a priceless treasure!¡± ¡°Damn it, that punk spent a mere two billion for a Flower of Crimson Gem. Lucky bastard!¡± The crowd looked at the Flower of Crimson Gem with tremendous greed and envy, like a beggar who chanced upon gold. A few daring individuals had even started concocting a n secretly. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Flower of Crimson Gem? How is that possible?¡± Ja was dumbfounded as she looked on in disbelief. A Flower of Crimson Gem was an extremely rare treasure that could only be chanced upon once in a blue moon. It was much more valuable than a thousand¨Cyear green lotus. Who would have thought she could encounter it in a ce like this? At the heart of the matter, the Grant family was the one who discovered that red gemstone, and she had delivered it personally to the auction house. In other words, she had given away that priceless treasure! The realization left her feeling light¨Cheaded. ¡°Why? Just why!¡± Ja burned with jealousy. If she had known the gemstone was hiding a priceless treasure, she would never have sold it. In the end, it ended up in the hands of a country bumpkin! What a loss! ¡°What a turn of events. This is such a blessing!¡± Dustin held the Flower of Crimson Gem up in one hand, the corner of his lips curling up into a wide smile. From the moment heid eyes on the gemstone, he knew it was hiding something exceptional. Just as he expected, he had discovered a true treasure. The Flower of Crimson Gem was not an ordinary flower. It was an extremely rare treasure. Typically, it could only be found in red gemstones. And it just so happened that the red gemstone on auction today was a Crimson Gem. Previously, he felt regretful thinking about the 900¨Cyear green lotus. However, the appearance of the Flower of Crimson Gem came as a blessing and a happy surprise. At least he didn¡¯t travel all the way here for nothing. ¡°Ms. Grant, don¡¯t you think a price of two billion dors is extremely worth it for this precious item?¡± He turned to look at her and shed a smile. ¡°Should I say you¡¯re the true idiot here?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ja was rendered speechless. The vicious words she had thrown out earlier at them were now directed at herself. She had spent three billion to purchase a subpar item, while Dustin had paid a mere two billion in exchange for an invaluable treasure. The stark difference was maddening! ¡°Ms. Grant, thank you for the treasure. We shall meet again soon.¡± Dustin smiled and prepared to leave. ¡°Hold it!¡± Ja suddenly called out to him. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you going to treat us to a meal?¡± Dustin smiled teasingly. ¡°Stop talking back. I¡¯m taking that Flower of Crimson Gem! Name your price!¡± She demanded angrily. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t going to give up such a rare gem. Dustin refused her outright. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not selling it.¡± ¡°Not selling?¡± Ja scoffed coldly. ¡°Let me tell you honestly. Since I want it, you are selling that treasure to me no matter what.¡± Dustin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Since when has that been thew?¡± ¡°Shut up! My words are thew!¡± She red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t paint me as a bully. Since you spent two billion to purchase it, I¡¯ll buy it back from you for two billion! You won¡¯t incur any losses!¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Dustin smiled. Did she take him for an idiot? He was to resell a two¨Cbillion¨Cdor purchase for two billion dors? ¡°Then you¡¯ll bear the consequences!¡± Ja threatened. The Flower of Crimson Gem would be able to elevate her brother¡¯s martial arts prowess to another level. That was the reason she needed to obtain it, even if that meant putting down her dignity. ¡°How disappointing. It seems like the Grant family only amounts to so much.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Let me repeat myself. I¡¯m not selling the Flower of Crimson Gem. If you insist on stealing it from me, don¡¯t me me for taking action.¡± With that, he left, with Roderick following after him. ¡°Hmph, we¡¯ll see who has thestugh.¡± Ja sneered and took out her phone, making a phone call.. In the whole Southern Province, he was the first to not yield to the Grants. Since he didn¡¯t wish to part with his treasure, he shouldn¡¯t me her for his own demise. They had just left the auction house when Dustin noticed they were being followed. He had to admit that the Grants were pretty efficient. It seemed like this wasn¡¯t their first time. ¡°Mr. Rhys, it appears we have some unwantedpany,¡± Roderick remarked, also noticing the tail. ¡°No need to bother about them. Let¡¯s just leave quickly.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t bother to confront them and was prepared to leave. However, things don¡¯t always go as nned. A group of masked men suddenly had them surrounded when they reached a certain alley. There were around 20 to 30 men, each armed with a weapon. ¡°Hey, punk! I heard you got a valuable treasure with you. Give it to us, and I might let you two walk away alive!¡± The leader of the group brandished his knife, his tone frosty. ¡°Do you mean this?¡± Dustin took out the Flower of Crimson Gem. The leader¡¯s gaze betrayed his excitement. ¡°That¡¯s the one! Give it to me now!¡± ¡°Come get it yourself if you can.¡± Dustin ced it back into his pockets and beckoned them forward with his finger. The leader¡¯s expression darkened. He felt like he was being yed. ¡°Die, punk! Get him! We need to get that item back!¡± On his orders, the masked men charged forward at the same time. Dustin smiled lightly, then flicked his wrist. Numerous silver needles shot out with sharp whistles, piercing straight into the men¡¯s acupoints. The next second, they were frozen to the spot, and their weapons were still raised. It appeared as if time stopped for them, and the only thing they could move was their eyes. ¡°What?¡± The leader¡¯s expression betrayed his horror as he took in the scene before him. Without any warning, another silver needle shot out and pierced into his neck. What followed was a numbing sensation that was hard to suppress. No matter how much he struggled to free himself, it was in vain. ¡°W¨Cwho are you?¡± He spat out with difficulty. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today. I don¡¯t wish to kill.¡± Dustin walked up to him and said coolly. ¡°When you get back, ask Ja to stop provoking me. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it when I decide enough is enough.¡± With that, he left haughtily, with Roderick behind him. After 15 minutes, Ja arrived at the scene and frowned. Not only was Dustin nowhere to be found, but her bodyguards were all frozen in their spots. ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s my Flower of Crimson Gem?¡± Ja questioned them sternly. The leader appeared helpless as he responded, ¡°Ms. Grant, he¡¯s too strong. We¡¯re no match for him.¡± ¡°What a bunch of useless trash! What am I paying you for if you can¡¯t even handle some country bumpkin?¡± Ja snapped at them. They lowered their heads, unable to utter a word. ¡°Where did they go?¡± Ja demanded. The leader pondered for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But from their ents, they should be from Swinton.¡± ¡°Swinton?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m heading there tomorrow to ask for the bride¡¯s hand in my brother¡¯s stead. Since he¡¯s from Swinton, I¡¯m going to find him no matter what!¡± ¡°Ms. Grant, he doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person,¡± The leader advised. ¡°Hah! So what? Even if he had three heads and six arms. I¡¯ll make sure to deal with him cleanly!¡± She cocked her head up in confidence. ¡°Hey! What are you still standing there for? Go back and get ready! We need to put on a good show worthy of our name for our journey to Swinton tomorrow! Chapter 382 The next day, back at Swinton, a convoy of luxury cars drove into Park Pce in a grandiose disy. As their procession moved through the streets, it left asting impression of power and splendor. By the entrance, the entire Harmon family had been waiting, with Jessica in the lead. As the vehicles came to a stop, Ja, who was dressed in luxurious clothing, was the first to disembark with an arrogant look on her face. ¡°Ja, you¡¯re here! Please,e in.¡± Jessica greeted her with a smile and a weing attitude. The person she was greeting was Tyler¡¯s sister. Her standing among the entire Grant family was not to be taken lightly. Ja nodded in response. ¡°Jessica, long time no see. Where¡¯s Natasha? Why don¡¯t I see her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s inside getting ready. She won¡¯t take much longer,¡± Jessica exined with a smile. ¡°Ja, I prepared something for you when I found out you were visiting. Have a look.¡± At that moment, Quentin, who was standing beside them, took out a sapphire the size of an egg and passed it to her with both hands. Ja was not only gorgeous, but she also came from a powerful family. That was why he knew she was the best match for him. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t give up the chance to leave a good impression. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. It was his belief that every woman was weak against jewelry. Ja nced at it. ¡°Thanks.¡± However, instead of receiving it herself, she had the maid take it and put it away. ¡°Uh¡­¡± As he took in her disinterested look, the corners of his mouth twitched. He purchased that sapphire from some Amberson woman for more than a hundred million dors. He had spent quite a fortune to impress the gorgeous woman and was aggrieved at her reaction. ¡°I should have gotten something cheaper,¡± Quentin silently mumbled. ¡°Ja, tea is almost ready. Let¡¯s head in first.¡± Jessica smoothed things over and invited the entourage inside. After they took their seats, she asked, ¡°Ja, may I know what brings you to Swinton this time? ¡°Jessica, in truth, I¡¯m here regarding my brother¡¯s wedding.¡± She drank a sip of tea and continued, ording to the marriage agreement, there are around 20 days left before the union between the Harmons and the Grants. I¡¯m just wondering how the preparations are going.¡± ¡°There is no need to worry. The Harmons¡® annual family gathering will be in a few days. We¡¯ll be making arrangements during the gathering,¡± Jessica replied with a smile. ¡°That would be the best.¡± Ja nodded and changed the subject. ¡°However, I¡¯ve been hearing rumors lately that Natasha has a boyfriend. I wonder if they are true.¡± Jessica¡¯s expression froze slightly with her words before she dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. ¡°That¡¯s not true, of course. You shouldn¡¯t listen to gossip like that. Besides, who couldpare to your brother in the entire seven provinces of Balerno? ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. You should be aware that my brother is deeply devoted to Natasha, and he also has strict principles and doesn¡¯t tolerate betrayals. With his personality, if he heard about the rumors, there¡¯s no guarantee how he would retaliate.¡± Her words carried a hint of threat as she warned. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. It is inevitable for our families toe together. I have faith the wedding will be held ording to schedule.¡± Jessica smiled assuringly. ¡°Great!¡± Ja raised her brows. ¡°My brother will be back in two days. He will also be personally attending the Harmons¡® annual gathering to ask for the bride¡¯s hand. I¡¯m here to inform you of this in advance.¡± ¡°No problem. We will make all the necessary arrangements.¡± Jessica nodded with a smile. While they were talking, Natasha, who had finally finished getting ready, walked out of her bedroom. ¡°Natasha, you¡¯re here. Sit down. We were just discussing your marriage with Tyler-¡± Natasha raised her hand and interrupted her. ¡°I heard everything. Ja, my apologies in advance. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to go through with this marriage.¡± Chapter 383 Everyone stood in shock at her words. No one could believe Natasha dared say that. ¡°Natasha? What nonsense are you spouting? Are you sleep talking?!¡± Jessica gave her a look. Natasha said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fully awake, and I am well aware of what I just said. It is regrettable, but I need to express my feelings today. Tyler and I are unsuited for each other.¡± ¡°Natasha, what do you mean by this?¡± Ja¡¯s brow knitted. A slightly uneasy feeling crept up within her. ¡°I¡¯m backing out of this marriage.¡± Just like that, Natasha dropped the bomb. ¡°You¡¯re backing out?¡± Ja¡¯s expression darkened at her words. She snapped at her. ¡°Natasha Harmon, are you insane?! How dare you break off a union with the Grants? The audacity!¡± Jessica warned, ¡°Natasha, stop your nonsense. You can¡¯t say those things lightly!¡± The Grant family was part of the Tremendous Three. Whether it was their connections or their legacy, the Grants surpassed the Harmons in every aspect. Especially with Tyler, the exceptional genius, at the helm, the Grant family had been elevated to unparalleled heights. It wouldn¡¯t be too far off to say that they were very close to bing the strongest among the Tremendous Three. Many affluent families could only dream of having an association with the Grant family. However, Natasha wanted to back out of the marriage instead. It was like pping the Grants in the face. ¡°I am indeed the party at fault in this situation. I sincerely apologize. If you think this will deal a blow to your reputation, you can be the one to make the announcement. I¡¯ll take the me. In any case, I will never marry Tyler,¡± Natasha spoke calmly with a resolute gaze. ¡°Natasha Harmon, do you think you are the one who calls the shots here? Who do you think you are? This union is a joint decision between both families. You are not worthy of giving your opinion!¡± Ja erupted in a fury. Natasha responded coldly, ¡°I canply with everything else the family arranges, but marriage is out of the question!¡± ¡°Hah! I don¡¯t think you understand the situation. You should be honored that my brother is interested in you! As for calling off this marriage, your opinion doesn¡¯t matter. My brother is the one who calls the shots!¡± Ja red at her. ¡°Then, kindly inform your brother to call off the marriage.¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Ja refused immediately. ¡°My brother always gets what he wants. It doesn¡¯t matter if you agree to it or not. This wedding is going ahead as nned!¡± ¡°I will not marry Tyler.¡± Natasha shook her head again. She refused to destroy her chance at happiness for a marriage of convenience. ¡°Natasha, as the daughter of a prominent family, you should be aware that there are certain matters beyond your control. You should think about the entire Harmon family, not just yourself. If you dare to break off this marriage, you will be making an enemy out of the Grants! ¡°Even if my brother won¡¯t touch you, your enemies will definitely not let you go easily. They have restrained themselves thus far because of our support. How long do you think your family canst without our protection? I recall that your father is in conflict with the Dark Lord. Without my brother, do you think you guys can fend him off by yourselves?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Think carefully about it! In seven days, we will be attending the Harmons¡® annual family gathering. Whether we end up friends or foes depends entirely on your decision! ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± After leaving them with those harsh words, Ja stormed off with her entourage. Chapter 384 ¡°Natasha Harmon! What¡¯s wrong with you? Who gave you the green light to call off the marriage?¡± Once Ja left, Jessica finally unleashed her temper. The marriage concerned the fate of their family, and she would not allow Natasha to do as she wished. ¡°Natasha, do you know how lucky you are to be able to marry Tyler Grant? What are you doing? Calling off the marriage?¡± Quentin felt like he was staring at a fool. Tyler Grant was the cream of the crop of the Southern province, and the hope of Dragonmarsh. Before he hit thirty, he had been appointed as a general who led tens of thousands of men. Young and talented, he was deemed the best bachelor, and women fell on his feet in admiration. To their dismay, Natasha had no interest in Tyler at all, which everyone thought was dumb. ¡°I will have the final say in my marriage. I have no feelings for Tyler, and I won¡¯t marry him,¡± she replied calmly. In the past, she would have epted an arranged marriage in the interest of the Harmon Family, especially when Tyler was an impable candidate in terms of family background, talent, and potential. He was literally perfect. She would meet everyone¡¯s expectations by marrying Tyler, but now, she only had eyes for Dustin. ¡°You can develop your feelings for him over time. No matter what, you¡¯re marrying him!¡± Jessica dered firmly. ¡°This is the only way you¡¯ll be happy, and we will be safe. If you call off the marriage, you¡¯ll put your family in trouble!¡± ¡°Right, Natasha! You better not forget about the existence of the Dark Lord. He¡¯s a looming threat to our family. Without the Grant Family¡¯s backing, the Dark Lord mighte for us at any time!¡± Quentin warned her sternly. But she replied with a frown, ¡°I will think of a way to deal with the Dark Lord.¡± ¡°Deal with him? How?! It¡¯s been ten years. Every year, one of us Harmons would be killed for no good reason. Even after your dad and your uncle hired experts and gave their best efforts, they have no way to stop the Dark Lord, so what makes you think you can take him down?¡± Jessica retorted. ¡°Give me some time. I can do it.¡± Natasha had a determined look in her eyes. Jessica shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no time. In seven days, Tyler will show up at our annual family gathering to ask for your hand in marriage. If you turn him down, our family might as well be ruined.¡± Natasha fell into a heavy silence. She only had seven days left, and she had no idea what her fate would be if she could note up with a solution. Meanwhile, Dustin was at the Nicholson Vi, where he handed Dahlia a check. ¡°Here you go. These are the investments I got for you.¡± ¡°Investments?¡± She took a better look and froze up. ¡°O¨Cone billion dors? Where did you get that money from?¡± ¡°I have a friend who works at a bank. I got him to issue me an interest¨Cfree loan. This will tide you over,¡± Dustin exined. Technically, he wasn¡¯t lying because Roderick Brooks indeed owned a few private banks. ¡°When did you have a friend in the bank?¡± Dahlia looked at him curiously. The friend practically lost out on the deal if it was an interest¨Cfree loan, and that was a pretty huge favor for Dustin to return. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, after all. I save lives all day, so it¡¯s not weird for me to make friends along the way.¡± He shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She nodded and beamed at the sight of the check in her hands. ¡°I have to say, you really helped me a lot this time. With this one billion check, I will secure my position as the chairman of Cardinal Group.¡± ¡°A billion¨Cdor check? What are you talking about?¡± Florence and James wandered into the room at that moment. ¡°Mom, look at this!¡± Dahlia handed Florence the check. Thetter was overjoyed when she saw the figure on the check. ¡°D¨Cd¨Cdid I see wrongly? This is a check worth one billion!¡± ¡°One billion?¡± James¡® eyes bulged in shock. He had never seen that insane amount of money in his life. ¡°How¡¯s that? It¡¯s a surprise, isn¡¯t it? Dustin brought me the check,¡± Dahlia showed off proudly. ¡°Dustin?¡± Florence furrowed her brows and examined him from head to toe with doubt. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s capable of this? Is the check a fake?¡± ¡°Of course not. I verified it multiple times. It¡¯s a real check!¡± Dahlia looked serious. ¡°This can¡¯t be right! He¡¯s dirt poor. Since when is he loaded?¡± James remained suspicious. ¡°I might be poor, but I have a couple of rich friends. If you don¡¯t trust me, just hand the check back to me.¡± Dustin gestured for the check. ¡°We trust you! Of course, we do!¡± Florence hurriedly stuffed the check into her pocket and squeezed a smile at him. ¡°Oh, Dustin, you¡¯ve changed in such a short time! I never thought you¡¯d have a billionaire friend! When are you going to introduce him to us?¡± An extra connection would open up paths. A man who could lend a billion dors in one go was definitely someone remarkable. If the Nicholsons could get on his good side, they would benefit immensely from this rtionship in the future. James protested with displeasure, ¡°Mom, are you seriously falling for all his garbage?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the garbage!¡± Florence spat at him and gave him a good p on the back of her head. She chided him, ¡°You little brat! Watch your manners when you speak to your brother¨Cinw! Speak nicely!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± James was caught off¨Cguard by the sudden change in his mom¡¯s attitude. She had been haughtily pointing fingers at Dustin, but in a matter of seconds, she was smiling and groveling at him. James thought, ¡°It¡¯s shocking how she changes in a blink of an eye! What a skill!¡± ¡°Dustin, are you hungry? Do you want me to cook you some food? By the way, don¡¯t forget to share the contact details of that friend with me. I need to ask him for advice on personal finance matters. ¡°Florence was practically glowing with a level of enthusiasm unseen before. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Dustin shook his head. This was the first time he received such warm treatment from Florence in his three years of marriage, and he wondered if that was the power of money. ¡°Mom, you should go get the groceries. I need to go somewhere with Dustin, and we¡¯lle home for a mealter,¡± Dahlia suddenly suggested. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Florence questioned. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re on our way to make Madam Gloria fulfill her promise. We now have a billion dors worth of investments. They have nothing to say, even if they¡¯re unwilling to make me the chairman!¡± Dahlia smiled brightly. ¡°Okay! Go now and have that chairman position secured!¡± Florence urged her daughter to leave with excitement. Once Dahlia secured the position as the chairman of Cardinal Group, she would be one step closer to bing the head of the Nicholson Family, and the rest of them would be elevated to a higher status as a result too.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 385 A Mercedes¨CBenz rolled to a stop in front of a vi with a great riverside view. ¡°Dahlia, I won¡¯t go with you. I sshed tea on Madam Gloria yesterday. I bet she won¡¯t be d to see me.¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Dahlia gave him a firm nod and marched into the vi alone. At that time, Gloria was having her tea leisurely, with Dakota seated right beside her, massaging her shoulders and legs with great care. ¡°Madam, Dahlia asks to meet you.¡± An elderlydy came up and announced respectfully. ¡°Why is she here? Is she begging for mercy because she knows that she¡¯s incapable?¡± Dakota sounded puzzled. Gloria put her teacup on the table and replied calmly, ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The elderly servant shuffled away and led Dahlia into the vi. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You have something to ask from me?¡± Gloria looked up at the sudden visitor. ¡°Madam Gloria, I havepleted your request. Here¡¯s a check for one billion dors. Please take a look.¡± While speaking, Dahlia handed Gloria the check. ¡°A check of one billion? Are you joking?¡± Dakota snatched the check away, but her expression fell when she saw the figure on it. ¡°T¨Cthere¡¯s a billion here!¡± ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Gloria took the check and examined it. Her face scrunched up in displeasure. ¡°Dahlia, it¡¯s only been a day. Where did you get the money from?¡± Gloria had looked into them and knew that Dahlia¡¯s family was incapable of getting a billion dors worth of investment in such a short timeframe. There was something fishy going on. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be concerned about that. I have my connections.¡± Dahlia refused to offer a detailed exnation. ¡°Hmph! The Nicholson Family has always been upright and honest! If your moneyes from a dirty source, it will not be counted!¡± Gloria reminded her coldly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who knows? The money might havee from a robbery or theft! If you don¡¯t offer a clear exnation, we won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± Dakota echoed Gloria¡¯s words. ¡°If you are dying to know, I shall tell you the truth. Dustin borrowed the money.¡± Dahlia did not bother to hide the fact from them. ¡°Dustin?¡± Dakota was first perplexed, followed by a look of disdain. ¡°Oh, Dahlia, you have to make up a better lie than that! The good¨Cfor¨Cnothing, Dustin Rhys, can never get his hands on a billion¡¯s worth of investments!¡± ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you. At the end of the day, we got the money you asked for,¡± Dahlia remarked calmly. ¡°Sure, you did. But it¡¯s not enough,¡± Gloria suddenly said. After the initial shock from the check, Florence was practically glowing with a level of enthusiasm unseen before. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Dustin shook his head. This was the first time he received such warm treatment from Florence in his three years of marriage, and he wondered if that was the power of money. ¡°Mom, you should go get the groceries. I need to go somewhere with Dustin, and we¡¯lle home for a mealter,¡± Dahlia suddenly suggested. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Florence questioned. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re on our way to make Madam Gloria fulfill her promise. We now have a billion dors worth of investments. They have nothing to say, even if they¡¯re unwilling to make me the chairman!¡± Dahlia smiled brightly. ¡°Okay! Go now and have that chairman position secured!¡± Florence urged her daughter to leave with excitement. Once Dahlia secured the position as the chairman of Cardinal Group, she would be one step closer to bing the head of the Nicholson Family, and the rest of them would be elevated to a higher status as a result too. A Mercedes¨CBenz rolled to a stop in front of a vi with a great riverside view. ¡°Dahlia, I won¡¯t go with you. I sshed tea on Madam Gloria yesterday. I bet she won¡¯t be d to see me.¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Dahlia gave him a firm nod and marched into the vi alone. At that time, Gloria was having her tea leisurely, with Dakota seated right beside her, massaging her shoulders and legs with great care. ¡°Madam, Dahlia asks to meet you.¡± An elderlydy came up and announced respectfully. ¡°Why is she here? Is she begging for mercy because she knows that she¡¯s incapable?¡± Dakota sounded puzzled. Gloria put her teacup on the table and replied calmly, ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The elderly servant shuffled away and led Dahlia into the vi. ¡°You have something to ask from me?¡± Gloria looked up at the sudden visitor. ¡°Madam Gloria, I havepleted your request. Here¡¯s a check for one billion dors. Please take a look.¡± While speaking, Dahlia handed Gloria the check. ¡°A check of one billion? Are you joking?¡± Dakota snatched the check away, but her expression fell when she saw the figure on it. ¡°T¨Cthere¡¯s a billion here!¡± ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Gloria took the check and examined it. Her face scrunched up in displeasure. ¡°Dahlia, it¡¯s only been a day. Where did you get the money from?¡± Gloria had looked into them and knew that Dahlia¡¯s family was incapable of getting a billion dors worth of investment in such a short timeframe. There was something fishy going on. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be concerned about that. I have my connections.¡± Dahlia refused to offer a detailed exnation. ¡°Hmph! The Nicholson Family has always been upright and honest! If your moneyes from a dirty source, it will not be counted!¡± Gloria reminded her coldly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who knows? The money might havee from a robbery or theft! If you don¡¯t offer a clear exnation, we won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± Dakota echoed Gloria¡¯s words. ¡°If you are dying to know, I shall tell you the truth. Dustin borrowed the money.¡± Dahlia did not -bother to hide the fact from them. ¡°Dustin?¡± Dakota was first perplexed, followed by a look of disdain. ¡°Oh, Dahlia, you have to make up a better lie than that! The good¨Cfor¨Cnothing, Dustin Rhys, can never get his hands on a billion¡¯s worth of investments!¡± ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you. At the end of the day, we got the money you asked for,¡± Dahlia remarked calmly. ¡°Sure, you did. But it¡¯s not enough,¡± Gloria suddenly said. After the initial shock from the check, she quickly recovered and came up with a n. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Dahlia raised a brow. ¡°Madam Gloria, you said you wanted one billion in investments. Why are you now saying the amount is not enough?¡± ¡°I said that indeed. But the one billion dors that you gave me is not for the investments. It¡¯s for compensation,¡± Gloria went on with confidence. ¡°Dustin Rhys was rude enough to ssh hot tea in my face. I was scalded because of that. Just think of the one billion aspensation for my medical bills.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression changed when she heard the unreasonable demand. One billion to make up for scalding her with tea? That was too much! ¡°Madam Gloria, aren¡¯t you asking for too much?¡± Frowning, Dahlia had expected Gloria to give her a difficult time, but the way Gloria went about it was ridiculous and shameless. ¡°Too much?¡± Gloria scoffed. ¡°That beast, Dustin Rhys, has scalded my face. If we go by the book, I should have broken his legs. However, I will forgive him if I get that one billion aspensation.¡± ¡°Yeah! One billion dors in exchange for his legs. It¡¯s a sweet deal for him!¡± Dakota agreed. She had been racking her brains to break the promise, but she was surprised that Gloria hade up with a solution in no time. Gloria was indeed a wily old fox! Chapter 386 ¡°Madam Gloria, you need to be fair. What you¡¯re doing now is intentionally setting me up to fail!¡± Dahlia had a sour expression on her face. No sane person would sit still after being robbed of one billion dors. ¡°Shut up! Where are your manners when you¡¯re speaking to my grandma? You should know your ce!¡± Dakota yelled at Dahlia. ¡°You need to pay up for what you¡¯ve done. Dustinshed out at people, and he should rightly pay for that. This is enough. I¡¯ll be upfront with you. If you pull another one billion dors, I¡¯ll make you the chairman. If you can¡¯t, you should get lost.¡± Gloria waved impatiently in a confident manner, as though she had Dahlia in her grip. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Get lost now!¡± Dakota urged Dahlia to leave. However, before leaving, Dahlia said, ¡°Madam Gloria, since you¡¯re being unfair, I will report this to the patriarch and make him the judge of this case.¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± With a sullen face, Gloria bellowed, ¡°You rascal! How dare you threaten me? The audacity! Someone give her a p!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Dakota sneered and gave Dahlia two ps on the face, leaving two clear marks on the cheeks. Dahlia cradled her face in shock and anger. ¡°Why? Are you dissatisfied? p her two more times!¡± Gloria roared. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± Dakota pped Dahlia hard on the face, twice. She had long harbored resentment for Dahlia, the countryside girl with good looks. Dahlia bit her lips but did not say a word. Instead, she stared straight at Gloria. ¡°Is she still stubborn? p her harder!¡± Gloria was incensed at the defiant look in Dahlia¡¯s eyes. Not many in the family had the guts to go up against her. ¡°Beat her up!¡± Dakota got two elderly servants to beat and kick Dahlia. Within minutes, the poor girl was badly scratched on the face and suffered from bruises all across her body. ¡°You shameless thing! How dare you talk back to my grandma? I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡± Dakota released her pent¨Cup anger by hitting and cursing Dahlia. As a member of the direct line of descent, she was jealous at how Dahlia was chosen to be a candidate for the heir position instead. How could a country bumpkin and lowly slut outshine her in terms of looks and grace? ¡°Stop right there!¡± When Dakota and the rest of the women were in the middle of the assault, they heard an angry calling from the entrance. ¡°Who¡¯s yelling at our ce?¡± Dakota looked up and was about to give the intruder a dressing down. But what greeted her was a hard kick in the face. She yelped helplessly and was thrown a good three feet away. Not only was her nose bent out of shape, but she also lost her front teeth. Her facial structure was slightly affected because of the injuries. ¡°Dustin Rhys! It¡¯s you again! You animal!¡± Gloria¡¯s anger reached its peak at the sight of Dustin. She rose up and attempted to hit him with her walking stick. ¡°Get lost!¡± Dustin pped Gloria across the face, sending her copsing onto the ground. Chapter 387 ¡°How dare youy a finger on Madam Gloria? You crossed the line!¡± The elderly servants standing around were taken aback when they saw that Gloria had been pped. Enraged, they flung themselves at Dustin and attacked him. ¡°A bunch of rude bitches!¡± Dustin¡¯s expression hardened, and he pped the elderly servants out of his way without a word. Some fainted on the spot, some were bleeding from their noses and mouths, and some lost their teeth, Within a blink of an eye, those who assaulted Dahlia were lying on the floor, immobile. ¡°Dustin Rhys, how dare you hit us? You¡¯re asking for trouble!¡± Dakota stood up, albeit staggering, with a look of menace and resentment on her face. She was the daughter of a wealthy family, and her grandma was one of the heads of the Nicholson Family. A good¨Cfor¨Cnothing like Dustin had beaten them up¨Che clearly didn¡¯t know his ce! ¡°Not only am I beating you up, but I will also cripple you!¡± Dustin gave Dakota a heavy kick in the abdomen, sending her flying in the air into a wall, screaming in pain and bleeding from the mouth. ¡°You animal! You¡¯re dead meat! Your entire family is in deep shit! How dare you hurt the Nicholsons? We¡¯ll make you pay for that!¡± Gloria, who got up from the floor, hissed evilly at Dustin. No one had the audacity toy a finger on her in many years. This young man had some balls! ¡°Make me pay? Oh, you don¡¯t have the right to.¡± He pped her on the face again, and this time, her nose and mouth were hit, and even her fake tooth fell off. Almost instantly, she started convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t hurt them!¡± Seeing that, Dahlia jumped in to stop him. She was worried that he might identally kill Madam Gloria in a fit. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Dustin reined in his temper and helped her up from the floor. ¡°I only suffered from a few external injuries. It¡¯s nothing.¡± She forced a smile at him. ¡°Your face is swollen. How is this ¡®nothing¡®?¡± Frowning, he looked sulky, and the more he thought about the situation, the angrier he became, knowing they had been taken advantage of. His temper rose, and he stomped hard on Dakota¡¯s face. Her decent¨Clooking face was instantly horrifically ruined and bruised. Dustin finally felt satisfied and pleased after taking the appropriate revenge. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so vindictive.¡± Although Dahlia was speechless at the scene, she couldn¡¯t help but feel joy in her heart. It felt good to have someone avenging her. ¡°If you don¡¯t teach these rude bitches a lesson, they will never learn.¡± He looked cross. ¡°Beating Dakota up is fine. But you also beat up the elderly, Madam Gloria. I¡¯m worried that we can¡¯t get ourselves out of this.¡± After the initial joy, she was burdened by new worries. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If they want revenge, they cane at me.¡± Dustin sounded fearless. ¡°She¡¯s an insolent and disrespectful old hag. If I didn¡¯t p her today, she would¡¯ve really thought she was above everyone else.¡± With that, he took the check from Gloria¡¯s pocket and left the vi with Dahlia. Soon after, Gloria stirred awake, still lying on the ground. She was greeted by the mess in the room. Touching her swollen and red face, she bellowed with eyes bulging from anger, ¡°That animal! I will tear both of them into pieces!¡± Next, she called a number on her phone. ¡°Hey! Get Tarragon and Cougar here! We¡¯re executing the housew!¡± When they got back to the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin immediately took out a tube of medication that he started applying to Dahlia¡¯s skin. Dakota and the elderly servants did not go easy on Dahlia at all. The poor victim was covered in bruises on her face, limbs, and across her body. He dared not imagine the oue had he not intervened in time. ¡°Dahlia, do you want to learn a few moves from me? At least, you¡¯ll have some skills to defend yourself if you ever run into this kind of situation,¡± Dustin suggested while applying the ointment. Her fair skin was as soft as silk to the touch. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in fighting and killing. And I have you to protect me!¡± She smiled at him softly. In her opinion, one could not solve problems with violence¨Cthat would only lead to more trouble. At the end of the day, an individual would only be powerful because of his or her connections and influence, not their martial arts skills. Many of the big bosses were bad at fighting, but their existence was enough to stop anyone from stirring up trouble. The top dogs garnered respect because of their reputation and influence. ¡°I¡¯d rather rely on myself. I am only truly strong because I train myself to be.¡± He shook his head. ¡± Take off your clothes. I need to apply the medication to your back.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her expression froze with awkwardness. ¡°Um, maybe get Caitlyn to help out on this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s out getting groceries. I¡¯m not asking you to strip naked. Why do you make it sound like I¡¯m taking advantage of you?¡± He rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Okay then.¡± She pursed her lips and slowly took off her top to disy the lovely curves of her back. Her milky skin was a sight to behold, a rare beauty indeed. Dustin regained hisposure and applied the medication to the bruises on her back. Then, he gave her a slow and soft massage. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± He seemed to have touched a sore area as she frowned and inhaled deeply. ¡°Just bear with it. I¡¯ll be done in a while.¡± During the massage, he channeled some internal energy to clear up the blood clots. Soon, she felt the pain in her back go away, and her body was basking in a comfortable and warm sensation. ¡°Dear! I¡¯m here!¡± They heard a singsong voice from the entrance. In the next moment, they found themselves staring nkly at Natasha and Caitlyn, who were standing quietly at the door with the fresh groceries in their hands. ¡°I saw nothing!¡± Caitlyn covered her face and turned around, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natasha¡¯s expression hardened, and her eyes filled with usation. She was looking at a man and a woman in a room. The woman was stripped down to her undergarments, and the man was running his hand all over her. It looked suspicious no matter what. ¡°Ahem, please ignore that. Dahlia has been injured, and I was applying some medication for her,¡± Dustin hastily exined himself, but he felt oddly guilty in doing so. ¡°Applying medication?¡± Natasha was green in envy as she scanned Dahlia from head to toe. ¡°And does she need to take off her clothes for that? Do you need to sit close to each other? Look at you- you can¡¯t even take your hands off her!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Dustin turned around and saw his hands on Dahlia, and he immediately retracted his hands in shock. He believed his intention was pure, but why did he feel guilty after Natasha¡¯s interrogation? ¡°Caitlyn,e take a look. I look like the bad guy now, don¡¯t I?¡± Natasha asked with a straight face. ¡°Um, what? What¡¯s going on?¡± Caitlyn was taken aback and baffled. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯ve be a cuckquean!¡± Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. Hmph! Dustin Rhys, why don¡¯t you change your name instead? You should call yourself¨CDon Juan!¡± Chapter 388 ¡°Don Juan?¡± Dustin¡¯s lips twitched in disbelief. What was going on? Why did he getbeled as a yboy just for applying some medication to his patient? ¡°Ms. Harmon, there¡¯s a misunderstanding here. He¡¯s in fact applying the medication to my injuries. ¡°Dahlia could not suppress a tiny smile at the jealousy on Natasha¡¯s face. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t trust my words, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Then, she slowly put on her clothes with a taunting look in her eyes. ¡°Hmph! I need some medication too!¡± Natasha sat down beside Dustin and started unbuttoning her clothes. ¡°Hey, what are you doing!¡± Shocked, he immediately stopped her. She gave him a look of displeasure. ¡°What? You can apply medication for her, but not for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not hurt!¡± Dustin was helpless in the face of the youngdy from a wealthy family who was acting like a child. ¡°Who said so? I am hurt in the heart, and it¡¯s much worse than what she¡¯s going through! Just touch it, and you¡¯ll know!¡± A defiant Natasha puffed her chest, inviting him to touch it. ¡°Dustin, I feel some pain in the back. Can you apply more medication to it?¡± Dahlia did not back down and took off her top once more. However, Dustin was suffering from a raging headache in the face of the two difficult beauties. They had always been passive¨Caggressive with each other every time they crossed paths, and it was tough to pacify them. ¡°Caitlyn! Help them out! I¡¯ll get lunch ready!¡± His eyes lit up at the sight of his trusty assistant, and he grabbed the groceries from her hands and slid into the kitchen. One way of avoiding trouble was by escaping the scene. ¡°Hmph!¡± The women red at each other and put on their clothes, finally putting the animosity to a temporary rest. After a busy time in the kitchen, he served everyone a sumptuous lunch. It was a four¨Ccourse dish N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. with soup that smelled good and tasted equally great. ¡°Dear, have some grilled ribs. Look at you¨Cyou lost some weight!¡± Smiling, Natasha ced a piece of rib on his te. He cautiously thanked her and quickly stuffed it into his mouth with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s good about ribs? You should try some chicken Alfredo. I know you like this the best.¡± Dahlia, not backing down, ced the chicken on his te. ¡°Grilled ribs are better, in my opinion. They¡¯re sulent and chewy at the same time. Great texture!¡± While speaking, Natasha put a second piece of rib on Dustin¡¯s te. ¡°To each his own! Dustin never gets tired of chicken Alfredo. You can¡¯tpare it to ribs.¡± Dahlia shed a faint smile and piled a piece of chicken on the growing hill of food on Dustin¡¯s te. ¡°Ribs are better!¡± ¡°The chicken Alfredo is nicer!¡± ¡°Ribs!¡± ¡°Chicken!¡± The women kept piling food on his te while squabbling with barely concealed hostility. Soon, the lunch he prepared was gone, all going into his te that was overflowing with food. He did not know where to get started. Meanwhile, Caitlyn stared at the fight before her helplessly. She wanted to take her share of the meat, but she lost the chance to do so. ¡°Dustin, my darling, is the chicken or rib better?¡± After the fight, the women turned their sharp gazes onto him and directed the question to him. The scene was like deja vu, but this time, it was more frightening. ¡°They¡¯re both great!¡± He shed a bitter smile and answered. ¡°No! You can only pick one!¡± They red at him with a threatening air. Chapter 389 ¡°I can¡¯t pick! They taste different, and the choice will depend on the time, the ce, and the preference of the person.¡± Dustin bit the bullet and offered a neutral opinion. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re really good at talking yourself out of situations!¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes, but at least she stopped bugging him. ¡°No matter what, you have to pick the ribs!¡± However, Natasha was more aggressive, supported by the confidence that she had Dustin wrapped around her finger. He could only smile without saying a word as he was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°Dear,e with me. I have something to discuss with you.¡± After the heart¨Cstopping lunch, Dustin was called to the side to talk by Natasha. Dahlia pretended that she was out for a casual stroll to eavesdrop. However, Natasha immediately noticed her ns and dragged Dustin into her car, keeping everyone out of their private discussion. ¡°Natasha, what do you want to discuss?¡± He was curious. Natasha suddenly announced, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you¨CI might need to leave Swinton for a while.¡± ¡°Leaving Swinton? Where to?¡± He was taken aback, Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m going to my hometown in Millsburg.¡± Her expression dimmed at the thought. ¡°I have some family matters to tend to. And I need to take care of it right away.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the important matter? Do you need my help?¡± He prodded cautiously. He knew that it must be aplicated matter because he rarely saw Natasha with a solemn face. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just a private matter. I can take care of it myself.¡± She squeezed a smile at him. She wanted to tell him the truth very badly, but she couldn¡¯t do so. Despite Dustin¡¯s outstanding martial arts skills, he was far from being able to take down the Grant Family. As one of The Tremendous Three, the Grants were influential across the military, the government, and the business scene. One could say that they were invincible in the Southern province. A single individual could never fight against a top dog like the Grants, and thest thing she wanted was to get him involved in the mess. ¡°Natasha, you must let me know if you are in trouble. Don¡¯t put on a brave face and pretend that everything¡¯s fine,¡± he assured her with a serious face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± She beamed at him, looking relieved. It was worth taking the huge risk on her own after seeing him get nervous for her. ¡°How long do you n to stay in Millsburg?¡± He asked her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could be as quick as three days, or as long as seven days.¡± ¡°Cool. I will call you in three days. If you haven¡¯t settled the issue, I will head over to help.¡± He was being serious. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± She shook her head and rejected his offer. But he cut her off and insisted. ¡°You don¡¯t have a say this time! Just listen to me!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She gave him a helpless nod, but her heart was bursting with joy. At that moment, someone rapped on the car window. It was Dahlia, standing out there with a hostile look in her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? Are you not done yet? Shall I serve you tea?¡± Dustin coughed awkwardly and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get out now.¡± Then, he opened the door to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± Natasha suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around his neck. Then, she gave him a kiss with her red lips. He let out a muffled moan and tasted the sweetness whirling in his mouth. His body stiffened, and his mind went nk. Did she pull the same trick again? This time, she was more bold and passionate. ¡°You-¡± Dahlia red at them and dragged Dustin out of the car. Feeling humiliated and angered, she yelled, ¡°Natasha Harmon, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Not bad. He¡¯s getting better at kissing.¡± Natasha licked her red lips, looking as though she wanted more. shing a suggestive smile, she said to Dustin, ¡°Stay home while I¡¯m gone. I¡¯ll be back in two days for you.¡± With that, she stamped on the elerator and sped away. ¡°She¡¯s shameless!¡± Dahlia stomped furiously. Too bad she could never get herself to imitate Natasha¡¯s coy behavior. Chapter 390 As night descended, there was amotion at the Nicholson Vi as the entrance door was busted down. Then, Gloria and her bodyguards from the Nicholson Family barged in pompously. Two men, who were more than six feet tall, were eye¨Ccatching. The two guards shared some resemnce, and the muscles on their bodies were chiseled like rock cliffs. They stood there like two huge mountains that evoked fear. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! Get out right now!¡± Gloria yelled at the top of her lungs when she stepped foot in the house. Her face was still bruised from Dustin¡¯s beating in the morning, looking terrifying, especially with the awful scowl. ¡°Oh! If it isn¡¯t Madam Gloria? What brings you here?¡± Florence emerged from the kitchen but jumped at the sight of the entourage. ¡°I¡¯m asking you now. Where are Dahlia and Dustin?¡± Gloria hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°They haven¡¯t been back since the morning. I have no idea where they went!¡± Florence replied meekly. ¡°You have no idea? Are you trying to hide them?!¡± A woman with a bandaged face made her way out of the crowd. Florence was taken aback by the figure, whom she failed to recognize. ¡°Um, who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dakota!¡± The woman in bandages yelled. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Dakota! What happened to your face? How did you get injured this badly?¡± Florence was shocked by the extent of Dakota¡¯s injuries. One couldn¡¯t tell her nose apart from her mouth, and it was harder to recognize her as she was all wrapped up in bandages. ¡°How dare you ask me that question? It¡¯s all thanks to your dearest daughter and son¨Cinw! They made me look like this!¡± Dakota grimaced. She was born pretty and used her looks to her advantage, given that she was rtively talentless in other fields. However, Dustin destroyed her face with all the kicking and beating. It was not surprising that she would be infuriated. ¡°What? Did they beat you up? That can¡¯t be true!¡± Florence gasped in disbelief. ¡°I am not the only victim. They also hurt Grandma! We must use the housew on those two treacherous jerks!¡± Dakota yelled again. ¡°Florence, get them here, or I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Gloria grew impatient. ¡°Madam Gloria, I have nothing to do with it! I really don¡¯t know where they went!¡± Looking nervous, Florence added, ¡°My daughter is kind and innocent. She can¡¯t possibly hit anyone! I think this must be Dustin¡¯s doing. Just arrest him if you want!¡± ¡°Hmph! You and your sweet words! I want her pped!¡± Gloria roared with rage. ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± The elderly servants that came with Gloria immediately went up and pinned Florence down. The biggest of them all pped Florence hard on the face until she was seeing stars and bleeding from the nose. ¡°How dare you beat my mom? I¡¯m not going easy on you!¡± James, who had descended the stairs, was furious at the sight and dashed over while yelling. ¡°Cougar!¡± Gloria gave one bulky bodyguard a look, and he went up to grab James by the cor, lifting the poor dude into the air like he was a puppy. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± James¡® face turned a deep shade of red as he was suffocated. He struggled for his life, but he couldn¡¯t free himself. ¡°Let go of my son!¡± A worried Florence butted against the elderly servants, grabbed a fruit knife from the table, and plunged it into Cougar¡¯s abdomen. They all heard a tiny nking sound, but Cougar remained standing. The de in Florence¡¯s hand broke into two. ¡°What?¡± She stared nkly at the knife. Chapter 391 Was the bodyguard made of steel? Even a knife could not prate his skin! ¡°Hmph! Cougar is a martial artist who¡¯s at the height of internal energy cultivation. Do you seriously think you can hurt him with that toy knife of yours?¡± Dakota scoffed in disdain. Gloria had called in the two martial arts experts who worked for her to make up for her loss of dignity earlier. No matter how powerful Dustin was, he was destined to be defeated. ¡°Get lost!¡± With a p, Cougar subdued Florence. Gloria strutted up arrogantly and rested her walking stick on Florence¡¯s face, saying, ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance to get Dahlia and Dustin toe home. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll break the legs of your son!¡± ¡°Have mercy on me! I¡¯ll make the call right now!¡± Florence frantically scrambled for her phone and called Dahlia, specifically reminding her daughter to bring Dustin home as well. However, she kept the reason from Dahlia, fearing that Dustin wouldn¡¯t show up. That would onlynd the whole family in greater trouble. ¡°Madam Gloria, they¡¯ll be here in no time. Please wait.¡± Florence was all smiles. ¡°I¡¯ll allow 15 minutes, tops. With each minute that passes after that, I¡¯ll crush one finger of your son!¡± Gloria threatened. ¡°What?¡± Florence was stunned. If Dahlia and Dustin werete for more than ten minutes, James would lose all fingers on both hands! James felt aggrieved and helpless, for he didn¡¯t ask to be part of this circus. During the quiet wait, the door to the vi was busted open once more. A group of men marched in as though they were ready to kill. ¡°Sir Hummer?¡± Florence and James were shocked at the man in the lead. Edwin¡¯s unannounced presence at midnight was quite unexpected. ¡°Who are you?¡± Gloria confronted the new visitors with a frosty tone. ¡°I¡¯m here for these two.¡± Edwin pointed at Florence and James. ¡°The rest of you better get out right now!¡± ¡°Oh, it looks like Florence has asked someone to help her out!¡± Gloria scanned the men with disdain. ¡°What can a few men do? Tarragon and Cougar will easily annihte you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You better beg for forgiveness if you don¡¯t want trouble!¡± Dakota yelled at Edwin¡¯s men, thinking that the few men were no match for Nicholson Family¡¯s elite fighters. ¡°I shall repeat myself once more. Those who are unrted to them¨Cget lost right now!¡± Edwin warned them. However, Gloria merely announced, ¡°He needs to be put in his ce! Someone beat him up!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± The elderly servants chuckled menacingly and charged at Edwin. He was emotionless when he pulled a pistol with a silencer from his back and pointed it at the elderly servants. ¡°Wait a minute! We can talk¨C¡± The elderly servants looked rmed and attempted to talk to him, but what followed were muffled gunshots. The elderly servants fell to the floor, each with a gunshot wound in their foreheads. None were breathing. Edwin blew on the pistol and asked coldly, ¡°Who is next?¡± The others stared at the scene with terror. No one expected Edwin to be as ruthless as to gun down lives without hesitation. His psychopathic behavior sent shivers down their backs. ¡°D¨Cdo you know who I am? How dare you kill my people? You¡¯re reckless!¡± Gloria gathered herself and grew furious. The elderly servants were her confidantes, and she was extremely angry to see them murdered. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m uninterested in the names of the dead,¡± he said coolly, shooting Gloria. Chapter 392 Edwin pulled the trigger, sending a bullet in Gloria¡¯s direction. At the life¨Cor¨Cdeath moment, the bulky Cougar positioned himself to shield her, arms crossed over his chest in a protective stance. At the same time, two heavy metal rings slid out of his sleeve. The sound of metal nking was apanied by flying sparks as the bullet was sent flying astray after it came into contact with the metal rings. Cougar sneered as he stood in front of Gloria like a mountain. He clearly did not fear Edwin. Bullets from an average pistol were not a threat when he was at the height of internal energy cultivation, thanks to his speedy response inparison to that of an average shooter. He could either dodge the bullet or stop it with his weapons. It was impossible to hurt him as long as it wasn¡¯t an ambush from the back, and that was the power of a trained martial artist! ¡°D¨Cdid he stop the bullet?¡± Florence was shocked once more. At that point, they wondered if Cougar was even human for blocking both the fruit knife attack and the gunshot. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re invincible with that pistol? You bumpkin!¡± Gloria recovered from the initial scare and collected herself. With Tarragon and Cougar beside her, no one could hurt her. ¡°How dare you shoot at my grandma? You¡¯re asking for death! Cougar, I want him crippled!¡± Dakota gave out the orders. ¡°Roger that!¡± Cougar cackled andunched himself into the air by jumping lightly. He sailed across like an arrow from a bow as crushed the tiles underneath his feet, and he barreled toward Edwin at a frightening speed. ¡°That¡¯s just a minor trick!¡± A short guy in a cap, who was standing behind Edwin, suddenly made his move and charged at Cougar. The two collided and set off an explosion. As the dust cleared, everyone could see that the short guy caught Cougar¡¯s fists in his hand. The impact of the collision had shattered the tiles underneath their feet into pieces. Cougar¡¯s eyes wavered with shock as he grunted. He never thought that someone would have the power to stop his punch. ¡°Boss, he doesn¡¯t look like our target today.¡± The short guy held his cap with one hand to prevent it from blowing it away. At the same time, he cast a cool look at Edwin. ¡°If you want him killed, you need to top up.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°50 million for each person,¡± Edwin replied, unperturbed. ¡°Haha! No problem!¡± The short guy grinned in excitement. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Feeling belittled, Cougar was infuriated andshed out with a punch. The punch was so heavy that it could break metal. ¡°You don¡¯t know your limits.¡± The short guy shook his head and suddenly lurched at Cougar. He dodged the punch and hit Cougar hard in the abdomen. A dull thud was heard. Cougar¡¯s abdomen, which had withstood the fruit knife stab, had a hole in it. The fist of the short guy prated through Cougar¡¯s flesh and emerged from the back. The scene was a horrifying, bloody mess. Cougar froze up and stared at the fist that pierced through his abdomen in disbelief. Never in his wildest dream had he imagined that someone would put a fist through the steely body that he trained and built for years. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Gloria and the rest were terrified and shocked, especially knowing that Cougar was powerful enough to take down a hundred men. He could even defend himself against guns with ease. To their dismay and bewilderment, Cougar was taken down by a martial arts expert in one move. ¡°50 million pocketed.¡± Chapter 393 The short guy grinned as he flung Cougar¡¯s body against the wall, where the body left a bloody trail. ¡°Cougar!¡± Tarragon hugged the body of his little brother and seethed in vengeance. ¡°How dare you kill my brother? I¡¯ll tear you into pieces!¡± Then, he lunged at the short guy like a crazed beast, only to have the short guy kick him in the chest. Tarragon seemed to have been run over by a truck. He was flung aside and fell hard onto the ground, where he coughed up blood. His rib had copsed. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The Nicholsons gasped at the second casualty. They knew that Tarragon was way stronger than Cougar, but even the elder brother was defeated after an attack from the short guy. That left them wondering about his origins. ¡°W¨Cwho exactly are you?¡± Tarragon pressed on his chest as blood oozed from his nose and mouth. He knew his opponent must have been a divine¨Clevel martial artist to win with just a move. ¡°I¡¯m Hillcrest, a gold¨Ctier assassin in the Bounty League.¡± The short guy grinned widely. ¡°A gold¨Ctier assassin in the Bounty League?¡± Tarragon appeared mortified by the answer. Although he was not acquainted with Hillcrest, he was well aware of the weight of the reputation. The Bounty League was full of martial arts experts. Even the bronze¨Ctier assassins were formidable on their own, and the silver¨Ctier assassins were practically invincible. Not to mention the rare gold¨Ctier assassins, who were the elites with expertise in their fields of choice and cost billions to hire! Tarragon had thought that he was sent here to teach some rascals a lesson, but little did he know that he would run into the gold¨Ctier assassins of the Bounty League. Talk about unlucky! ¡°Old hag, it¡¯s your turn now.¡± Edwin lifted his gun again. ¡°Quick! Protect her!¡± Dakota¡¯s eyelids twitched as she yelled in panic. ¡°Go!¡± The group of loyal bodyguards from the Nicholson Family charged at Edwin, who started firing like crazy with high uracy. Each bullet was fatal. In no time, he had taken out half of the bodyguards. The rest who came closer were taken down by Hillcrest without fuss. In the blink of an eye, the Nicholsons¡® bodyguards suffered a huge loss and multiple casualties. No one was left standing. Gloria and the others were gripped by fear and trembling incessantly upon witnessing the scene. They had never thought that they¡¯d lose all the expert bodyguards whom they had specifically called in from Glenstead. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± Edwin marched up to Gloria without expression. ¡°Wait! You¡¯d better not do anything rash. I¡¯m from the Nicholson Family of Glenstead. If you dare so much as toy a finger on me, the family wille at you!¡± Gloria rebuked him sternly. ¡°Is that all? Time to meet your maker, then.¡± Edwin did not waste time conversing as he raised his gun once more. ¡°Stop!¡± When he was about to pull the trigger, he heard a feminine andmanding voice from the entrance. He turned around and spotted two familiar faces¨CDustin Rhys and Dahlia Nicholson. ¡°Oh! The real VIPs are here!¡± Edwin scrunched up his eyes with a murderous look. He had attempted to make use of Boulderthorn and Royal Valor to get rid of Dustin, but he did not seed. The bastards from Royal Valor had gone missing, and no one had heard from them so far. He had no choice but to take matters into his own hands and hired the gold¨Ctier assassins to avenge his children. Now that he was face¨Cto¨Cface with the killer, he was ovee with vengeance. ¡°Edwin Hummer, you¡¯d better not try anything funny! Release Madam Gloria now!¡± Dakota ordered. ¡°Oh, is she a madam from the family? This is great.¡± Edwin suddenly broke into a smile as he pointed the gun at Gloria¡¯s temple. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice¨Ceither she or Dustin have to die. Pick one.¡± Chapter 394 ¡°What did you say?¡± Dahlia frowned at him. ¡°Was it not clear enough? I shall repeat myself then.¡± The smile disappeared from Edwin¡¯s face. ¡°I will only spare one person. Either that old woman or Dustin. Now, it¡¯s your turn to decide who¡¯s living and who¡¯s dying.¡± ¡°Dahlia! Just let Dustin go! It¡¯s your chance to redeem yourself!¡± Dakota started yelling. ¡°Right! If you save me today, I will forgive your wrongs and even help you secure the chairman position!¡± Gloria dangled a promise as well. She lost her mind at that moment because of Edwin¡¯s mercilessness. He could not be reasoned with, and he would take any life without hesitation. She still had a lot to live for and refused to be sacrificed. ¡°Edwin Hummer! We do not have grudges against you! Why do you have toe after us?¡± Dahlia frowned deeply. ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Edwinughed maniacally, throwing his head back. ¡°Oh, Dahlia Nicholson, why don¡¯t you ask the people around you about the grudges between us?¡± After Edwin¡¯s son and daughter were both killed and his family went through a massacre, he developed a vendetta against Dustin Rhys. Dahlia was wrong to im that there was nothing between them. ¡°Edwin Hummer, juste at me if you want revenge. Why do you have to pull tricks?¡± Unfazed, Dustin remarked. ¡°I would have killed you if I wanted to. But I will not make it an easy death for you. I want you to witness your family and friends dying in their pools of blood. I want to see anger, despair, and remorse in you. That way, you¡¯ll have a taste of the excruciating grief!¡± Edwin cackled like a madman. He had nothing more to lose ever since he lost his children. ¡°Do you think you are capable of doing that?¡± Dustin had a calm look in his eyes. Many wanted him dead, but he has been unharmed so far. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hah! I know you are powerful. It¡¯s hard to take revenge on my own. But today, I came prepared. I did not mind spending a fortune on hiring the three gold¨Ctier assassins from the Bounty League just to take you down. With them here, you are destined to die, even if you are an invincible monster.¡± As he was speaking, he made a gesture, and three people behind him took a step forward. The short guy on the left was Hillcrest. Standing in the middle was a man with gray hair, who had oddly ape¨Clike, lengthy arms that reached his knees. On the right was ady wearing a mask. She was dressed in a bodycon suit, which unted her curvy figure. The two knives she held were sparkling dimly and were obviously dripping with poison. ¡°On the left is Hillcrest. Snow Monkey is the one in the middle. You¡¯ll also see Scorpion on the right. They are all gold¨Ctier assassins.¡± Edwin generously introduced the assassins to Dustin to instill fear and despair in him. ¡°You rascal! It¡¯s your honor to die in our hands.¡± Hillcrest grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with and bag the money.¡± Snow Monkey remained expressionless. 1 ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s a pity that a handsome guy like you is meeting your end today. Fancy having fun with me before that?¡± Scorpion licked her lips greedily. The air was filled with dread upon the entrance of the three assassins. The people in the room started trembling uncontrobly. ¡°My gosh! What is that guy doing, putting together three gold¨Ctier assassins?¡± Tarragon was covered in a cold sweat. It was rare enough toe across a gold¨Ctier assassin. It would be his first time witnessing three of those working together, which was unheard of. Chapter 395 To Tarragon, the fact that Edwin assembled the best to take down an average man like Dustin, was rather puzzling. ¡°After all the hoo¨Cha, it turns out that their target is Dustin! Thank God.¡± Dakota let out a sigh of relief in secret. There was a saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Since Edwin shared the same goal as the Nicholsons in wanting to get rid of Dustin, she believed they should not be stuck in a confrontation. ¡°Evil defeats evil. Dustin Rhys, you¡¯ll be dead today!¡± Gloria chuckled gleefully. She had heard of the Bounty League and understood the severity of having a gold¨Ctier assassin here. A humble doctor like Dustin would never defend himself against one. ¡°You really splurged to get me killed.¡± Dustin shook his head, appearing fearless at the threat. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give up my family fortune as long as I get my revenge.¡± Edwin sniggered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed today. This bunch can¡¯t kill me,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°Can¡¯t they? Wow, you jerk. Look at you, facing death with that bold attitude!¡± Hillcrest smirked at him. ¡°A small man like you does not understand the power of a gold¨Ctier assassin. Killing you is like squishing an ant.¡± ¡°Is that so? Try me.¡± Dustin smiled at him. ¡°Alright! I shall show the difference in our powers!¡± Hillcrest grinned andunched himself at Dustin at the speed of a bullet. When he was near, he hurled a punch at Dustin¡¯s chest. However, Dustin did not dodge the attack. Instead, he punched in Hillcrest¡¯s direction as well, and their fists came into contact. The hard collision led to an explosive sound as their internal energy was unleashed, leading to strong gales blowing around. When their fists met, Hillcrest¡¯s immediately cracked, and blood sputtered everywhere. The bones in his arms shifted backward and pierced through his shoulder, and his flesh was twisted from the impact. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. With a painful scream, Hillcrest was thrown against the wall. He vomited blood and lost consciousness right away. Meanwhile, Dustin stood firm in his original position with his fist extended. ¡°What?¡± The people around them were dumbfounded. They could not believe that the proud Hillcrest, who had murdered Cougar with one move, was now taken out by Dustin¡¯s punch. That was too ridiculous. ¡°You sure are something for being able to hurt Hillcrest. Too bad you¡¯re still dying today!¡± Snow Monkey looked grim as heunched a quick attack at Dustin¡¯s head with his long and girthy arms. He was much stronger than Hillcrest in terms of direct attacks. Still, Dustin stood there emotionlessly as he punched Snow Monkey in the chest at high speed. Snow Monkey¡¯s body stiffened before his chest dented inward. He slumped onto the ground lifelessly, heaving hisst breath with his eyes open. Till death, he never expected Dustin to move at a lightning speed that he could not respond to. ¡°Die!¡± Right after Snow Monkey copsed onto the ground, a prowling shadow emerged from his back. The figure held two des that were shimmering with a gleam and plunged them into Dustin¡¯s eyes. It was Scorpion¡¯s ambush! The attack was well¨Ctimed¨Cshe had used Snow Monkey to divert Dustin¡¯s attention, just so she could fatally attack Dustin. However, Dustin seemed to have seen thating. He grabbed the sharp des with his bare hands and kicked her in the abdomen. That sent her screaming in pain, coughing up blood as she crashed into the tables and chairs. Then, she fainted on the ground. Within seconds, the three gold¨Ctier assassinsid motionless on the floor. Dustin dusted his hands coolly and remarked, ¡°So, that¡¯s the best a gold¨Ctier assassin could do.¡± As for the rest, they were gaping at him in shock. Chapter 396 The Nicholsons stared at the three gold¨Ctier assassins before shirting their gazes at the expressionless Dustin with great rm. No one had anticipated Dustin to be so powerful. If they had not witnessed the scene with their eyes, they would haveughed at the idea of a good¨Cfor- nothing person being talented in martial arts. ¡°Is there something wrong with my eyes? When did the trash be a hero?¡± James widened his eyes in disbelief. His impression of Dustin was that he was a kept man who only learned a few useless martial arts tricks that were no match for the top assassins. However, Dustin¡¯s performance shattered James¡® preconception. He was shocked to learn that his ex¨Cbrother¨Cinw was a martial arts expert. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Heavens! Is that really Dustin?¡± Florence was equally astonished. Even though she was clueless about the gold¨Ctier assassins from the Bounty League, she was aware of the capabilities of Tarragon and Cougar. Logically, Dustin beat Hillcrest in terms of expertise, which would ce him levels above Tarragon and Cougar. ¡°What the f*ck? Was that really their useless live¨Cin son¨Cinw?¡± Dakota rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was seeing it right. Were the three gold¨Ctier assassins from the Bounty League taken down? Did that happen due to Dustin¡¯s prowess, or had the assassins been enjoying an undeserved reputation? ¡°He¡¯s a tough nut to crack. We need to get him out of the way soon.¡± After the shock, Gloria started plotting against Dustin. It was impossible to beat Dustin through a martial arts battle, and the only method left was to threaten him with her authority. She believed that Dustin wouldn¡¯t dare to go against the Nicholson Family despite his outstanding martial arts skills. At the same time, Dahlia was staring at the familiar face with surprise. She was not aware of Dustin¡¯s skills during their three¨Cyear marriage. His secret was indeed well hidden. ¡°Edwin Hummer, the assassins you hired didn¡¯t seem up for their jobs. I¡¯m afraid you will walk away disappointed today.¡± Dustin looked up slowly with an amused twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Y¨Cyou hid your skills from us!¡± Edwin appeared grim. He had thought that getting revenge was easy with the help of three gold¨Ctier assassins, only to learn that he had vastly underestimated Dustin. ¡°Hid my skills?¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°I have never attempted to do so. People like you do not require me to use my full strength yet.¡± ¡°I admit that I have underestimated you. But don¡¯t be too d about it! I¡¯m still in the game,¡± Edwin warned in a somber tone. ¡°Oh, why? Do you still believe that you can get out of this?¡± Dustin questioned him. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t, I will take everyone here with me!¡± While speaking, Edwin suddenly tore his shirt apart to reveal the bombs that were strapped underneath. He cackled and said, ¡°See this? Before I arrived, I made up my mind to die with everyone here. The number of bombs on me is enough to turn the vi into ashes!¡± Everyone at the scene looked terrified and listless upon hearing the remark, Edwin Hummer was a crazy one indeed! ¡°How? Dustin Rhys? Are you afraid now?¡± Edwinughed loudly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you are skilled. You cannot survive a bombing.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Dustin went forward and shielded Dahlia. Chapter 397 ¡°Now! Kneel down immediately!¡± Edwin bellowed at Dustin. Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No? Then I¡¯ll take it out on her!¡± Edwin grabbed Gloria and pointed the gun at her temple. Knowing that Dustin was powerful, he needed to get himself a human shield. ¡°Edwin Hummer! You¡¯d better be careful! That¡¯s Madam Gloria from the Nicholson Family!¡± Dustin¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s your Madam Gloria? Sounds like you care a lot about her, don¡¯t you?¡± Edwin chuckled. ¡± Listen to what I say if you don¡¯t want her to die!¡± ¡°Dustin! What are you standing there for? Quick! Kneel!¡± Dakota urged him frantically. ¡°You punk! Kneel! Do you want me dead?¡± Gloria¡¯s face paled. ¡°Madam Gloria, please be patient. I¡¯ll save you real soon.¡± Dustin faked an angry expression and challenged Edwin, ¡°Edwin Hummer, juste at me! If youy a finger on her, I won¡¯t let this slip!¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know what it means to be desperate.¡± Enraged, Edwin shot Gloria in one of her knees. She yelped in pain, and her face contorted. ¡°That¡¯s too much! Let her go! If not¡­¡± Dustin continued with his threats, but Edwin had already shot Gloria in the other knee. ¡°Kneel!¡± ¡°You rascal. Quick ¡­ Kneel, or we will make you pay!¡± Gloria was whimpering and wailing, drenched in sweat from the unbearable pain. ¡°Edwin Hummer! You need to stop! If you kill her, no one can save you from the consequences!¡± Dustin looked furious, and that only made Edwin chuckle harder. ¡°Is that so? If you care about her that much, I¡¯ll give you a taste of losing your family!¡± Then, he pointed the gun at Gloria¡¯s head and pulled the trigger. The bullet shot through her head. ¡°You animal-¡± Gloria was gripped by fear, but it was toote for her to say anything. Eyes open with indignation, her cold body fell onto the floor. ¡°Edwin Hummer! Your enemy is me!¡± Dustin acted as though he was aggrieved. ¡°Great! I love seeing that face!¡± Edwin cackled and grabbed Dakota, who was frozen in a state of shock. ¡°I have lots of hostages here. We can y this for as long as you want. I¡¯ll ask you once more¨Care you kneeling or not?¡± ¡°Edwin Hummer, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Dustin chided him. Edwin did not waste time. shooting Dakota in the leg. ¡°Are you going to kneel or not?¡± Dakota finally realized the trouble she was in, and she wailed and yelled. Tears and snot covered. her face as she cursed, ¡°Dustin Rhys! I want you to kneel right now! I¡¯m the precious daughter of the Nicholson Family. They won¡¯t go easy on you if I¡¯m hurt! Kneel, now!¡± ¡°Dakota, you have to embody the spirit of a proud and upright Nicholson. You have to be an outstanding person in this life and the afterlife! We need to fight against threats without ruining the family¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°Oh, you motherfucker! Quit the nonsense. We¡¯re in an emergency. Do you want me dead?¡± Dakota screamed at Dustin but was immediately shot in the leg again. She rolled on the floor, wailing and screaming in pain. ¡°I¡¯m warning you now! You¡¯ll make yourself a public enemy if you kill Dakota Nicholson!¡± Dustin hissed in anger while Dakota¡¯s face contorted in rage. She was about to yell at him when she noticed the muzzle that was aiming at her. A bullet traveled through the middle of her forehead with a bang. Chapter 398 Dakota grunted as her body trembled and came to a stop, just like her voice that died down. The darkness within the muzzle and Edwin¡¯s cruel face started blurring as she lost consciousness. Finally, she copsed tly onto the ground with a thud. Everything happened too fast, and she had not expected herself to die in such a manner. ¡°I¨Cis she dead?¡± Florence and the rest of the people were shaking in fear when they stared at Gloria and Dakota¡¯s bodies. It felt so surreal to see the two arrogantdies killed. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Dustin nced at the scene without much emotion. Evil defeats evil. Dakota and Gloria had always been impudent bullies who did not reflect on their actions even after being taught a lesson. Not only that, they came to him to seek revenge. Their deaths meant nothing to him, partly because he was never a merciful person to start with. He saw no issue with getting rid of the trouble by pulling some tricks. ¡°Hah! How does that feel? Are you feeling the rage and pain? You must be dying to kill me right now!¡± Edwinughed evilly. ¡°To be honest with you, this is just the beginning. I have a few more hostages in my hands. I can y this game with you.¡± Then, he walked up to James and pointed the muzzle at James¡® head. ¡°Your brother¨Cinw is the next in the firing line. Kneel or don¡¯t¨Cthe choice is yours.¡± ¡°Sir Hummer! I¡¯m not involved in this! Please don¡¯t shoot me!¡± James¡® legs turned to jelly. He fell onto his knees and wailed, ¡°You need to get the right person! If you are looking for your revenge, just kill Dustin! I¡¯m innocent!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Hummer! We have never done anything to you. If you want to kill Dustin, go ahead and do it. Don¡¯t involve my son!¡± Florence begged in desperation. ¡°Dustin Rhys is your son¨Cinw. The family will be dragged down by his actions. No one should dream of getting out of this unscathed. Well, the fate of your son is now in Dustin¡¯s hands.¡± Edwin shed her a mocking smile. ¡°Dustin Rhys, you bring bad luck! Look how much trouble you got us into! Kneel to Sir Hummer and beg for his forgiveness. If you don¡¯t, I will not let this slide!¡± a furious and panicked Florence scolded Dustin. ¡°What are you standing there for? Kneel! I¡¯m going to die if you don¡¯t!¡± James glowered, his eyes red, as he screamed at Dustin. His body was shaking violently due to fear. He had witnessed the cruelty of Edwin in the killings of Gloria and Dakota. Edwin would shoot without as much as blinking an eye once he was riled up. James didn¡¯t want to suffer a meaningless death like Dakota. ¡°Edwin Hummer, I shall spare your life if you let them go,¡± Dustin remarked calmly. ¡°Spare my life?¡± Edwin broke into augh. ¡°Oh, Dustin, you still have not figured out the situation! I have the upper hand now because I determine who gets to live or die! What else can you do to me if I shoot your brother¨Cinw in the head?¡± As he was speaking, he ced a finger on the trigger and was close to pulling it, but Dustin. flicked his fingers and sent a silver needle pricking into Edwin¡¯s wrist. Edwin let out a dull grunt when his arm was paralyzed. ¡°Get moving! Run!¡± Dustin reminded the others in the room. ¡°Run! Quick!¡± Florence and James finally collected themselves and fled from the scene. While running, James toppled over a few times because his legs had lost their strength. Dustin frowned disapprovingly at the sight, thinking, ¡°What a loser!¡± The quick¨Cwitted Dahlia had to lift her brother from the ground and help him escape from the vi. None of them wanted to die with Edwin, who had bomb¡¯s strapped on his body. ¡°Edwin Hummer, it¡¯s just you and me now. It¡¯s time to put this to an end.¡± Dustin inched closer to Edwin with murderous intent in his eyes. Edwin had long been on his hit list. He had made a mistake by letting Edwin live. ¡°Die!¡± Edwin roared and picked up the gun from the floor, shooting Dustin in the chest twice. Chapter 399 Two shots were fired, but the bullets came to a halt one inch before Dustin¡¯s body. A protective energy sphere crystallized in the air, forming a shield against the bullet. ¡°What?¡± Edwin¡¯s pupils wavered in shock. He was mentally prepared for Dustin¡¯s prowess but was greatly taken aback at how Dustin stopped the bullets in the air. ¡°Did you believe that you could hurt me with bullets?¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°If I can¡¯t hurt you with a gun, I¡¯ll die with you!¡± Suddenly, Edwin pulled out the remote control for the bomb andughed deliriously. ¡°Dustin Rhys, see you in hell!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. With that, he pressed the button on the control. Meanwhile, Dahlia was on the run with James. They were some distance away from the vi before hearing the two gunshots. They spun around and realized that Dustin had not followed after them. ¡°Dustin?¡± Losing herposure, Dahlia frantically mbered toward the vi. ¡°Hey! Why are you turning back? Do you want to die?¡± Florence quickly pulled her daughter back. ¡°Mom! Dustin is still in there! He might be in danger. I need to help him!¡± Dahlia¡¯s heart was in her mouth. ¡°And what good will that be? Sir Hummer has a gun and bombs with him. You¡¯re running toward your death!¡± Florence grabbed Dahlia tightly, refusing to let go. ¡°What do we do about Dustin?¡± Dahlia was a mess at that moment. ¡°He¡¯s the one who started the trouble, so he deserves what¡¯sing for him! It¡¯s none of our business!¡± Florence reminded Dahlia sternly. ¡°Mom! What¡¯s that nonsense? Dustin saved James just now! Can you stop being selfish?¡± Dahlia furiously shook off Florence¡¯s grip and sprinted toward the vi. At the same time, they heard a huge explosive sound that shook the terrain. An explosion tore the vi into rubble, filling the surroundings with billowing ck smoke and blinding fires. ¡°Dustin?¡± She stared nkly at the ruins of the vi, clueless about what to do next. Could a human possibly survive the explosion if the entire vi was reduced to rubble? ¡°How did that happen? How?¡± Dahlia, ashen¨Cfaced, looked like she was struck by lightning. Finally, she copsed onto the ground, wailing and crying her heart out. ¡°Hey, why are you howling here?¡± She heard a familiar voice that sent a chill down her spine. When she looked up in astonishment, she found Dustin standing in front of her. He emerged from the rubble unhurt. ¡°Are you not dead? How could that be?¡± Bewildered, she looked at him nkly. The impact and heat from the explosion had melted steel. She could not figure out how a human survived the incident. ¡°Why are you shocked that I¡¯m alive?¡± He gave her a funny look. ¡°You¡¯re alive! That¡¯s great!¡± Sobbing in joy, she threw herself into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and refusing to let go, as though she feared he might vanish. Chapter 400 Dustin felt the softness in his arms and the familiar scent tingling his nose. He broke into a smile. He could tell from her uncontrolled crying that she cared greatly about him. ¡°Okay, now. Stop crying. Your tears are wetting this new shirt I bought two days ago.¡± After some hugging, Dustin finally opened his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? I¡¯ll just pay for the shirt.¡± She let go of him and didn¡¯t forget to give him a pinch in the waist, sending him grimacing in pain. ¡°And what was that just now? Why didn¡¯t you escape sooner?¡± she confronted him. ¡°He¡¯s a ticking time bomb¨Cno pun intended. Of course, I had to subdue him before I left,¡± he answered matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°I know you¡¯re great at fighting, but you have to care about your safety. He had bombs strapped on his body. What if he got you killed in an explosion?¡± she protested. He grinned and replied, ¡°But I¡¯m all well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of your dumb luck. You¡¯d better not push your luck the next time!¡± she warned him. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll act like a loser and think of my safety first.¡± He nodded furiously. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± She nodded with satisfaction. It was all great being a glorious hero, but that was also how people got themselves killed in a slip¨Cup. She¡¯d rather Dustin stay a loser. ¡°Dustin Rhys, do you have nine lives? Why weren¡¯t you dead from that huge explosion?¡± James and Florence cautiously made their way up to the rubble. ¡°I need to thank my lucky stars for surviving the bombing,¡± Dustin dropped a casual remark. ¡°Oh my god! My vi!¡± Florence suddenly started howling at the sight of the rubble when she realized the extent of the damage done. ¡°Oh, Edwin Hummer, you asshole! I¡¯m fine with him wanting to die. How could he ruin my vi while he was at it? This is unforgivable!¡± ¡°Mom, this all happened because of Dustin. I think you can ask him forpensation.¡± James was thinking fast and came up with an idea. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Florence nodded and grabbed Dustin by the sleeve. ¡°Dustin Rhys, it¡¯s all your fault! You need to pay up for ruining my vi!¡± ¡°Mom, a vi is nothingpared to a life. Dustin has saved us. Do you think it¡¯s fair to ask him. for compensation?¡± Dahlia frowned at her mother. ¡°Why is that unfair? He got us into this trouble. Don¡¯t you ever think of leaving if you don¡¯t pay up!¡± Florence started acting like a Karen. ¡°Alright, then. How much?¡± Dustin did not want to quarrel with her. ¡°Eight million¡­ No! Ten!¡± Florence was thinking on her feet and inted the price at the veryst minute. ¡°Mom! We bought this vi for five million. Aren¡¯t you scamming Dustin by asking for ten million? ¡°Dahlia grew increasingly annoyed. ¡°That was in the past. Don¡¯t you know that housing prices are climbing like crazy? I won¡¯t let this slide if I don¡¯t receive the ten million!¡± Florence put her hands on her waist.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You-¡± Dahlia was about to go off, but Dustin pressed a hand against hers. ¡°Whatever. Ten million it is. I¡¯ll transfer it to your ount tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s more like it!¡± She gleefully let go of him. ¡°Hey! Are you mad? Where are you going to get the money when you¡¯re running a tiny medical center?¡± Dahlia red at him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate me. I provided the Harmon family with my prescription, and I will receive 50% of the sales of the pills they manufactured. Ten million is nothing.¡± Dustin appeared unbothered. Be it the profits from Hillview Hotel or his 50% ownership of the proceeds from Immortunol, he was guaranteed a huge amount of bonus monthly, which could add up to at least tens of millions per month. ¡°At the end of the day, you¡¯re still Natasha Harmon¡¯s kept man.¡± Dahlia was dripping with jealousy. ¡°Look at the way you put it. I am only her business partner. How could you call me a kept man?¡± Dustin objected. Chapter 401 ¡°Hmph!¡± Dahlia refused to talk to him. Before leaving, she made sure to stomp hard on his foot. Thus, the brutal and unfortunate episode came to an end. The authorities arrived soon after the explosion. The fire brigade helped to clear the scene and put out the fire. At the end of the day, the authorities publicly announced the cause of the explosion, ming it on a gas explosion. Three days went by in the blink of an eye. During this time, Dahlia and her family returned to the Nicholson. family home to keep Henry Nicholsonpany. The Glenstead Nicholsons, meanwhile, sent a team to investigate Gloria and Dakota¡¯s deaths, but after learning that the murderer, Edwin Hummer, had died in a suicide bombing, they had no choice but to close the case. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Notably, Regulus Nicholson made the decision to confirm Dahlia¡¯s role as the chairman of the Cardinal Group. It was only time before she was officially acting in the chairman¡¯s capacity. During the three days, Dustin received surprising news as well. He heard that the 900¨Cyear green lotus that Ja Grant won in a bid was purchased by the Stoneray Order at a high price. Rumors had it that the Stoneray Order was the owner of a secret form to speed up the ripening process of the lotus, turning it into a thousand¨Cyear green lotus in a short time. However, the veracity of the rumors remained to be confirmed. In order not to miss out on the treasured herb, Dustin specifically sent Roderick back to Millsburg to carefully gather information. If the form were real, Dustin would have to pay Stoneray Order a visit. He was also worried about Natasha, who had been out of contact for three days since she departed for Millsburg. She did not reply to texts or pick up calls. Even Park ce was empty, with only a few servants standing guard. At noon on the third day, an increasingly concerned Dustin spotted a silver Bentley parked in front of the medical center. Overjoyed, he rushed out to take a look, only to find Ruth stepping out from the car. ¡°Ruth, why are you here? Where¡¯s your sister?¡± He was perplexed. ¡°Natasha will not be back for a while.¡± Ruth lost her usual rigor and appeared grim. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Dustin furrowed his brows. ¡°Something¡¯s happened at home, and she had to take care of it. She sends me to you because she doesn¡¯t want to worry you.¡± ¡°What happened exactly?¡± he questioned. Based on his understanding of Natasha, she wouldn¡¯t have missed his calls if she hadn¡¯t run into grave problems. ¡°Stop asking for the details and wait for her updates. If she returns to Swinton after a few days, that means the problem has been resolved. If she doesn¡¯t return, you should forget about her.¡± Ruth was ready to leave. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± He grabbed her arm with a stern look on his face. ¡°Tell me, is she in danger? If she is, I¡¯ll immediately rescue her!¡± ¡°Natasha is safe and sound. She¡¯s unharmed.¡± Ruth shook her head woefully. ¡°But what was all that just now? Did Natasha run into trouble?¡± he asked in a firm tone. ¡°Dustin, let this go. You can¡¯t sort out this matter on your own. It¡¯ll only implicate you. Natasha doesn¡¯t want to drag you into the mess.¡± Ruth let out a heavy sigh. ¡°How will we know if we don¡¯t give it a try? I believe that we can ovee all the difficulties!¡± However, Dustin¡¯s expression hardened when Ruth refused to open up. ¡°Ruth Harmon, if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll travel to Millsburg and get to the bottom of it! Do not me me for wreaking havoc in the Harmon family! Chapter 402 ¡°Hey, how can you be so stubborn?¡± Dustin¡¯s one¨Ctrack mind made Ruth blow her top. ¡°My sister didn¡¯t tell you for your own sake. Otherwise, you¡¯d always be at risk of a fatal disaster!¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve been through rain and fire for years. Is there anything I haven¡¯t encountered before? I stand by my words¨Cif you don¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll go ask myself!¡± Dustin said resolutely. ¡°You¡± Ruth stamped her feet in fury, but she didn¡¯t know how to rebut. After a moment, she shook her head helplessly. ¡°It seems like my sister was right: you won¡¯t give it a rest. I really don¡¯t know if this is a blessing or a curse. Didn¡¯t you say you want to go to Millsburg to see my sister? Fine. I can take you there, but you have to listen to me. You can¡¯t act rashly! Or else my sister and I will also get dragged down with you. Got it?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Dustin agreed. Right now, he only wanted to see for himself that Natasha was fine. ¡°Tidy up. I¡¯ll wait for you in the car,¡± Ruth said, then went straight to the car, At that moment, Maximus, who¡¯d heard themotion, walked over. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re going out?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to Millsburg to get something done. I¡¯ll probably be there for about five days. Please help take care of the home in the meantime.¡± Dustin patted his shoulder. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°No problem! If there¡¯s anything, just ring me anytime!¡± Maximus patted his chest. ¡°Okay.¡± Dustin nodded. He picked up his bags, turned around, and got into the car. With Maximus¨Cwho¡¯d already achieved divinity¨Caround, things should be fine in Swinton. The car moved out quickly, making its way to Millsburg. After half a day, the car finally came to a stop in an urban vige in the evening. They arrived at a small vi with a garden. The door opened, and Ruth and Dustin alighted. ¡°Ms. Ruth, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± At that moment, a kind¨Clooking middle¨Caged man walked out of the vi. ¡°Mr. Robinson, this is Dustin Rhys. Over the next few days, you are in charge of his meals and amodations,¡± Ruth said in lieu of an introduction. ¡°Hello, Mr. Rhys.¡± Mr. Robinson bowed respectfully. ¡°Ruth, what kind of ce did you bring me to?¡± Dustin was taken aback. ¡°This is the temporary lodging I arranged for you. Mr. Robinson used to work for the Harmon family and can be trusted. If you need anything, just let him know,¡± Ruth exined. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. Where¡¯s your sister?¡± Dustin pressed. ¡°My sister can¡¯t meet you yet. Just stay here for a few days, and when the time is right, I¡¯ll arrange for you two to meet,¡± Ruth replied. ¡°Then you have to at least tell me what happened.¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°Water won¡¯t boil if you watch it. The situation right now is unfavorable. Knowing too much won¡¯t do you an good, either. If you trust my sister, then wait a couple of days.¡± Ruth looked serious. ¡°But Dustin started, but Ruth interrupted him. ¡°Before we came, we already agreed that you would listen to me. Otherwise, please go home!¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait!¡± Dustin took a deep breath. In the end, he chose to give in. After all, he was already in Millsburg. If trouble really arose, he could lend his support anytime. ¡°Great. Just wait here, and I¡¯ll contact you in case of anything.¡± With that, Ruth got in the car and left. She¡¯d snuck out, so she couldn¡¯t stay for long. ¡°Mr. Rhys, please have some tea.¡± Mr. Robinson handed him a cup. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 403 Dustin epted the cup with both hands and said, ¡°Mr. Robinson, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you for the next few days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Edmund Robinson smiled. ¡°Ms. Harmon saved me before, and my family is hugely grateful for her. Any opportunity to repay Ms. Harmon is my honor.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know Natasha was so beloved,¡± Dustin said with a chuckle. ¡°Why, of course!¡± Edmund said, his voice tinged with pride. ¡°I watched Ms. Harmon grow up. No one can say anything about her character¨Cno one in Millsburg can measure up to her!¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Dustin nodded, smiling. ¡°Mr. Rhys, look at me. I was all focused on chatting that I almost forgot to do my job. Have you eaten? Please wait a moment while I whip something up.¡± Edmund said, hurrying into the kitchen and getting to work. He looked like a proper househusband. Dustin smiled softly. Sipping at the tea in his hand, he surveyed his surroundings. The vi consisted of two floors,plete with furniture and electrical appliances. Although it wasn¡¯t the most luxurious, it was immacte. It looked rather homey. ¡°Hey, who are you? Who let you in here?!¡± At that moment, a high¨Cpitched scream came from the door. Dustin turned around to find a young girl wearing a short skirt watching him carefully. She looked to be about eighteen years old. Her features were very delicate, and she wore some light makeup. Her hair was dyed a bright blue, and she was chewing gum in her mouth, giving off a cool girl impression. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Are you mute!¡± the blue¨Chaired girl shouted. ¡°Abigail, don¡¯t be rude!¡± When Edmund heard themotion, he immediately ran out and smiled. apologetically. ¡°Mr. Rhys, this is my daughter, Abigail Robinson. I spoil her too much, so please don¡¯t hold it against her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is a normal reaction to seeing a stranger in your house,¡± Dustin said with a slight smile. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t know where you picked up this random person from!¡± Abigail said with a cold expression, disgust evident in her eyes. ¡°Silly girl, what are you saying? This is Mr. Rhys, a respected guest of the Harmons!¡± Edmund red. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯m toozy to deal with your bullshit. I¡¯m going out with my friendster, so give me some money!¡± Abigail stretched out her hand demandingly. ¡°You¡¯re going out again?¡± Edmund frowned. ¡°Abigail, your exams are right around the corner. How can you go out every night?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll get into a good college anyway. Does it matter if I have some fun?¡± Abigail said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of whether you get into a good college, but it¡¯s a matter of your attitude. Can¡¯t you let me worry less?¡± Edmund said, exasperated. h, you¡¯re so annoying. Every time I ask for some money, you give me this nonsense. If you want to give me money, then give it to me. If you don¡¯t, then forget it!¡± Abigail said impatiently. She mmed the door shut and stormed off. ¡°That girl Edmund said angrily, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m sorry you had to see that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. She¡¯s in her teens¨Cit¡¯s understandable that she¡¯s a bit rebellious,¡± Dustin said understandingly. ¡°Oh no, my pan!¡± Edmund suddenly remembered what he¡¯d forgotten and dashed into the kitchen. This is from N?velDrama.Org. After half an hour, a scrumptious feast was served. Dustin took a bite. The vor was amazing. ¡°Mr. Rhys, do you mind if I put some food aside? Abigail will probably be hungry when she gets home tonight,¡± Edmund said tentatively. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s no problem.¡± Dustin smiled, ¡°Mr. Robinson, you don¡¯t have to be so reserved. You¡¯re the host: do whatever you want. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys!¡± Edmund said gratefully. Then, he set aside a bit of every dish. He didn¡¯t dare take out too big of a portion. Afterward, he wrapped it in cling wrap carefully. At that moment, a neighbor suddenly bolted inside in a panic, screaming, ¡°Edmund, it¡¯s bad! Something happened to your daughter!¡± Chapter 404 ¡°Something happened? What happened?¡± Edmund was stunned, unable to react. ¡°My daughter just called to tell me that Abigail got into a conflict at the karaoke bar, and both sides fight! You should hurry over and check on her!¡± the neighbor urged. got into a ¡°What? A fight?!¡± Edmund was startled. He immediately threw down his cutlery and ran to the door, but then, he turned around suddenly and said, ¡°Mr. Rhys, I truly apologize, but something happened to my daughter, and I need to go handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Dustin stood. It wasn¡¯t good to just mooch off someone in their house. If he could lend a hand in any way, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be stingy. ¡°Well¡­¡± Edmund was a bit conflicted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make things worse.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Edmund, don¡¯t dawdle any longer. More people means more power. Hurry!¡± the neighbor prompted again. ¡°Alright ¡ª¡± Edmund nodded. Without another word, he got in his Mazda and drove off. He couldn¡¯t care about anything else right now. His daughter¡¯s safety was the most important. Twenty minutester, he stopped in front of the karaoke bar.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Dustin followed Edmund inside. He found a few burly men standing outside a particr room. Among them, the leader was a young man dressed in a Versace suit. His face was flushed, and he reeked of alcohol. He yelled and kicked the door. Meanwhile, Abigail and a few other female students were hiding in the room, not daring toe out. ¡°Fuck, it should be an honor that I touched your butt. How dare you hit me? I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today!¡± After a series of hard kicks, the door suddenly fell with a resounding bang. The girls inside the room instantly screamed in terror, except Abigail, who stood in front, unyielding. With stubborn eyes, she said, ¡°Hold right there! I¡¯m warning you not to do something rash. I¡¯ve already asked for backup. Once my friendse, there¡¯ll be a good show!¡± ¡°Backup?¡± the man in the suit chuckled coldly. ¡°To tell you the truth, this is my territory. It doesn¡¯t matter who you call over. I¡¯m going to fuck you tonight!¡± With that, he reached out to grab her. ¡°Stop!¡± At that moment, Edmund suddenly ran over and stood in front of his daughter protectively. ¡°Young man, let¡¯s use our words, not our hands.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Abigail frowned, not the least bit grateful. ¡°Old geezer, where did youe from?¡± The man in the suit looked him up and down with an unkind gaze. ¡°Young man, this is my daughter. She¡¯s young and doesn¡¯t know better. If she¡¯s offended you in some way, I¡¯ll apologize on her behalf,¡± Edmund said with an apologetic smile, bowing profusely. ¡°That bitch pped me and broke my watch. Do you think an apology can fix this?¡± The man sniffed. Right then, a girl with short hair beside Abigail suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who behaved obscenely first! If you didn¡¯t grope her, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten pped!¡± ¡°She should thank her lucky stars that I touched her. Don¡¯t be fucking shameless!¡± The man red. Edmund¡¯s face froze. In the end, he still forced a smile and said, ¡°Young man, I think this is just a misunderstanding. There¡¯s no need to make this bigger than it is. Why don¡¯t we all take a step back, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯s over just because you said so!¡± The man pped Edmund harshly, cursing. ¡°Who the fuck are you? Are you even worthy of negotiating with me?¡± Edmund staggered backward from the blow, almost falling. Chapter 405 ¡°How dare you hit my father?¡± Abigail flew into a rage. She picked up a beer bottle, about to swing it, but Edmund stopped her. ¡°Abigail, don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± ¡°What, are you going to hit me again? Why don¡¯t you try? If you as much as harm a hair on my head, not a single person in this room will walk out of here tonight!¡± The man in the suitughed icily. ¡°Young man, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Once you cool down, we can talk nicely.¡± Edmund said, smiling apologetically. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Talk? Hmph, what right do you have to talk to me?¡± The man lifted his broken watch and said disdainfully. ¡°Do you know what watch this is? It¡¯s a limited edition Patek watch that costs eight hundred thousand dors! Now, your daughter broke it. Tell me, how will you handle it?¡± ¡°Eight hundred thousand dors? That expensive?¡± Edmund was thunderstruck. He only earned a few thousand dors a month. He didn¡¯t know how many years it¡¯d take to save up eight hundred thousand dors. ¡°What, didn¡¯t you want to talk? Then pay up. If you can fork out eight hundred thousand dors tonight, I¡¯ll consider letting your daughter off the hook,¡± the man responded haughtily. ¡°Well¡­¡± Edmund¡¯s eye twitched. He didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I can tell you can¡¯t afford it. Fine, I won¡¯t make things hard for you. So long as your daughter sleeps with me for a night. I¡¯ll let the eight hundred thousand dors slide. How does that sound?¡± The man grinned wickedly. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Abigail glowered. ¡°Young man, give me a few days. I¡¯ll definitelye up with the money,¡± Edmund said. ¡°I want it now! If you don¡¯t have the money, then get lost. Don¡¯t get in the way of my fun!¡± Getting impatient, the man in the suit pushed Edmund to the floor. ¡°Old geezer, consider it a blessing of a lifetime that I have my eyes on your daughter. Even a small¨Ctime celebrity doesn¡¯t have the price tag of eight hundred thousand dors. You should be happy!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± Watching her father get pushed over, Abigail couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She smashed the beer bottle over the man¡¯s head. There was a loud sound of ss breaking as the bottle shattered into pieces, drenching the man in beer. ¡°Huh?¡± The smash sent the man into a daze, and he was in disbelief. Subconsciously, he reached for his head. and his hand came away full of blood. ¡°H¨Chow dare you hit me?!¡± After staring nkly for a brief moment, the man instantly flew off the handle. Bitch, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see who has the guts to move!¡± A group of boys wielding baseball bats stormed in aggressively. The leader was 6¡¯2¡± with a buff figure and a handsome face. These boys brought a threatening aura with them when they barged in. ¡°Great. Mike is here!¡± When Abigail and the other girls saw the men, they lit up. All of them looked at him with admiration, as if he was their savior. Mike Horton was a popr figure at school. Not only was he from an established family, but he was also handsome and the captain of the school¡¯s basketball team. He usually responded to people¡¯s cries for help. No matter what the trouble was, he could easily handle it. ¡°Abigail, are you okay?¡± Mike asked as soon as he appeared, looking like the ssic gentleman. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Abigail shook her head, her eyes bright. Naturally, she had some feelings for the school hunk, Mike. They hung out together a lot too. ¡°Mike, thank goodness you came in time, or we would have been harassed by these people!¡± the short¨Chaired girl said, terrified. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me here, no one would darey a finger on you!¡± Mike raised the baseball bat, shooting daggers at the man in the suit. ¡°Are you the one bullying my friends? Get on your knees and apologize now, and I may let you go. Otherwise, I¡¯ll break both your fucking legs!¡± Chapter 406 Mike assumed an aggressive stance, his eyes sharp. With his tall, buff body, he did look rather threatening. The girls standing behind him stared at him with sparkling eyes; their hearts pounding. What young woman wasn¡¯t a romantic at heart? They had fantasized about being a damsel in distress saved by prince charming more than once. ¡°Punk, do you know who the fuck I am? How dare you stick your nose in my business?!¡± The man in the suit cupped his bleeding head, his eyes dark. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. If you don¡¯t kneel and apologize today, don¡¯t me me if I shatter your legs!¡± Mike waved his bat. ¡°That¡¯s right, apologize!¡± his group of buddies crowed. Boys at their age naturally had no fear. ¡°Great! A group of prepubescent boys dares behave so arrogantly in front of me? Just you wait!¡± the man spat harshly as he attempted to slip away. ¡°Fuck, who said you could go?¡± Furious, Mike swung the bat at the man¡¯s legs. Thetter stumbled and almost crashed to the floor. ¡°Boys, get him!¡± Seeing the leader of their pack get physical, the other boys picked up their bats, ready to start swinging. ¡°Don¡¯t fight!¡± Edmund quickly stood in front of them. He said catingly, ¡°You¡¯re all still in school, so don¡¯t make this a big issue. Just let it go.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Mike frowned. ¡°Mike, that¡¯s Abigail¡¯s father,¡± the short¨Chaired girl said with a scornful and disdainfulugh. Abigail lowered her head in shame. It was really embarrassing to have such a weak dad. ¡°So you¡¯re Uncle Robinson. In that case, for your sake, I¡¯ll let them off,¡± Mike said, acting magnanimous. Although he looked down on people like that, since he was Abigail¡¯s father, he still had to show him some respect. ¡°Thank you.¡± Edmund beamed. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Get lost!¡± Mike roared at the man. ¡°Hmph, if you have what it takes, then don¡¯t run off!¡± The man in the suit gritted his teeth before leaving with his twockeys. ¡°Mike, are you going to let them off just like that? What if they get backup ande back for payback?¡± the girl with short hair suddenly asked. ¡°Payback? Do they dare?¡± Mikeughed with confidence. ¡°Do you know whose territory this is? I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that this ce belongs to Lord Horst of the me Dragon Gang! Anyone who causes trouble here has a death wish!¡± ¡°Lord Horst of the me Dragon Gang?!¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions changed. The me Dragon Gang were tyrants in this area. No one dared to get on their bad side. As the assistant leader, Lord Horst held a frightening amount of power. He even had connections to several wealthy families. If one angered him, they would die an unpredictable death. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. My father has a close rtionship with Lord Horst. In this area, no one has dared to pick a fight with me yet!¡± Mike boasted. ¡°As expected of Mike! I never thought he would even know the Lord Horst. It¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Of course! With Mike¡¯s protection, no one would dare touch us.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Everyone began tovish praises on him. The girls especially developed a deeper sense of adoration for him. Mike was delighted. He enjoyed having everyone¡¯s eyes on him and the feeling of being admired. However, he soon realized something was amiss. There was one person who¡¯d kept a straight face throughout the entire ordeal, not showing him any respect. ¡°And who are you?¡± Chapter 407 Mike turned his attention to Dustin, who was standing next to Mr. Robinson. He couldn¡¯t help feeling threatened by Dustin¡¯s calm demeanor and good looks. ¡°This is Mr. Rhys, our family¡¯s honored guest. He came over to help out.¡± Mr. Robinson exined. ¡°Help out?¡± Abigail humphed disdainfully. ¡°He hasn¡¯t said a single thing since he arrived. You call that helping out?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right! Although he has good looks, it¡¯s embarrassing how much of a scaredy¨Ccat he is.¡± The short- haired girl shook her head. While none of the other girls spoke, it was clear that they were all secretly looking down on Dustin. What was the point of being so handsome if he was going to run at the first sign of trouble? He was nothing but an utterly unreliable man. ¡°A man should act like one, buddy. You shouldn¡¯t try to break up a fight if you¡¯re scared, or you might get hurt.¡± Mike sniggered and patted Dustin¡¯s shoulder. Dustin smiled without saying anything, unbothered by those measly words. ¡°Well, since everything¡¯s over, let¡¯s go back.¡± Mr. Robinson smoothed things over before turning his attention. to his daughter. ¡°Abigail, I¡¯ve told you many times not to run around at night, especially in ces like these. It¡¯s dangerous! Hurry up. We¡¯re going home now.¡± He grabbed her wrist. ¡°Let me go!¡± Abigail flung his hand away, annoyed. ¡°You can go back alone! What I do is none of your business! ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± Mr. Robinson frowned. ¡°Worried about me? What¡¯s the point?¡± Abigail snorted. ¡°Even if I run into trouble, what can you do? It was their fault, yet you kept apologizing! You might not feel embarrassed, but I do!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just locking out for you. Your safetyes first. And there was no need to make things worse,¡± Mr. Robinson reasoned. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m supposed to put up with everything?¡± Abigail was disappointed. ¡°You always get treated like this. Do you know why I hate you? Because you¡¯re a coward! I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t ever show up in front of my friends ever again. Having a father like you is the biggest embarrassment of my life!¡± Mr. Robinson froze. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn¡¯t know what to say. All he wanted was for his daughter to be safe and sound. ¡°What are you waiting for? Bri at the door, ¡°Abigail-¡± your guest and leave! I don¡¯t want to see you guys anymore!¡± Abigail pointed ¡°Go away!¡± Abigail fumed, ashamed. Why was her father a mere servant who constantly had to be careful around others, while other people¡¯s fathers were sessful and famous? Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You guys should head back first, Uncle Robinson. Don¡¯t worry. Abigail will be fine. I¡¯ll protect her,¡± Mike said with a smile. It was rare to see a father being chewed out by their daughters like this. ¡°Thank you.¡± Mr. Robinson forced out a smile and turned to leave. Just then, they heard some noiseing from the entrance of the karaoke bar, and the man in a suit who had just left came barging in violently with a few dozen men. ¡°There! Gather them up!¡± the suited man yelled. The fierce men drew out their des and surrounded the room, their vicious gazes frightening those inside. As students, how could they ever win against knives? ¡°Wait!¡± Mike stomped forward. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. This ce belongs to Lord Horst, who is a friend of my dad. You¡¯re dead meat if you touch us!¡± ¡°Are you fucking threatening me right now?¡± With a mighty p, the man sent Mike tumbling to the floor. ¡°So what? I¡¯m his fucking brother!!¡± His words immediately caused an uproar. Chapter 408 ¡°Lord Horst¡¯s brother?¡± Everyone was aghast to hear that, especially Mike, whose face had gone as white as a sheet. He never expected the man to have that identity. Although his father and Lord Horst knew each other, they were merely acquaintances. However, the man before them was Lord Horst¡¯s brother, so it was clear who mattered more. He was doomed! ¡°Weren¡¯t you showing off just now? Why don¡¯t you do it one more time?¡± The man in a suit nted his foot into Mike¡¯s chest, kicking him to the floor. ¡°How dare you meddle with what I do! You must have a death wish!¡± With that, he gave Mike another two more blows. Mike gritted his teeth from the pain but couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You bunch of stupid cunts! What makes you think you can boss me around? Get on your fucking knees. All of you! Break the legs of anyone who disobeys!¡± the man yelled, brandishing his de. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°On your knees!¡± Hisckeys spat, their des instantly resting on the students¡® necks. Shaking in terror, the students who had never experienced something like this frantically knelt. ¡°Hey! Why aren¡¯t you kneeling?¡± One of theckeys spotted Dustin. ¡°You guys are getting this wrong. I don¡¯t know them. I¡¯m just here to watch the show.¡± Dustin shrugged. The students immediately red at him, disgusted. He sure was a scaredy¨Ccat. The man in the suit nced at Dustin but decided to ignore him, turning his attention to Mike instead. ¡°Hey. punk! Weren¡¯t you going to break my legs? Well, I¡¯m giving you that chance right now. Go ahead.¡± The man tossed his baton, whichnded beside Mike¡¯s feet. ¡°That was a misunderstanding.¡± Mike smiled apologetically. ¡°I was stupid. How about this? I¡¯ll set up a small dinner party tomorrow at Empress Hotel as an apology.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± The man pped Mike across the face. ¡°As if that¡¯s enough to appease me! Who the fuck do you think I am?¡± ¡°O¨Cof course, that¡¯s not the only thing. I¡¯ll also visit you with a grand present!¡± Mike forced a smile, looking rather pitiful. Everyone couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. The man they looked up to was groveling at someone else¡¯s feet. The man humphed. ¡°I would have killed you already if you weren¡¯t my brother¡¯s acquaintance!¡± He kicked Mike aside before turning his gaze to Abigail. ¡°Babe, it¡¯s your turn now. I¡¯ll let this matter go if you sleep with me. tonight.¡± ¡°In your dream!¡± Abigail spat. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a chance!¡± The man¡¯s expression darkened, and his palm flew to Abigail¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t hit her.¡± Edmund hurriedly put himself in front of his daughter. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for your watch. Just give me two days. I¡¯ll definitely bring you 800 thousand dors!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got no time to wait, old man! I need someone to fuck right now, so no matter what, your daughter will be mine tonight!¡± The man signaled for two of hisckeys to tie Abigail up. Edmund tried to stop them but was pinned to the ground by another man. ¡°Let me go!¡± Starting to panic, Abigail struggled and iled around. She quickly looked toward Mike for help. expecting him to be her knight in shining armor as usual. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this. She is my friend. Can¡¯t you do me a favor and let her go?¡± Unable to stand it any longer, Mike began to plead. ¡°Fuck off!¡± The man gave Mike another p and swore. ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are? Why the hell should I do someone like you a favor? Fuck off, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Mike immediately fell silent, swallowing the words he was about to say. Simrly, the rest of the male students kept their heads down without a word, terrified of offending the younger brother of Lord Horst from the me Dragon Gang. ¡°Take her away!¡± Not wanting to waste any more time, the man grabbed the tied¨Cup Abigail and turned to leave. ¡°Stop!¡± Edmund sprang up and grabbed one of the knives. He slid it against the suited man¡¯s neck shakily and threatened. ¡°Nobody move! My de might identally slip!¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing, old man?¡± The other man¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. Let my daughter go!¡± Edmund yelled, the de digging into the other man¡¯s skin. ¡°Let her go!¡± Flustered, the suited man was scared he might agitate Edmund. ¡°Abigail, run!¡± Edmund urged as soon as his daughter was released. ¡°But what about you?¡± Abigail frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You go ahead. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Edmund forced a smile, not noticing when someone snuck up behind him. That person sent him sprawling to the ground with a blow. ¡°Dad!¡± Abigail paled and rushed toward her father but was pulled back. ¡°How dare you threaten me!¡± The suited man touched the cut on his neck, infuriated. ¡°Your family should be honored that I want to fuck your daughter. I¡¯ll kill you if you refuse!¡± He grabbed one of his lackey¡¯s des and swung it toward Edmund¡¯s arm. There was a soft hum as the de cut through the air, but the noise halted when someone reached out to grab the de in midair. The suited man struggled, but his knife didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Dustin ordered. ¡°How dare you stop me!¡± The other man was bbergasted. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to kill everyone else, but you aren¡¯t allowed to touch Mr. Robinson,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°And if that¡¯s what I want to do?¡± The other man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for beating you up.¡± Dustin answered with a straight face. ¡°Beat me up?¡± Surprised, the other man burst outughing. He sneered. ¡°Hey, punk! Do you even know what you¡¯re saying? Look around you. These are all my men. You¡¯ll be cut into pieces if you touch even a strand of my hair.¡± ¡°Even a strand of your hair, you say?¡± Abruptly, Dustin reached out and plucked a strand of the other man¡¯s hair. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°What?¡± The corner of the other man¡¯s eye twitched. Feeling humiliated, he roared. ¡°Kill him!¡°. Immediately, there was a loud bang as he flew backward, crashing into the wall astonishing everyone in the 1. hapter 408 ¡°Lord Horst¡¯s brother?¡± Everyone was aghast to hear that, especially Mike, whose face had gone as white as a sheet. He never expected the man to have that identity. Although his father and Lord Horst knew each other, they were merely acquaintances. However, the man before them was Lord Horst¡¯s brother, so it was clear who mattered more. He was doomed! ¡°Weren¡¯t you showing off just now? Why don¡¯t you do it one more time?¡± The man in a suit nted his foot into Mike¡¯s chest, kicking him to the floor. ¡°How dare you meddle with what I do! You must have a death wish!¡± With that, he gave Mike another two more blows. Mike gritted his teeth from the pain but couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You bunch of stupid cunts! What makes you think you can boss me around? Get on your fucking knees. All of you! Break the legs of anyone who disobeys!¡± the man yelled, brandishing his de. ¡°On your knees!¡± Hisckeys spat, their des instantly resting on the students¡® necks. Shaking in terror, the students who had never experienced something like this frantically knelt. ¡°Hey! Why aren¡¯t you kneeling?¡± One of theckeys spotted Dustin. ¡°You guys are getting this wrong. I don¡¯t know them. I¡¯m just here to watch the show.¡± Dustin shrugged. The students immediately red at him, disgusted. He sure was a scaredy¨Ccat. The man in the suit nced at Dustin but decided to ignore him, turning his attention to Mike instead. ¡°Hey. punk! Weren¡¯t you going to break my legs? Well, I¡¯m giving you that chance right now. Go ahead.¡± The man tossed his baton, whichnded beside Mike¡¯s feet. ¡°That was a misunderstanding.¡± Mike smiled apologetically. ¡°I was stupid. How about this? I¡¯ll set up a small dinner party tomorrow at Empress Hotel as an apology.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± The man pped Mike across the face. ¡°As if that¡¯s enough to appease me! Who the fuck do you think I am?¡± ¡°O¨Cof course, that¡¯s not the only thing. I¡¯ll also visit you with a grand present!¡± Mike forced a smile, looking rather pitiful. Everyone couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. The man they looked up to was groveling at someone else¡¯s feet. The man humphed. ¡°I would have killed you already if you weren¡¯t my brother¡¯s acquaintance!¡± He kicked Mike aside before turning his gaze to Abigail. ¡°Babe, it¡¯s your turn now. I¡¯ll let this matter go if you sleep with me. tonight.¡± ¡°In your dream!¡± Abigail spat. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a chance!¡± The man¡¯s expression darkened, and his palm flew to Abigail¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t hit her.¡± Edmund hurriedly put himself in front of his daughter. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for your watch. Just give me two days. I¡¯ll definitely bring you 800 thousand dors!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got no time to wait, old man! I need someone to fuck right now, so no matter what, your daughter will be mine tonight!¡± The man signaled for two of hisckeys to tie Abigail up. Edmund tried to stop them but was pinned to the ground by another man. ¡°Let me go!¡± Starting to panic, Abigail struggled and iled around. She quickly looked toward Mike for help. expecting him to be her knight in shining armor as usual. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this. She is my friend. Can¡¯t you do me a favor and let her go?¡± Unable to stand it any longer, Mike began to plead. ¡°Fuck off!¡± The man gave Mike another p and swore. ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are? Why the hell should I do someone like you a favor? Fuck off, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Mike immediately fell silent, swallowing the words he was about to say. Simrly, the rest of the male students kept their heads down without a word, terrified of offending the younger brother of Lord Horst from the me Dragon Gang. ¡°Take her away!¡± Not wanting to waste any more time, the man grabbed the tied¨Cup Abigail and turned to leave. ¡°Stop!¡± Edmund sprang up and grabbed one of the knives. He slid it against the suited man¡¯s neck shakily and threatened. ¡°Nobody move! My de might identally slip!¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing, old man?¡± The other man¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. Let my daughter go!¡± Edmund yelled, the de digging into the other man¡¯s skin. ¡°Let her go!¡± Flustered, the suited man was scared he might agitate Edmund. ¡°Abigail, run!¡± Edmund urged as soon as his daughter was released. ¡°But what about you?¡± Abigail frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You go ahead. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Edmund forced a smile, not noticing when someone snuck up behind him. That person sent him sprawling to the ground with a blow. ¡°Dad!¡± Abigail paled and rushed toward her father but was pulled back. ¡°How dare you threaten me!¡± The suited man touched the cut on his neck, infuriated. ¡°Your family should be honored that I want to fuck your daughter. I¡¯ll kill you if you refuse!¡± He grabbed one of his There was a soft hum as the de cut through the air, but the noise halted when someone reached out to grab the de in midair. The suited man struggled, but his knife didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Dustin ordered. ¡°How dare you stop me!¡± The other man was bbergasted. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to kill everyone else, but you aren¡¯t allowed to touch Mr. Robinson,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°And if that¡¯s what I want to do?¡± The other man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for beating you up.¡± Dustin answered with a straight face. ¡°Beat me up?¡± Surprised, the other man burst outughing. He sneered. ¡°Hey, punk! Do you even know what you¡¯re saying? Look around you. These are all my men. You¡¯ll be cut into pieces if you touch even a strand of my hair.¡± ¡°Even a strand of your hair, you say?¡± Abruptly, Dustin reached out and plucked a strand of the other man¡¯s hair. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°What?¡± The corner of the other man¡¯s eye twitched. Feeling humiliated, he roared. ¡°Kill him!¡°. Immediately, there was a loud bang as he flew backward, crashing into the wall astonishing everyone in the room. Chapter 409 ¡°Um¡­. Everyone was shocked to see the man had been batted away. They never thought Dustin had the balls to hit someone. Besides having control over many men and being Lord Horst¡¯s younger brother, the man in the suit was well known for being a pompous devil. Even Mike, who came from a distinguished family, had to grovel before that man, yet Dustin dared to talk back against him and even beat him up. Where did he find the confidence to do that? ¡°How could he hit Lord Horst¡¯s brother? Is he crazy?¡± ¡°Offending Lord Horst is the same as offending me Dragon Gang. He¡¯s dead meat!¡± ¡°What a fool! He probably doesn¡¯t even know who he just crossed.¡± Everyone looked at Dustin like he was waiting to die. ¡°H¨Chow dare you hit me!¡± The suited man staggered to his feet, one side of his face swollen. As he spoke, two of his teeth fell out. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯ll beat you up if you try to touch Mr. Robinson. Did you think I was joking?¡± Dustin responded nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± the other man shrieked. ¡°What are you guys waiting for? Get him!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Hisckeys charged toward Dustin ferociously. Instead of retreating, Dustin slowly but steadily made his way through the crowd. Like a whirlwind, he pped away anyone who got too close. In just a few minutes, all twenty¨Cthree men were sprawled over the floor, moaning and wailing in pain from fractured limbs. ¡°What?¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t help gaping speechlessly at Dustin, who won the battle empty¨Chanded. In fact, he hadn¡¯t just won the fight; he¡¯dpletely annihted them! Was Dustin even human? ¡°Holy shit! Who knew the skinny kid had moves like that?¡± ¡°I judged him wrongly. He isn¡¯t a coward. He¡¯s just an introvert.¡± ¡°He¡¯s good¨Clooking and fights well. That¡¯s so cool! Oh, I wish he was my boyfriend.¡± After seeing Dustin¡¯s moves, the students¡® attitudes toward him immediately shifted, especially the girls, who now looked at him with adoring gazes, ¡°W¨Cw¨Cwho the fuck are you?¡± The suited man stumbled backward, terrified. His men were seasoned fighters, but Dustin had taken care of them so effortlessly it was terrifying. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. Right now, you have two choices. Either you let me cripple you, or you apologize to Mr. Robinson,¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°You better not think too highly of yourself! I¡¯m telling you, my brother is Lord Horst from me Dragon Gang! You¡¯re challenging the gang by hurting me!¡± the other man yelled. Although he was shocked by Dustin¡¯s skills, he quickly regained his confidence when he remembered his brother. Not wasting more time, Dustin began to p the suited man again. ¡°Arrogant, aren¡¯t you?¡± Dustin pped him again. ¡°me Dragon Gang, you say?¡± Another p rang out. ¡°And Lord Horst?¡± And another. ¡°I¡¯m hitting you right now. What are you going to do about it?¡± Dustin struck the man and dished out questions alternately. Soon, thetter¡¯s facepletely swelled up. The girls in the room couldn¡¯t control their fluttering hearts at the sight. Even Abigail¡¯s attitude towards him has changed. At first, she thought he was going to be a coward like her father, so she was taken aback to see him beat up Lord Horst¡¯s brother. This was what a real man was supposed to be like. ¡°Answer me. What are you going to do about this?¡± Dustin grabbed the other man¡¯s cor and lifted him up. his frosty gaze sending shivers down the man¡¯s spine. ¡°Who the fuck dares to attack my brother?¡± someone bellowed. Everyone spun around to see an imposing frame striding toward themmandingly. A few bodyguards donning suits followed closely behind him. ¡°Lord Horst?¡± The students were shocked to see the new arrival. They quickly huddled together at one side, anxious. Lord Horst was the assistant leader of the me Dragon Gang and had control over hundreds of men. They would never dare cross this man who hardly cared about thew. ¡°It¡¯s over, brat! Now that my brother¡¯s here, no one can save you!¡± The injured man started cackling gleefully. ¡°Oh, shit! Even Lord Horst¡¯s here?¡± ¡°I hope nothing happens to that hot dude.¡± The girls began to fear for Dustin¡¯s safety. Mike silently humphed and silently sneered. ¡°Serves you right for acting so recklessly. Let¡¯s see how you suffer after offending Lord Horst!¡± He felt humiliated after seeing how bold Dustin was, and those feelings only became stronger when he realized that all the girls were now attracted to Dustin. Fortunately, Lord Horst had arrived. No matter how powerful Dustin might be, he was still doomed. Mike couldn¡¯t walt to see Dustin groveling for forgiveness. ¡°You came right on time, Brother! This asshole hit me. You have to help me get even!¡± the suited man immediatelyined. ¡°Did you tell him my name?¡± Lord Horst asked. ¡°Of course I did! But all it did was made him hit me harder. He even insulted you!¡± The suited man¡¯s words only served to stoke the me. Lord Horst¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°You¡¯ve got balls, kid. Who do you think you are, causing trouble on my turf? Do you have any idea what the consequences are?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Well, let me tell you right now. I might chop off your arms and legs, or I might just kill you!¡± Lord Horst spat with narrowed eyes. ¡°Really? I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Dustin wore a small smile. ¡°You sure are naive and foolish!¡± Lord Horst sneered, his gaze turning menacing. ¡°It seems like you still don¡¯t understand how serious this issue is. I hope you don¡¯t piss your pants when your limbs get chopped off.¡± He waved to some of his men. ¡°Clear this ce out, boys!¡± The students became visibly paler after hearing that. Whenever Lord Horst told his men to clear a ce out, someone would end up bleeding, sometimes even dying! After all, with Lord Horst¡¯s power and background, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to make people disappear. Dustin hadnded himself in hot water!Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 410 After Lord Horst issued hismand, the entire room was quickly emptied, and all the surveince cameras were turned off. Mike and some of the students were huddled together in a corner, shaking and not daring to move. They were well aware that things were getting serious. ¡°You seem quite calm, kid. Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re in deep shit?¡± Lord Horst was surprised. Usually, people would be quaking in fear after hearing him order his men to clear out a ce, but Dustin was oddly indifferent about this. He couldn¡¯t tell if Dustin was brave or just foolish. ¡°Really? I can¡¯t tell.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°I might consider letting you live if you chop off one of your hands and beg for forgiveness, so you better not whine that I never gave you a chance, kid.¡± Lord Horst drew out a knife and tossed it. The dended next to Dustin with a ng. ¡°I¡¯m also giving you a chance to scram with your idiot of a brother before I beat you two up,¡± Dustin replied calmly. The room fell silent instantly. Some of the students were wide¨Ceyed as they questioned their ears. Had Dustin just threatened Lord Horst? What the hell? This was the assistant leader of me Dragon Gang they were talking about. The person who decided someone¡¯s fate! How could Dustin not beg for forgiveness, much less spew insults? Did he have a death wish? ¡°You do have guts, kiddo. I guess I¡¯ll have to teach you a lesson today.¡± With a chilling re, Lord Horst signaled to his men. ¡°You lot! Teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Exchanging nces, several of the bodyguards began inching toward Dustin. They were the elites of me Dragon Gang. After enduring all the training, they had all be low¨Clevel martial artists, so they assumed that taking Dustin down with their firsts alone should be a simple task. ¡°He¡¯s got skills, brother. Are you sure your men will be able to handle him?¡± the suited man asked hesitantly. He could still vividly remember what Dustin had done earlier. ¡°So what if he¡¯s got skills?¡± Lord Horst humphed disdainfully. ¡°My guards are elites that I handpicked. Getting rid of that punk will be a piece of cake!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were so strong. That¡¯s great!¡® The other man let out a breath of relief. me Dragon Gang was one of the strongest gangs in South City. They had thousands of men of varying skills and strengths, as well as the Four Guardians, so these men shouldn¡¯t find this task difficult. ¡°Just watch. They¡¯ll defeat that brat in seconds.¡± Lord Horst announced confidently. Just then, groans and screams of pain rang out as someone flew past them and mmed Into the wall. ¡°Huh?¡± Exchanging nces, the brothers turned around at the same time. The bodyguard who had been closest to Dustin was now lying on the floor, unable to move. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lord Horst was astonished. Before he could process everything, more miserable wails rang out as the bodyguards all went flying before ending up sprawled over the floor. Lord Horst and his brother were shocked. They never imagined that Dustin was strong enough to defeat the elites so easily. ¡°Damn! Those from me Dragon Gang couldn¡¯t even withstand his attacks. That man¡¯s a beast!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. The students began whispering, astounded. Chapter 411 ¡°Your men seem to be quite useless. Isn¡¯t it my turn to attack now?¡± Dustin yawnedzily. Lord Horst¡¯s countenance grew somber, his expression turning grave. He knew almost every skilled fighter there was in Millsburg but wasing up nk when it came to Dustin. Could Dustin be from somewhere else? N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°I admire your fighting skills, kid, but I doubt you¡¯re skilled enough to stop a bullet.¡± Lord Horst recovered from his shock and turned serious. ¡°I¡¯ve met people like you before, thinking they could cause trouble just because they had some skills. But in the end, all of them got shot to death. In this society, skills alone aren¡¯t enough. You still need power and family backgrounds. Would you like to make a bet with me? With just a few words, I can send you to prison.¡± Edmund and the others began worrying for Dustin, who may be a good fighter but was still no match for Lord Horst. Putting the man¡¯s family connections aside, the men under his control alone should be more than Dustin can handle. After all, how could one man possibly win against thousands? ¡°Humph! So what if you can fight? You¡¯re still losing to Lord Horst!¡± Mike spat scornfully, seeming to have forgotten how pitiful he¡¯d looked earlier. ¡°You¡¯re Lord Horst, right? I suggest you don¡¯t try to provoke me. I¡¯m not worried about the consequences, but you might not even have the time to regret it if I end up killing you.¡± ¡°You-¡± Lord Horst¡¯s face twitched. Although he was adept in situations like these, nothing good would come out of butting heads with someone as foolhardy as Dustin. ¡°Alright. Enough with the chitchat. Let Mr. Robinson and the rest go for now. We¡¯ll settle our differences then.¡± Dustin¡¯s expression was indifferent, but inside, he was already plotting their deaths. Should Lord Horst and his men continue to press him, Dustin didn¡¯t mind getting rid of them once and for all. After all, he¡¯d be doing society a huge favor. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let them go this time.¡± Lord Horst thought about it and agreed. ¡°What the hell are you guys waiting for? Scram!¡± the suited man roared. ¡°O¨Cof course! Right away!¡± Mike hurriedly led the students out of the ce. ¡°What about you?¡± Abigail suddenly asked Dustin. She had changed her mind about him after witnessing his unwavering bravery. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go with your father. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Dustin gave her a small smile. ¡°Mr. Rhys¡­¡± Edmund wanted to say something, but Dustin raised his hand to silence the older man. ¡°You guys will only distract me. Go home.¡± Edmund still looked conflicted but eventually left with his daughter. As Dustin said, they wouldn¡¯t be able to help him anyway. Still, Edmund could ask the Harmon family for help. He believed that, with Ruth¡¯s support, Lord Horst wouldn¡¯t trouble Dustin too much. ¡°Hey, kid. Your friends are all gone. Isn¡¯t it time to settle our score?¡± Lord Horst finally spoke. ¡°How do you propose we do that? Dustin wore a mask of a smile on his face. ¡°You seem to have pretty good moves. Why don¡¯t you work for me? I promise to let this matter go, and you¡¯ll live a wealthy life from now on!¡± Lord Horst suggested. ¡°Hmm I thought you were going to see this issue to the end.¡± Dustin was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing against you. There¡¯s no need for us to take things so far for something so minor. I¡¯ve been through this before. All I¡¯m interested in now is money, not excitement.¡± Lord Horst lit himself a cigarette. ¡°Interesting.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°To tell you the truth, I was ready to kill all of you, but I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Lord Horst froze, startled, and the cigarette in his mouth fell to the floor. Damn it! Dustin was one of those hotheaded fools! Chapter 412 It was fortunate that Lord Horst hadn¡¯t taken things too far, or the consequences would have been dire. ¡°So, you agree to join my gang?¡± Lord Horst asked, lighting another cigarette after calming down. ¡°I don¡¯t mind joining, but I want to be the gang leader.¡± Dustin shocked everyone with his words, causing Lord Horst¡¯s second cigarette to fall out of his mouth. Couldn¡¯t Dustin say something normal? N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Are you nuts? Even my brother is only the assistant leader. What gives you the right to be the gang leader?¡± the suited man argued, displeased. Lord Horst took a deep breath and stuck another cigarette into his mouth before asking. ¡°Do you have any idea how big me Dragon Gang is? People all over Millsburg are dying to get in, so what gives you, someone with no power or strong family background, the right to say something like that?¡± ¡°This.¡± With a flick of Dustin¡¯s finger, a beam of light shot towards the wall. An ear¨Csplitting boom broke out as a meter¨Cwide hole appeared in the wall made of steel and concrete. The force that created the hole had to be stronger than a cannon. ¡°What?¡± The Horst brothers gaped incredulously at the hole, and Lord Horst¡¯s cigarette fell out of his mouth once more. Was Dustin even human? How could he be so powerful? ¡°Divinity Aura? You¡¯re a Divine¨Clevel martial artist?¡± Lord Horst was bbergasted and began sweating profusely. If Dustin was truly a Divine¨Clevel martial artist, bullets were nothing to him. In other words, whatever Lord Horst had said earlier was utter bullshit. However, Dustin was only in his twenties. It was extremely rare to find someone so strong at this age, even in Millsburg. It was a good thing Lord Horst hadn¡¯t gone through with his earlier threat, or he¡¯d be dead by now ¡°With your strength, being the gang leader shouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, people might not be willing to follow you.¡± Lord Horst unconsciously reached for another cigarette but thought better of it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll beat up anyone who defies me.¡± Dustin replied nonchntly. ¡°Since I¡¯m new to the city, I needed someone to run errands for me anyway. Your gang is lucky I bumped into you guys.¡± Lord Horst forced himself to smile, silently muttering. ¡°Curse my rotten luck!¡± ¡°Right, what¡¯s your name?¡± Dustin suddenly remembered.¡± ¡°Nelson Horst.¡± Lord Horst answered truthfully. ¡°Lesson Horse?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Whatever. Just remember to talk to your gang leader when you get back and tell him to step down. If he doesn¡¯t like the sound of that, feel free to challenge me anytime.¡± ¡°Sir Rhys, our gang leader is no ordinary man. He has a powerful family backing him up. It¡¯ll be difficult to force him to step down.¡± Nelson shook his head. 16 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just do as I say. Let¡¯s meet up within the next two days. I¡¯ll know what to say then.¡± Dustin instructed. ¡°Alright. As youmand.¡± Nelson answered obediently, well aware of how strong Dustin was. Dustin was not someone Nelson wanted to cross. ¡°What should we do now, Nels?¡± The look on the suited man¡¯s face was odd as he watched Dustin walk away. ¡°How dare you fucking ask!¡± Fuming. Nelson pped his brother. ¡°This is all your fault. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten into trouble with that nuisance! And now, the entire gang is going to suffer!¡± The other man held his burning cheek, devastated. How was he supposed to know he¡¯d get in trouble with a man like Dustin when all he wanted to do was to have some fun with a female student? His luck sure was rotten as hell. Chapter 413 In a coffee shop across the street, Mike and his group hadn¡¯t left. Instead, they¡¯d made themselves comfortable in the shop to enjoy the show. ¡°Abigail, was that man your rtive? He¡¯s so handsome and brave! He even dared to boss Lord Horst around.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. With his looks and moves, he makes me feel so sale.¡± The girls gathered together and gossiped, their voices turning into adoration when talking about Dustin. ¡°So what if he can fight? In this day and age, the only things that matter are brains, connections, and family backgrounds.¡± Mike humphed begrudgingly. ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t even know if he can make it out of the ce alive after offending Lord Horst, so what¡¯s there to brag about?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right! That guy beat up Lord Horst¡¯s men and embarrassed me Dragon Gang. It doesn¡¯t matter how strong he is; he¡¯s still dead meat.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s just a foolish brat who likes to show off.¡± The boys grumbled unhappily in return, making the girls worry again. Dustin may be strong, but the person he upset was the omnipotent Lord Horst of me Dragon Gang. Fighting skills alone were useless against thetter. ¡°Mike, didn¡¯t you say that your dad is friends with Lord Horst? Could you please ask for your dad¡¯s help so that Lord Horst lets Dustin go?¡± Abigail implored, her eyes glued to the karaoke bar, worried that something might happen. ¡°Abigail, even if my dad is friends with Lord Horst, you can¡¯t expect me to ask my dad to help a stranger, right? ¡°Mike looked troubled. ¡°Can¡¯t you do it as a favor for me, Mike? He helped me just now, so I can¡¯t leave him like this.¡± Abigail begged. ¡°But-¡± Mike hesitated before nodding. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give it a go for you, but no promises. You know how Lord Horst is. No one can stop him if he¡¯s angry.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Abigail forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Mike pulled out his phone and walked to a corner before pretending to make a call. He may have promised Abigail to help, but he didn¡¯t say anything about seeding. After all his father was still way below Nelson, so there was no way thetter would do his father a favor.. All Mike was doing now was putting on a show to win Abigail¡¯s favor. He couldn¡¯t care less about Dustin¡¯s safety. ¡°Done. My dad said he¡¯ll put in the request, but the final decision lies with Lord Horst.¡± Mike made sure to give himself an out. ¡°Thanks, Mike.¡± Abigail smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee! Aren¡¯t we friends? Of course I¡¯d help you when you¡¯re in trouble.¡± Mike boasted. ¡°You¡¯re spoiling her, Mike. Why don¡¯t you two start dating?¡± the short¨Chaired girl said. ¡°That depends on Abigail. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Mike answered hall¨Cjokingly. ¡°Stop fooling around, Nina.¡± Abigail red at the other girl bashfully, her reaction leading Mike to think that he might have a chance. ¡°Look. That guy got out!¡± One of the girls suddenly pointed at the karaoke bar. Everyone turned their heads and saw Dustin walk out of the building, seemingly unharmed. ¡°Holy shit! Mike got him out with a phone call. That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°That was quick! You¡¯re amazing. Mike!¡± Everyone was shocked to see Dustin walk out, and the boys immediately began praising Mike. Chapter 414 ¡°He actually got out?¡± Mike was stunned. He never expected Dustin to leave that ce safely. He only made a casual call to his dad without expecting much. Since when had his father gotten so authoritative? ¡°Um, are you all right?¡± Abigail was the first to walk out of the coffee shop and approach Dustin, the rest of the students following behind her. ¡°What could¡¯ve happened?¡± Dustin syed out his hands. ¡°And why haven¡¯t you gone home yet?¡± ¡°Abigail was worried you were going to be chopped up, so she wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± Nina interjected. ¡°Still, to think you managed to get out of there safely after upsetting Lord Horst. You sure are lucky. I¡¯ll give you that.¡± ¡°Is he very powerful? I went easy on him just now and didn¡¯t give him a beating.¡± Dustin responded indifferently. ¡°What? You wanted to give him a beating?¡± Nina rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you crazy? Lord Horst is the assistant leader of me Dragon Gang, and he¡¯s got hundreds of men at his beck and call. No one could save you!¡± ¡°Dude, word of advice? Don¡¯t think you¡¯re invincible just because you¡¯re a decent fighter. There are countless people out there who are stronger than you. You bettery low.¡± Mike grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s right. You¡¯re new to this ce, so you don¡¯t have any idea how dangerous Millsburg can be. Do you think you could¡¯ve safely escaped if Mike hadn¡¯t made a call to help you?¡± One of the boys snorted. ¡°Mike? Which Mike?¡± Dustin was puzzled. ¡°This one, of course!¡± The boy waved at Mike proudly, being the perfectckey. ¡°Him?¡± Dustin shook his head, smiling. ¡°First of all, I left using my own skills. It had nothing to do with others. Secondly, what makes you think that a person who cowered in fear because of Lord Horst could save me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a stubborn brat!¡± Nina was displeased. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you aren¡¯t thanking Mike for saving you, but aren¡¯t you being rude by insulting him instead?¡± ¡°Exactly! We shouldn¡¯t have asked Mike to help you if we knew you would be so arrogant!¡± the boys agreed. ¡°Forget it. Since he isn¡¯t grateful for my help, let him stay in his bubble. Sooner orter, someone will teach him a lesson.¡± Mike waved their words away, feigning generosity. ¡°See? This is how a kind and generous person should act.¡± Nina gave Mike a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯ve still got a lot to learn before you can reach Mike¡¯s level.¡± the boys sneered. Even the girls couldn¡¯t help frowning. Although they were attracted by Dustin¡¯s good looks and brave attitude, his disgusting character put them off. ¡°Fine. If you think that he helped me, then so be it.¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue. Aftergging down a taxi, he turned and asked Abigail, ¡°Since we¡¯re traveling in the same direction, would you like to share a ride?¡± ¡°Mike, Nina, I¡¯ll be on my way. Let me know if anythinges up,¡± Abigall said her goodbyes before leaving with Dustin. As soon as the two left, Nelson and his brother emerged from the karaoke bar, looking displeased. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Lord Horst? He looks pissed. Do you think he¡¯s going to hunt that guy down?¡± someone pointed out. ¡°Hunt him down?¡± A mischievous twinkle lit up Mike¡¯s eyes. He quickly approached the two men with a sneaky smile. ¡°Lord Horst, are you trying to find the guy who fought you just now? I can bring you to him. I know where This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. he is.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nelson eximed, his features contorting in rage. Not noticing the other man¡¯s shift in expression, Mike continued gushing. ¡°Lord Horst, you should teach that arrogant brat a lesson. Please don¡¯t worry about offending me. You can rough him up as much as you want!¡± ¡°Rough him up? I¡¯ll fucking rough you up!¡± Nelson roared,nding a firm p on Mike¡¯s face. ¡°You fucking moron! Leave me out of your goddamn suicide mission! Fuck off!¡± Chapter 415 Located in an urban vige was Enchanting Vi. As soon as Dustin and Abigail got out of the car, they spotted Edmund anxiously pacing the entrance. ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Rhys?¡± Edmund was delighted when he saw them. ¡°I called Ms. Ruth for help, but I¡¯m surprised at how quickly she got you out of there.¡± ¡°Thanks. Mr. Robinson, but it wasn¡¯t necessary to bother the Harmon family with something so minor.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Minor?¡± Edmund¡¯s eye twitched. If crossing Nelson was a minor issue, then what would Dustin consider a major one? ¡°How about you, Abigail?¡± Edmund turned his attention to his daughter. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Don¡¯t ever show up in front of my ssmates ever again!¡± Abigail spat, heading straight into the house. She was clearly still holding a grudge over how cowardly her father was. Edmund signed. He waspletely clueless about how to mend the rtionship with his daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Robinson. She¡¯ll understand you one of these days.¡± Dustin reassured the older man, Although there was a rift between the father¨Cdaughter duo, both parties clearly cared for each other. Abigail might look tough on the outside, but whenever her father was in trouble, she¡¯d be the first to jump out and protect him. ¡°I hope so.¡± Edmund forced a smile. ¡°Please follow me, Mr. Rhys. Your room is ready.¡± He led Dustin to a guest room. The room was cleaned and fully furnished with branded goods. It was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into This is from N?velDrama.Org. preparing this room. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Robinson. It¡¯s lovely.¡± Dustin was satisfied. ¡°Great to hear that you¡¯re happy. Mr. Rhys. I¡¯ll attend to other matters now.¡± Edmund gave Dustin a nod before turning around and leaving. After a moment, someone knocked on the door. When Dustin opened it, ne saw Abigail standing there, dressed in pajamas with cartoon designs. She had removed her makeup and now looked much kinder and more sensible. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Um¡­ could Ie in?¡± Abigail asked awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for a man and a woman to be alone in a room.¡± Dustin wore an odd expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not even being that fussy about it.¡± Abigail rolled her eyes and walked into his room. ¡°Close the door. ! don¡¯t want my dad to see us.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin was surprised. What was she up to? ¡°What are you waiting for? Come here. Abigail plopped onto Dustin¡¯s bed and patted the spot beside her. Her pale, exposed, crossed legs seemed exceptionally distracting under the light. It was a fact that Abigail was a beautiful girl with perfect features and a voluptuous and alluring figure. ¡°You better not mess around. I¡¯m not interested in minors.¡± Dustin was rmed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Abigail sneered. ¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯m not here because I¡¯m interested in you. I just have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°I see. Thank God.¡± Dustin let out a breath of relief. Currently, he was also a mess when it came to sexual rtionships. ¡°Do guys only think about those kinds of things? Abigail was baffled. Chapter 416 Dustin was rendered speechless. What else was he supposed to think when a girl willingly approached him at night? Toozy to argue, Dustin merely asked, ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°Judging from today¡¯s battle, you seem like a good fighter. How did you do that?¡± Abigail asked. ¡°Ever heard of Elder¨Clevel martial artists? I¡¯m one of them, so I can easily handle over three hundred opponents. *Dustin answered nonchntly. ¡°Yeah, right. I doubt it.¡± Abigail clearly didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Whatever. You probably can¡¯tprehend what I¡¯m telling you anyway. All you need to know is that I¡¯m very powerful.¡± Dustin summarised. Most ordinary citizens didn¡¯t know about martial artists, so even if they met one, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. ¡°Fine. Can you teach me some moves? I¡¯m not asking for much. I just want to be able to defeat a dozen men.¡± Abigail looked at Dustin with hopeful eyes. ¡°You want me to take you in as my disciple?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re so old¨Cfashioned. Who does that these days? Just teach me a few moves as a friend,¡± Abigail responded. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fine. But to learn my moves, you have to have a solid foundation, or it¡¯ll be useless. This means that you¡¯ll have to start by building your internal energy.¡± Dustin told her. ¡°What¡¯s internal energy?¡± Abigail stared at him dumbly. ¡°You can understand it as mana.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. It¡¯s what allows those people to be human anvils and all.¡± Abigail realized. ¡°Um¡­ I guess so.¡± Dustin¡¯s smile faltered before he continued. ¡°It takes talent for someone to cultivate mana. After all, effort pales inparison to actual talent. Those who are meant to be martial artists will easily understand this, while those who aren¡¯t won¡¯t see the results no matter how hard they work.¡± ¡°I see. Then do I have that talent?¡± Abigail asked eagerly. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass some of my true energy to you. If you can feel it, that means you¡¯ve got the potential to be a martial artist; if you don¡¯t, then you¡¯re just not cut out for it.¡± Dustin exined, holding her wrist and channeling some of his energy into her. ¡°Huh? I can feel It! It¡¯s warm and tingly!¡± Abigail lit up. ¡°Not bad. You passed the first level.¡± Dustin nodded. Before he could say anything else, his brows furrowed as he realized the energy he had just channeled into her had miraculously disappeared. It was as if something This is from N?velDrama.Org. had swallowed his energypletely. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Puzzled, Dustin channeled another burst of energy into Abigail, which was quickly absorbed again. However, he had felt it this time. There was a seal inside her body, and the seal was so strong that his true energy wasn¡¯t enough to affect it. Fortunately, it was a protective seal that was harmless to Abigail¡¯s body and would onlye into effect when she was in danger. Thinking that the energy he channeled earlier was a threat, the seal automatically absorbed it. The seal had been done by someone who was either a Grandmaster martial artist or stronger and an expert in seal making. In other words, Abigail was under the protection of someone powerful. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± Abigail asked after seeing Dustin¡¯s reaction. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll pass you the training technique, but your sess depends on you.¡± He wrote down the training techniques for beginners and passed the paper to Abigail. ¡°Study it back in your room. Find me again once you¡¯ve mastered your internal energy.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Abigail took the paper and ran back to her room excitedly. ¡°Interesting.¡± Dustin smirked, staring at Abigail¡¯s retreating figure. The seal in her body was extremely rare, and only close family members would waste so much time and effort to do something like that. Dustin instantly became more interested in Abigail¡¯s mother. Chapter 417 Early the next morning. Dustin received a phone call from Nelson when he woke up. ¡°Hi, Mr. Rys. Are you up yet?¡± ¡°I just woke up. What¡¯s up? Any results?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Our gang leader would like to meet you. We can slowly chat then.¡± Nelson smiled apologetically. ¡°Sure. Where?¡± Dustin responded bluntly. ¡°At the me Dragon Dojo.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Dustin hung up, did a simple freshening up, and left in a taxi. He had already expected that the gang wouldn¡¯t give in so easily, and since he had some spare time on his hands, he didn¡¯t mind having some fun with them. After thirty minutes, his taxi pulled up in front of me Dragon Dojo. Dustin got out of the car, and Nelson immediately brought his men over to greet him with a smile. ¡°Wee. Mr. Rhys. This way, please.¡± Dustin hummed and nodded in response, walking straight in. Hundreds of the gang¡¯s elites had gathered inside the dojo, each of them sturdily built and with ferocious attitudes. As soon as Dustin entered, everyone turned their piercing res toward him, as if they were staring at a prey. ¡°Hey, kid. You¡¯re the one who wants to challenge my gang?¡± A paunchy, fat man emerged from the crowd. holding some beads. Following behind him were fourrge, bald men whose ck singlets did nothing to hide their toned, rippling muscles. ¡°I guess. I¡¯m just interested in the gang leader¡¯s seat.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°How dare you!¡± The elites of the gang immediately cried out indignantly, dying to y Dustin alive for saying such nonsense. ¡°You¡¯ve got balls, kid.¡± The bald man signaled for his men to quiet down before continuing. ¡°It took me over a decade to get to where I am now, so why should I let you take my position?¡± ¡°Nelson asked the same thing yesterday, and I¡¯ve already given him my answer,¡± Dustin replied, ¡°I know you¡¯ve got some skills, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can treat our gang however you want.¡± Harry Hall said with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll have to prove yourself if you want to be the gang leader. I¡¯ll give you a chance right now. If you can defeat our Four Guardians, I¡¯ll step down willingly! Simrly, if you lose to them, you¡¯ll serve our gang for ten years. How about that?¡± The Four Guardians were all High¨Clevel martial artists who had impable skills. When fighting together, they were as strong as a Divine¨Clevel martial artist, which meant taking care of a young man would be a piece of cake. ¡°Sure. I like doing things the simple way too.¡± Dustin agreed. ¡°Great. Sign the papers, then.¡± Harry waved for his men to bring out a liability waiver form, which Dustin signed. without hesitation. ¡°Things seem to be fun in here.¡± Right before the battle began, a young, suave man walked in casually with beautifuldies hanging off him, ¡°Mr. Hill?¡± Harry immediately greeted the other man with a smile. ¡°What brings you here today?¡± ¡°I heard that someone challenged me Dragon Gang, so I thought I¡¯d enjoy the show.¡± Patrick Hill replied with a smile. ¡°We get idiots who challenge us every year. They eventually end up crippled or dead, so this is nothing new.¡± Harry shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Sir Hall. Who would dare to challenge your gang?¡± Patrick looked around. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Harry pointed at Dustin. ¡°He¡¯s talking big just because he has some skills, and now he even wants my position. How foolish.¡± Patrick was surprised when he saw Dustin. ¡°Sir Hall isn¡¯t an easy opponent, young man. You should just spar for fun. It¡¯ll be unfortunate if you die because of this.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice, but I¡¯m confident I can win, or I wouldn¡¯t havee in the first ce.¡± Dustin smiled softly. ¡°Being confident is a good thing, but you shouldn¡¯t be too arrogant. There are always people stronger than you. ¡°Patrick advised. ¡°Maybe.¡± Dustin responded. ¡°Whatever. I won¡¯t stop you if you insist.¡± Patrick shook his head. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste your time on foolish people.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. Some people are just too arrogant. He¡¯ll have time to cry when he¡¯s crippled.¡± The girls in his embrace sneered, looking down on Dustin, who they thought was acting all high and mighty. Dustin had iting if he ended up dead anyway. ¡°Have a seat, Mr. Hill, Enjoy the show.¡± Harry smiled before leading Patrick and hispanions to the seats in front. Then, he turned toward Dustin with a cold attitude. ¡°Please step into the battle ring.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin smiled and walked toward the tform. ¡°You four can deal with him. Don¡¯t hold back, and be careful of cheap tricks.¡± Harry instructed the Four Guardians. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the four men answered in unison before heading toward the battle ring as well. ¡°How many blows do you think that punk can stand?¡± one of the women asked Patrick. ¡°The battle will most likely end within after ten rounds,¡± Patrick answered calmly. The Four Guardians were quite famous in South City. Alone, they weren¡¯t the strongest, but once they worked together, their strength increased tremendously. Besides, as martial artists with imprable skin, their body was incredibly strong, so Dustin was bound to struggle against them. ¡°You think too highly of them. Look at how skinny he is. I bet he¡¯ll be defeated with five blows.¡± ¡°I say three.¡± Thedies jeered. Everyone knew how powerful the Four Guardians were, so there was no way a young man in his twenties could withstand their attacks. Chapter 418 ¡°You must have a death wish for challenging the four of us, kid!¡± On the tform, the four bald men stared at Dustin intently with cold smiles. They¡¯ve met countless skilled martial artists in Millsburg, but they had defeated all of those who challenged them. Dustin was not going to be any different. ¡°Cut the chit¨Cchat. Let¡¯s fight.¡± Dustin kept his left hand behind his back and stretched out his right. ¡°Since you¡¯re determined to die, let me help you!¡± One of the bald men couldn¡¯t wait any longer and dashed toward Dustin, throwing a punch at the man. The force and speed of his attack produced an audible whoosh, ¡°What a powerful punch! It could kill someone easily!¡± ¡°I take back what I said. He won¡¯t evenst one punch!¡± Thedies were stunned by the bald man¡¯s strength. While Patrick didn¡¯t say much, he was secretly shaking his head. Each of the Four Guardians was a High¨Clevel martial artist, and a strike from any of them was enough to crush stones. Not many could withstand their attacks. ¡°Foolish boy!¡± Harry sneered, confident that this was the end of the battle. Nelson merely stood silently at the side, not saying a word. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Under everyone¡¯s watchful gaze, the bald man¡¯s fistnded heavily on Dustin¡¯s chest with a thud. Shockingly, Dustin seemedpletely unaffected. Instead, the man who had attacked him staggered back, nearly tripping. The bones in his fist had shattered, and he could no longer raise his arm. ¡°How can this be?¡± The bald man was astonished. He had used his full power, which could have punched through walls. Yet, punching Dustin had been like punching a mountain. Instead of hurting him, the bald man only hurt himself. How terrifying! ¡°What?¡± Everyone was shocked to see the bald man stumbled backward. They had all assumed the punch was enough to end Dustin, who turned out unharmed. ¡°Stop ying around and end this.¡± The eldest of the four brothers spoke. The youngest brother gritted his teeth and raised his uninjured left arm, throwing another punch, He couldn¡¯t stand the thought of¨CNo, he couldn¡¯t believe someone could end up unscathed after suffering his punch. Another thwack sounded as the bald man punched Dustin at full force again, but the results were the same. Dustin was uninjured, while the other man staggered back from the force, the bones in his fists shattered. ¡°Brother, there¡¯s something weird about him! The bald man¡¯s face had contorted in pain as he sweated profusely. His punches hadpletely destroyed his arms, and there was nothing else he could do. ¡°Let¡¯s attack together!¡± Realizing the severity of the situation, the eldest brother stopped holding back. Under his order, the four of themunched themselves at Dustin at the same time. Some used their fists, while others used their legs, attacking Dustin from all directions. Like a statue, Dustin didn¡¯t move an inch. The Four Guardian¡¯s attacks rained down on him ceaselessly, yet the results were the same. Dustin remained unbothered and unharmed, while the four brothers were forced to stumble backward, infuriated. Chapter 419 For a moment, the room fell into an eerie silence, stunned by what had transpired. ¡°You should give up if that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got.¡± Dustin stretched, bored. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Pissed, the Four Guardians exchanged nces beforeunching themselves at Dustin again. This time, they gave it their all aiming for his vital or vulnerable spots with firm attacks. ¡°Humph!¡± With a mighty stomp, the ground beneath them gave way, forming arge pit. Themotion shook the entire dojo, and at the same time, extreme Divine Aura whirled around before heading straight toward the four brothers. Like they were being hit by a truck, the four men were thrown into the air, blood gushing out of their mouths and noses, before theynded on the floor heavily, passing out instantly. ¡°Um The crowd gaped at the fallen men in disbelief. They couldn¡¯t believe that the Four Guardians of me Dragon Gang, who were all High¨Clevel martial artists who had never lost any battles, had been utterly crushed by Dustin. Just how monstrously strong was Dustin? ¡°H¨Che won?¡± Thedies covered their mouths in shock. They¡¯d thought that Dustin was no match for the Four Guardians and that they could defeat Dustin easily. Instead, Dustin got rid of them with a single stomp. If they hadn¡¯t personally witnessed the entire ordeal, they might have thought that this was a scene from a movie. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Harry sprung up, incredulous. The Four Guardians had been the ace up his sleeve and me Dragon Gang¡¯s pir of strength, but Dustin had defeated them effortlessly. Harry felt extremely vulnerable after seeing the aftermath. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Was that Divine Aura?¡± Patrick was shocked as well. Only Divine¨Clevel martial artists could let out internal energy like that. When martial artists achieved divinity. their internal energy would then be called Divine Aura. Thetter was over a hundred times stronger than ordinary internal energy. Since it had been revealed that Dustin was a Divine¨Clevel martial artist, they no longer needed to wonder why he acted so fearlessly. It was extremely rare to find Divine¨Clevel martial artists so young. ¡°I was right. He¡¯s a monster.¡± Nelson gulped, utterly impressed. Among the people in the dojo, he was the only one who knew how strong Dustin was, but he¡¯d held out hope Chapter 415. since he¡¯d been confident in the Four Guardian¡¯s skills, which had turned out to be useless. ¡°Who wants to try next?¡± Dustin surveyed the ce calmly. me Dragon Gang¡¯s elites exchanged nervous nces with each other, but no one spoke up. They knew. they¡¯d only embarrass themselves by challenging someone who had defeated the Four Guardians. ¡°What now, Sir Hall?¡± Dustin turned his attention to Harry. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so strong. I ept my defeat.¡± Harry sighed, looking conflicted. ¡°I will step down. From today onward, you shall be the new leader of me Dragon Gang.¡± ¡°An honorable man indeed.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll merely be the gang leader in name. I won¡¯t interfere with the gang matters, so you still have your authority.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Chapter 420 Harry¡¯s face lit up, and he hurriedly saluted. ¡°All hail, Sir Rhys, our new leader!¡± ¡°All hail, Sir Rhys!¡± The crowd quickly saluted as well. In the martial world, strength is paramount, and since Dustin had proven his strength, he now had the right to lead them. ¡°Congrats, bro. What¡¯s your name?¡± Patrick stood up and saluted, wanting to befriend this young talented man. ¡°Dustin Rhys.¡± Dustin saluted back. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My name¡¯s Patrick Hill. Today¡¯s show was mind¨Cboggling. Would you be interested in visiting the Hill family residence?¡± Patrick offered. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to visit when I¡¯m free.¡± Dustin returned the pleasantries, feeling quite fond of the other man. ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to have a drink together? High Point Building next door is quite a nice ce.¡± Harry invited. ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin nodded and turned to look at Patrick. ¡°Care to join us?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure.¡± Patrick answered with a smile. Thus, Harry led the group of people to the building next door. High Point Building was a Victorian¨Cstyle restaurant with three beautifully decorated floors. Harry, who was a regr, led them straight to the Sky Lounge. ¡°You¡¯re here again, Harry?¡± A beautiful woman in her thirties entered the room, carrying two bottles of wine. Her voluptuous figure was extremely alluring and could tempt any man. ¡°Roxy, meet our new gang leader, Sir Rhys. He¡¯ll be in charge of me Dragon Gang from now on.¡± Harry gestured towards Dustin. ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir Rhys.¡± Roxy lowered her body, her breasts nearly popping out of her shirt. Dustin nodded without saying much. ¡°Put the bottles down and bring out your signature dishes. We¡¯re going to celebrate.¡± Harry told her with a smile. ¡°Sure thing. Please give me a moment.¡± Roxy smiled invitingly and left the room, swaying her hips provocatively. Dustin turned his head for another look. He had to admit that Roxy had a wonderful body. ¡°I¡¯d like to offer you a toast with this fine vodka, Sir Rhys!¡± Smiling, Harry poured Dustin a ss. Instantly, the pleasant aroma of the liquor filled the room. ¡°The woman who just came in. Is she yours?¡± Dustin suddenly asked. ¡°Yep. She¡¯s been with me for years.¡± Harry answered truthfully with a nod. ¡°She¡¯s a locker for sure.¡± Dustin smiled. His words caused thedies beside Patrick to frown. How could he tease someone else¡¯s woman the moment. they meet? ¡°She was much prettier when she was younger. Harry forced a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Her body looks so mature. I¡¯m sure no man can resist her.¡± Dustinmented with a mask of a smile. Harry¡¯s smile stiffened, but he couldn¡¯t say anything back. Dustin pressed. ¡°At her age, I bet she has a lot of needs.¡± ¡°Yeah, uh, it¡¯s been getting harder to handle her these days. I take supplements regrly now.¡± Harry put on a forced grin. ¡°Since you¡¯re struggling, why don¡¯t I help you?¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve got a strong body, after all.¡± His words made the whole room go silent. No one could have expected him to make such a vulgar request about fucking someone else¡¯s woman in front of them. He had taken things too far! Chapter 421 ¡°Sir Rhys, you¡¯re taking things too far.¡± Harry¡¯s smile slowly turned cold. No one could stand taunts like that. no matter how well¨Cmannered they were. ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends? Shouldn¡¯t I help you in times of trouble? After all, helping others makes me happy.¡± Dustin¡¯s smile was still happy as ever. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help on this, Sir Rhys. I can take care of it myself. Let¡¯s drink. Harry struggled to keep the smile on his face and quickly changed the subject. Still, Dustin didn¡¯t let go of the topic. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her what she thinks? Who knows? She might agree.¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s enough!¡± Thedies could no longer hold back. ¡°Who knew you¡¯re such a disgusting man under that nice¨Clooking face? How could you keep your eye on someone else¡¯s woman?¡± ¡°Exactly. Just because you¡¯re powerful doesn¡¯t mean that you can humiliate others like this. You¡¯re crossing the line!¡± *Search for a prostitute elsewhere instead of putting us off.¡± As women, they felt utterly disgusted by Dustin¡¯s attitude. Patrick merely narrowed his eyes without saying much. He has only known Dustin for a short time, so he couldn¡¯t firmly identify Dustin¡¯s personality. However, if this was Dustin¡¯s true colors, it¡¯d be best for Patrick to stay away from the other man. He didn¡¯t have any cuckolding fetishes. ¡°Why are youdies getting so worked up? He hasn¡¯t even said anything yet,¡± Dustin responded indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Thedies were livid. They¡¯ve never met someone as sick as him. ¡°Ahem, if she¡¯s your type, I¡¯ll definitely get someone to serve you tonight.¡± Nelson tried to smooth things over. ¡°He¡¯s right. There are so many women out there. This is your lucky day. Let¡¯s have a good time. I hope you pardon me for anything I¡¯ve said to offend you earlier. To pay my respects, I take the first shot!¡± Harry lifted his ss and downed the drink. ¡°Why, your tolerance is impable. Very impressive.¡± Dustin smiled teasingly. ¡°I see. So you were joking.¡± Understanding dawned on Nelson. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t y pranks like this on your friends, Sir Rhys.¡± Harry let out a breath of relief, sweat unknowingly beading his forehead. ¡°Who said I was joking?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression turned ruthless. ¡°You have two choices right now. me fuck your woman or die here.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression darkened straight away. Was he threatening Harry? You let ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being unreasonable? Harry frowned unhappily. ¡°So what? I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t make up your mind, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Dustin held out three fingers. *Sir! I never did anything wrong. Why are you doing this to me?¡± Harry¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°Three ¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re a powerful man, but you shouldn¡¯t be so unreasonable!¡± ¡°Two¡­¡± ¡°The martial world has its own rules. Your actions will cause bacsh!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°One¡± ¡°Sir, you-¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡± Dustin grabbed a fork from the table and stabbed it into Harry¡¯s throat in one fluid motion. Blood instantly began trickling down the length of the fork, dying the man¡¯s shirt red. ¡°Ugh!¡± Harry froze, his face showing his disbelief, never expecting Dustin to act so mercilessly. Harry¡¯s sudden death shocked the entire room, and they remained rooted to their seats, unable to process what had just transpired. Dustin decided to kill someone merely because thetter refused to let him sleep with his woman. He must be crazy! ¡°Y¨Cy¨Cyou crazy bastard! How could you kill him?¡± After a pause, all hell broke loose. Chapter 422 Thedies shrank away from the table in terror. Nelson, looking as though he¡¯d seen a ghost, immediately pulled away, worried that Dustin might suddenly kill him as well. The only one left calmly sitting in his seat was Patrick. ¡°Can I know what you have against Harry?¡± Patrick asked cooly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Then, do you have a grudge against him?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then, why did you kill him?¡± ¡°Because he deserved to die.¡± ¡°And the reason?¡± Patrick pressed. He despised people who killed others without reason. No matter how powerful those people might be, they didn¡¯t deserve to be his friends. ¡°Mr. Hill, doesn¡¯t the vodka smell wonderful?¡± Instead of answering Patrick¡¯s question, Dustin countered with a question of his own. ¡°Why does that matter?¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°It smells extremely delicious. Too delicious, in fact.¡± Dustin pulled out a silver needle and stuck it into the ss. When he drew the needle back out, the tip had already turned ck! ¡°It¡¯s poisoned?¡± Patrick paled. The needle didn¡¯t just prove that there was poison in the vodka but that the poison was extremely potent! ¡°How could that be?¡± The crowd exchanged fearful looks. They had nearly drunk the same vodka. ¡°This is why I killed him,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°He puts on a facade of ttery but was secretly plotting such a deadly n. Should I have kept a man like him alive?¡± ¡°I see ¡­¡± Patrick quickly understood. So Dustin had already seen through Harry¡¯s n. No wonder he killed thetter with such certainty, while Patrick was still kept in the dark. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Even if the drink was poisoned, you can¡¯t prove that Harry was the one who did it.¡± One of thedies humphed stubbornly, unable to ept Dustin¡¯s reckless action. How could he kill someone without proof? ¡°Both the vodka and the woman belong to him. Do you really think that he had nothing to do with this?¡± Dustin reasoned. ¡°I was testing him earlier, but he endured it and kept changing the topic, trying to make me drink. What else could this mean?¡± His words rendered thedies speechless. Now that they thought about it, things did seem odd. After all, nc ordinary man would be able to tolerate someone else humiliating their woman. ¡°You¡¯re so observant, Dustin. I¡¯m impressed!¡± Patrick¡¯s smile returned. It was rare to see a young man as strong and observant as Dustin. ¡°Do you agree with what I said, Nelson?¡± Dustin turned his attention to the man in the corner of the room. ¡°Huh?¡± Startled, Nelson threw himself onto his knees before Dustin, sweating profusely. ¡°It had nothing to do with me, sir! I had no idea! Harry nned this on his own! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Why are you so nervous? I never said I was going to kill you.¡± Dustin helped Nelson to his feet before continuing. ¡°I know an honest man like you would never do something like this.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!¡± Nelson thanked repeatedly, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was absolutely terrified. Harry¡¯s corpsey next to him, his lifeless eyes staring at Nelson, creeping the man out. *Take care of this. You¡¯re in charge of the gang from now on.¡± Dustin instructed, patting Nelson¡¯s shoulder. Nelson¡¯s knees went weak, and he sank to the floor. To think that the mighty Lord Horst of me Dragon Gang was shaking in fear. Chapter 423 Now that Harry was dead, Nelson, the assistant leader, sessfully took over and reced him as the one in charge of the me Dragon Gang. With thousands of disciples and hundreds of elite members, the me Dargon Gang was a significant force in the entire Millsburg. It would be easier for Dustin to do things in Millsburg with the me Dragon Gang backing him up. ¡°Dustin, although you are now the leader of me Dragon Gang, you might still face some troubles ahead,¡± Patrick reminded him as they walked out of High Point Building. ¡°Troubles? What do you mean?¡± Dustin asked curiously. ¡°Harry didn¡¯t rise to power from nothing. He always had someone backing him up. By killing Harry, you¡¯ll definitely offend that person,¡± Patrick said. ¡°Oh? Who is this person?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Terry Doyle, the eldest son of the Doyle family.¡± ¡°Terry Doyle? I haven¡¯t heard of him.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re not local. Everyone here knows Terry, but I must tell you, that man is not simple.¡± Harry¡¯s face carried a hint of seriousness. ¡°The Doyle family is an ancient martial arts family and is one of the Fabulous Five. They hold significant influence in the martial arts world of Balerno. Terry is the heir of the Doyle family and is in his early thirties. He is already one of the Heavenly Immortals! Only a few among the younger generation in Millsburg can match him! If you encounter Terry, you must be extremely careful. This person seeks revenge for the smallest grievances, and anyone who offends him doesn¡¯t have a good ending.¡± Upon hearing that, Dustin couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Patrick. I will be cautious.¡± ¡°Of course, nothing in this world is absolute. If you can find a backer in Millsburg, such as the Hills family, I believe Terry wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡± Patrick¡¯s tone changed as he began to coax, ¡°The Hill family still holds considerable influence in Millsburg. With your talent and strength, you can be our consultant. I¡¯m just not sure if you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, Patrick, but I haven¡¯t considered it for now. Let¡¯s discuss it if there¡¯s an opportunity,¡± Dustin politely declined with a smile. He was ustomed to freedom and didn¡¯t want to be bound by others. ¡°Hey! Do you even know what you¡¯re saying?¡± At this moment, a morous woman next to them spoke unhappily. ¡°Bing a consultant of the Hill family is a dream sought after by countless people. Mr. Hill values you and wants to win you over, I didn¡¯t expect your to be so ungrateful!¡± ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t be disrespectful!¡± Patrick turned around and red at her before apologizing to Dustin. ¡°Dustin, I apologize. It was my failure to discipline her. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Dustin waved his hand, not wanting to dwell on it. ¡°Since you have other aspirations, I won¡¯t force you. But you cane find me anytime if you change yourThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org. mind.¡± Patrick smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± Dustin nodded slightly. Just as they were exchanging pleasantries, Patrick¡¯s phone suddenly rang. His face instantly changed upon answering the call. ¡°What? Grandfather old injury has rpsed, and he fainted? How did this happen? Alright! I¡¯ll go home immediately. You quickly go and fetch the doctor!¡± Patrick¡¯s face fell after hanging up the phone. ¡°Dustin, something urgent happened at home. I have to take my leave.¡± ¡°Is someone in your family sick?¡± Dustin asked tentatively. ¡°Yes, my grandfather exerted himself too much during his cultivation, and his old injury acted up. The situation is not good.¡± Patrick looked solemn. ¡°If it¡¯s an internal injury. I have a pill that works exceptionally well.¡± Dustin took a ck pill and said, ¡°It¡¯s called the Gemiphen. It can invigorate blood cirction, dispel stasis, and strengthen the body. It may be helpful for your grandfather¡¯s chronic internal injury.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dustin!¡± Patrick expressed his gratitude and epted the pill. Although he didn¡¯t believe this pill could heal his grandfather¡¯s injury, it was still a gesture from Dustin, and he didn¡¯t want to refuse it. After watching Patrick leave hurriedly, Dustin hailed a taxi by the roadside and returned to the vi in the urban vige. Chapter 424 Just as he entered the house, Abigail ran toward him and shouted excitedly, ¡°Uncle! I did it. I did it!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dustin was shocked. ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± How could she get pregnant at such a young age? This girl was too wild. ¡°Gosh! Of course not! I¡¯m still a virgin!¡± Abigail retorted, rolling her eyes. ¡°Why are you so excited if you¡¯re not pregnant?¡± Dustin was speechless. She shocked him for a second. ¡°Didn¡¯t you teach me the cultivation techniquest night? Well, I¡¯m thrilled to announce that I have sessfully cultivated my internal energy!¡± Abigail said, beaming with joy. ¡°What? So soon?¡± Surprised, Dustin frowned. Usually, it would take an average martial artist at least a year or more to cultivate internal energy. Even for exceptionally talented individuals, it would still take several months to grasp the basics. Yet, Abigail imed to have achieved it overnight. Did she master it that fast? Dustin was skeptical and reached out to feel her pulse. Indeed, he felt a faint flow of energy circting in her core. Although the energy was very subtle, she indeed had internal energy. In other words, Abigail really seeded! In just one night, she had achieved what ordinary martial artists would take a year or more of arduous training to aplish. Her talent was truly exceptional! Just imagine, while others struggled for ten years, Abigail could achieve the same level of mastery in just a day of leisurely practice. How could anyonepete with that? This is from N?velDrama.Org. Hard work paled inparison to natural talent. ¡°So, what do you think? I seeded, didn¡¯t I? I told you I¡¯m not lying!¡± Abigail boasted. ¡°I have to admit you do have remarkable talent. It takes ordinary individuals a year to reach the same level, but you managed it in just one day. You are truly a rare martial arts prodigy,¡± Dustin praised with a smile. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I knew it!¡± Abigailughed triumphantly. ¡°Even though I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed. I¡¯ve never lost a fight.¡± ¡°Hmm. Are you saying you¡¯re stupid?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Pffft! No way! You¡¯re the stupid one!¡± Abigail retorted. She narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°I mean, I may not be good at studying, but I¡¯m excellent at fighting. There¡¯s a saying, how does it go? Everyone is born to seed!¡± ¡°Girl, honestly, with your martial arts talent, you¡¯ll be in high demand wherever you go. All the major sects willpete to recruit you. So, from now on, you need to think about where you want to develop yourself,¡± Dustin suddenly said. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know yet.¡± Abigail scratched her head and said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not worry about that for now. Since I¡¯m just starting out, you can teach me first. Consider it a favor to you.¡± ¡°A favor to me? That sounds odd.¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Think about it. I¡¯m a martial arts prodigy. When I be famous and renowned, won¡¯t you benefit too?¡± Abigail raised her chin. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to wait for that.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Hey! Are you underestimating me? You just said it yourself. I¡¯m a prodigy. One day of practice for me is equivalent to one year for others. As long as I casually train, I¡¯ll soon dominate the martial arts world!¡± Abigail was quite proud. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Even if you have great talent, you still need to hone your skills.¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s just how you mortals see it. You don¡¯t understand the world of geniuses.¡± Abigail shook her head and asked proudly. ¡°By the way, how long did it take you to achieve the basic level of internal energy? One year or two years?¡± Dustin didn¡¯t say anything but instead raised three fingers. ¡°No way? It actually took you three years?¡± Surprised, Abigail said, ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re really behind. I finished it in only one night, and you spent that much time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge others based on your own limited perspective.¡± Dustin said unkindly. ¡°It took me three minutes to achieve the basic level of internal energy.¡± Chapter 425 ¡°What? Three minutes?¡± Upon hearing that, Abigail was dumbfounded. Didn¡¯t he say it took ordinary martial artists a year or more to achieve the basic level? Even she, a once¨Cin¨Ca- century genius, took a day to cultivate her internal energy. To achieve it in a day was already worthy of being called a prodigy. Yet Dustin achieved it in three minutes? What should she call him A monster? A freak? At this moment, she felt deeply shocked. Her earlier bit of pride evaporated into thin air. ¡°Are you¡­ kidding me?¡± Abigail couldn¡¯t ept it.. ¡°Why would I lie to you? I gain nothing from it.¡± Dustin shrugged and said calmly. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s just talent. It doesn¡¯t represent strength. This world is nevercking in geniuses. The path of martial arts is arduous and long. To be a true powerhouse, both talent and effort are indispensable.¡± ¡°I understand! I¡¯ll work hard and catch up to you soon! Abigail clenched her fist. Then she decisively ran upstairs and began her intense training. Dustinughed. He saw a familiar figure in Abigail. Abigail was exactly like that girl from the Spanner family ten years ago. At that moment, knocks rang out from the door. Dustin opened the door and found Ruth standing outside. ¡°Ruth, how is your sister? Does she want to see me?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes lit up. Ruth remained silent. She lowered her head and nced behind her with a hesitant expression. Only then did Dustin notice two people standing in the courtyard behind her. It was a man and a woman. With a tall and imposing figure, the man seemed to be in his forties and fifties. He exuded apelling aura from head to toe. Dustin felt somewhat intimidated. As for the woman, she had taken great care of her appearance. She had fair and tender skin, a well- This is from N?velDrama.Org. proportioned figure, delicate features, and a lingering charm. She was none other than Ruth¡¯s mother, Jessica! ¡°So, you¡¯re Dustin?¡± the man spoke first. His tone was calm and emotionless but carried a tinge of domination. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°I am Hector, Natasha¡¯s father.¡± The man got straight to the point. ¡°Oh, Mr. Harmon. Pleasee inside.¡± Dustin smiled faintly and Immediately extended his hand in a weing gesture. From the moment he saw Jessica, he had guessed the identity of the visitors. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I came here today to have a few words with you,¡± Hector said calmly. ¡°Natasha is already engaged to someone, and by the end of this month, she will be married. So I hope you won¡¯t meet my daughter anymore.¡± ¡°Married?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she tell me?¡± ¡°What difference would it make if she told you? This decision was made by two prominent families, and no one can change that.¡± Hector continued expressionlessly. ¡°Young man, I don¡¯t know if you truly love my daughter or are attracted to her family background. It doesn¡¯t matter. In any case, the bottom line is to stay away from my daughter.¡± As he spoke, he made a gesture. Soon, several bodyguards entered the courtyard, carrying tworge boxes. When the boxes were opened, they revealed stacks of gold inside! ¡°Young man, this gold is a gift from me. Take it and leave the capital. From now on, don¡¯t appear before my daughter,¡± Hector said. Chapter 426 ¡°The gold is indeed tempting, but I don¡¯t like it. So I can¡¯t ept the conditions you just mentioned.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t like gold, then name your price.¡± Hector raised his chin. ¡°Mr. Harmon, forgive me for speaking frankly, but Natasha should decide her marriage herself. As her parent, you shouldn¡¯t forcefully interfere with such matters,¡± Dustin said. ¡°What?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth.¡± Dustin remainedposed. ¡°As parents, shouldn¡¯t you want your children¡¯s marriages to be happy?¡± ¡°Hmph! What do you even know?¡± At this moment, Jessica couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°Do you know who Natasha¡¯s fianc¨¦ is? He is Tyler Grant, a natural¨Cborn genius and the future rising star of the Dragonmarsh! Only by marrying him can Natasha have a good future!¡± ¡°That should be up to Natasha to decide. If she doesn¡¯t want to marry him, you can¡¯t force her.¡± Dustin argued reasonably. ¡°Are you implying a challenge to the authority of the Harmon family?¡± Hector¡¯s expression turned grim. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Harmon, I don¡¯t want to be enemies with the Harmon family, but I¡¯m willing to take this risk for Natasha¡¯s sake. I¡¯ll repeat myself. As long as she doesn¡¯t want to marry, no one can force her!¡± Dustin¡¯s tone became assertive. ¡°Hmph! What an arrogant youngster!¡°Hector¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to speak nicely to you for Natasha¡¯s sake, but if you insist on being stubborn, don¡¯t me me for turning my back on you!¡± ¡°Dustin! Don¡¯t provoke my father. It¡¯ll bring you no good.¡°Ruth desperately tried to hint at Dustin. Her father was the head of the Harmon family. He wielded great power and was known for his resolute decisions. Although Dustin had some ability, he was clearly far from being able to contend with the Harmon family. ¡°Mr. Harmon, you¡¯re the one being stubborn, not me.¡± Dustin remained undaunted. ¡°Fine! Very well!¡± Upon hearing that, Hector smirked. ¡°Young man, you surely are fearless! I¡¯ll give you three days. If you¡¯re willing to leave Millsburg within three days, I won¡¯t hold it against you. But if you persist in going your way, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences!¡± After saying that, he turned and left. ¡°Wait!¡°Dustin suddenly called out. ¡°What? Did you change your mind?¡± Hector turned back, his eyes filled with disdain. Il Dustin were to resist to the end, Hector would hold some respect for him. At least Dustin was a persistent person. However, he would look down on Dustin even more If he gave In Just like that. ¡°Mr. Harmon, it seems your health is in a bad condition. You probably won¡¯tst three days.¡® Dustin dropped a bombshell. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Hector furrowed his brow. ¡°You have a darkplexion, yellowing pupils, and the breath you exhale carries a hint of a foul odor. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve been poisoned with voodoo!¡± Dustin said. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Hector snorted. ¡°Do you think you can scare me just like that? You¡¯re underestimating me!¡± ¡°Mr. Harmon, I¡¯m sincerely warning you. The voodoo you¡¯ve been afflicted with is not ordinary. It will inevitably re up within three days, and by then, you might lose your life!¡± Dustin sounded solemn. ¡°Stop bullshitting!¡± Hector couldn¡¯t bother to argue with him. He directly turned away and left. He could eat and drink normally and could even run and jump. He didn¡¯t feel any signs of poisoning. Moreover, his meals were strictly monitored by trusted individuals. It was simply impossible for anyone to poison him! As Hector and the others got into their car, Dustin made no attempt to stop them. Instead, he turned to Ruth and asked, ¡°Is your sister being held captive? Where is she now? Can I meet her?¡± ¡°L¡± Ruth opened her mouth, but Jessica¡¯s voice rang out before she could exin. ¡°Ruth! What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Ruth responded and hurriedly said, ¡°Dustin, my sister is temporarily safe. She will find a way to contact you. Also, be careful!¡± After saying that, she quickly left. Chapter 427 ¡°Natasha is engaged to Tyler Grant?¡± As Dustin watched the departing vehicle, he couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes. Clearly, this was a strategic alliance between two prominent families, and Natasha was the sacrificial pawn in this alliance. Born into a prestigious family, she enjoyed wealth and luxury but lost her freedom. At certain moments, she even had to make sacrifices for the sake of their family¡¯s interests. Of course, Dustin would never allow such a thing to happen. With that in mind, he took out his phone and dialed a particr number. ¡°Hello, Nelson. Help me investigate someone.¡± ¡°No problem. May I ask who you want me to investigate, Sir Rhys?¡± Nelson asked. ¡°Tyler Grant.¡± ¡°Tyler Grant?¡± Nelson raised his voice upon hearing Dustin¡¯s words. ¡°Sir Rhys, why do you want to investigate him?¡± ¡°Of course, to deal with him. Do you think I¡¯m inviting him out for a meal?¡± Dustin replied impatiently. ¡°What?¡± Nelson froze in ce, his voice trembling. ¡°Sir Rhys, please don¡¯t scare me like that. I¡¯m easily frightened. I can¡¯t handle this!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is Tyler that formidable?¡± Dustin asked in response. ¡°He¡¯s way more than that. Sir Rhys, this person is like the living King of Hell. We can¡¯t afford to provoke him! He can easily wipe out the me Dragon Gang if we offend him!¡± Nelson sounded like he was tearing up. What kind of person was he working for? His first task as the new gang leader was to deal with Tyler. Weren¡¯t they seeking their own death? Known as a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Ccentury genius, Tyler was the future head of the Grant family. Despite being only in his thirties, he had fought on many battlefields and achieved various victories. He earned the title of General Tiger with a third¨Cranking official position. Not only was he tremendously powerful and exceptionally talented, but he alsomanded an army of tens of thousands. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Anyone who provoked such a formidable individual would be doomed! ¡°Why are you panicking? I didn¡¯t ask you to assassinate him. I only want you to gather information about him,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°Sir Rhys, if you have any ill intentions, it¡¯s best to forget about them. It would be wiser to jump off a building than to provoke Tyler, Nelson said, his voice filled with fear. ¡°Stop the nonsense! Just do as I say!¡± Dustin shouted. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I¡¯ll do it immediately.¡°Nelson didn¡¯t dare to say more and quicklyplied. However, deep inside. he silently prayed that Dustin wouldn¡¯t act recklessly. Or else the me Dragon Gang would suffer the consequences. Meanwhile, in the Hill family¡¯s house, an elderly man with a white beard and eyebrowsy on the bed. His face was pale, and his body was weak. Bloody phlegm filled the copper basin under the bed. A group of Hill family descendants gathered anxiously around the bed.. Paul Hill, the patriarch of the Hill family, had four sons named Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Besides that, he had dozens of grandchildren. He had a big family. ¡°Spring! Wasn¡¯t Father doing well yesterday? How did his internal injuries rpse?¡± Autumn paced back and forth, his expression filled with anxiety. Among the four brothers, he was known for his impatience. ¡°Autumn, you know about Father¡¯s chronic ailment. None of the doctors could cure it.¡± Spring shook his head and sighed. ¡°If he had watched out more usually, it wouldn¡¯t have been a big problem. But he almost went astray to push his cultivation to the limit this time. He was too impulsive!¡± ¡°Gosh¡­¡± Autumn grumbled, ¡°Why is he pushing himself so hard at his age?¡± ¡°Enough talk. Let¡¯s go to Stoneray Valley and bring Dr. Linden here to treat Father,¡± Summer suddenly said. ¡°Dr. Linden is currently in seclusion and cannote, but I have already called Mr. Turner toe. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems with him here.¡± Spring replied. ¡°Then quickly call and urge them! Why haven¡¯t they arrived yet?¡± Autumn was bing increasingly anxious. ¡°Oh no! Grandfather is coughing up blood again!¡± At that moment, a muscr young man eximed in shock. He was Autumn¡¯s son, Torben Hill. He had tan skin and a robust figure. ¡°What should we do? He keeps coughing up blood. Is there something wrong with Father?¡± Autumn was shocked, Chapter 428 ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Autumn red at him. ¡°Uncle, I have a healing pill here. Shall we let Grandfather try it?¡± Patrick suddenly stepped forward from the crowd, holding a Gemiphen. He wouldn¡¯t take such a risk if his grandfather¡¯s condition weren¡¯t critical. ¡°A healing pill?¡± Torben furrowed his brow. ¡°This thing looks suspicious. Where did you get it from?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°A friend gave it to me,¡± Patrick answered truthfully. ¡°Hah! Your friends? They¡¯re a bunch of useless people.¡± Torben sneered. ¡°Take that pill away quickly, and stop embarrassing yourself here.¡± ¡°Grandfather¡¯s condition is not looking good right now. I want to give it a try. What if it actually works?¡± Patrick Insisted. ¡°I said it¡¯s not going to work! Take it away!¡± Torben pped the Gemiphen out of Patrick¡¯s hand. ¡°You-¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°What? You got a problem? Should we settle it with a fight?¡± Torben clenched his fist, disying his robust muscles. Patrick was known to be a weakling in their family. Torben could easily knock him out with a single punch. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you!¡± Patrick took a deep breath and finally held himself back. As he was about to pick up the Gemiphen from the ground, a foot suddenly appeared and crushed the pill. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Patrick¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s the use of keeping such a worthless pill? What if it upsets grandfather¡¯s stomach?¡± Torben said arrogantly. While saying that, he stepped on the pill even harder, grinding it into powder. ¡°Torben! You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Patrick clenched his fists. ¡°Disrespectful brat! How dare you talk to your older cousin like that?¡± Spring red at Patrick and immediately began protecting Torben. ¡°Uncle, he was the one being unreasonable!¡± Patrick furrowed his brow. ¡°Nonsense! My son is just concerned about his grandfather¡¯s safety. Who knows if that pill of yours is poisonous?¡± Autumn spoke arrogantly. ¡°That¡¯s right! What if you¡¯re trying to harm grandfather?¡± Torben said haughtily. With his father backing him up. they could easily bully Patrick. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Father is sick, and you¡¯re still bickering here and there. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Spring spoke sternly. Instantly, the guys shut up. As the eldest brother, he still carried some authority. ¡°They¡¯re here! Mr. Turner from Stoneray Valley has arrived!¡± Suddenly, a voice rang out from the entrance. Soon after, a thin man in a ck robe slowly walked in with a medicine box. ¡°Mr. Turner, you¡¯vee just in time. Please hurry up and take a look at my father!¡± Spring quickly led the man to the bedside. ¡°Everyone, please remain calm. Allow me to examine him first.¡± Nichs sat down slowly and began feeling Paul¡¯s pulse. After a while, his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Everyone, the patriarch¡¯s situation is grim. The internal injuries have umted too long and suddenly erupted with great force. His meridians are shattered, and his vital energy is in disorder. With my abilities, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do much to help.¡± ¡°What?¡± Spring panicked. ¡°Mr. Turner, you¡¯re an elder of Stoneray Valley. If even you can¡¯t treat him, who else can?¡± ¡°Unless my masteres out of seclusion. Otherwise¡­¡± Mr. Turner shook his head. ¡°My father would have passed away by the time hees out of seclusion!¡± Autumn frowned. ¡°Wait!¡± Suddenly, Nichs sniffed and said, ¡°What a fragrant medicinal scent. Do you have any miraculous panacea here?¡± ¡°What do you mean by panacea? We would have let Grandfather take them if we had any.¡± Torben replied rudely. However, Nichs ignored him. Like a hunting dog, he kept sniffing and tried to search for the smell Soon, he fixated his gaze on the crushed Gemiphen, and his face fell immediately. ¡°What¡­ Who did this? Such a waste! Such a terrible waste!¡± Chapter 429 Looking at the crushed Gemiphen, Nichs was heartbroken and furious. He didn¡¯t care about his Image anymore and immediately threw himself to the ground, collecting the powder bit by bit. It left everyone dumbfounded. Was it necessary to make such a fuss over a broken pill? ¡°Mr. Turner, what¡¯s going on?¡± Spring was perplexed. People from Stoneray Valley were usually proud and arrogant. They had never lost theirposure like that. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How dare you ask me such a question?¡± Nichs angrily retorted, ¡°How can you destroy a panacea? This is a very rare pill. Such a waste! Who is the idiot who did this?!¡± ¡°Mr. Turner, are you mistaken? How could this ck broken thing be a panacea? Torben looked skeptical. ¡°You¡¯re such a fool!¡± Nichs stared at him like he was an idiot. ¡°What you call a broken thing is the Golden Crow Pill, a holy medicine for healing! It specializes in treating various internal injuries and chronic ailments. Your grandfather¡¯s life could have been saved!¡± ¡°What?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Everyone¡¯s faces changed upon hearing that. Although they didn¡¯t know what Gemephin was. The fact that it could treat their father¡¯s internal injuries and that Nichs held it in such high regard indicated that it was no ordinary item. ¡°You wastrels! You bunch of wastrels! To think that such a miraculous healing tablet was treated like garbage by all of you. How foolish!¡± Feeling his heart aching. Nichs pounded his chest and stomped his feet. As an elder of Stoneray Valley, he held precious tablets in higher regard than anything else. His heart was bleeding to see the Gemiphen get destroyed. ¡°Torben! Look at the mess you¡¯ve caused! You destroyed a medicine that could save Grandfather. How will you exin yourself to everyone?¡± Patrick shouted sternly. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know this thing could save a life.¡± Torben stammered, feeling guilty. ¡°Besides, this wouldn¡¯t have happened if you had exined it clearly earlier.¡± ¡°You make a mistake, and now you¡¯re trying to me me?¡± Patrick¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Enough, enough! It¡¯s just a pill. If it¡¯s destroyed, then it¡¯s destroyed. Just get another one. Why make such a fuss?¡± Autumn continued to defend Torben. ¡°Uncle, do you think this is amon cabbage? Do you think we can just conjure another one out of thin air? It was a gift from my friend. Who knows if there¡¯s another one?¡± Patrick frowned. Not only did Torben make a mistake, but he also remained stubborn. It was truly unreasonable. ¡°Patrick, let¡¯s not dwell on this for now. Saving Grandfather is the priority. Contact your friend immediately and have them deliver the Gemiphen as soon as possible!¡± Spring urged. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to ask. Knowing how urgent the situation was, Patrick didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately dialed Dustin¡¯s number. He briefly exined the situation to Dustin. hapter 4.295 Dustin didn¡¯t refuse him. After asking for the address, he rushed over. Within half an hour, he arrived at the Hill family¡¯s residence. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re finally here! Come on in!¡°Patrick had been waiting for him and immediately led him inside when he saw Dustin exiting the car. Before long, they reached Paul¡¯s room. ¡°Hey! Is this your friend? Can he be trusted?¡± As soon as they entered, Torben blocked their way. He sized Dustin up and down, full of doubt. He looked like a young boy. Could someone like him really treat illnesses? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s definitely more reliable than you!¡± Patrick said coldly. ¡°ording to the rules, we need to frisk you before entering. Raise your hands and stand against the wall,¡± Torben ordered. ¡°Frisk me?¡± Dustin frowned and said in a displeased tone. ¡°You invited me here to treat your grandfather, yet you treat me like a criminal. Is that appropriate?¡± ¡°These are our rules. Strangers must be thoroughly searched. Who knows if you¡¯re carrying weapons?¡± Torben said condescendingly. ¡°Torben! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Chapter 430 Patrick¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Dustin is my friend. I can vouch for him. If there¡¯s any problem, I¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡± ¡°Hey! What are you all dawdling for? Come in quickly!¡± Seeing the group standing at the doorway, Spring urged them from inside the room. ¡°Hmph! Kid, you better not y any tricks. I¡¯ll be watching you closely!¡± Torben warned before stepping aside. ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t bother with him. Pleasee in.¡± Patrick said, not wanting to waste any more time. He quickly led Dustin to the bedside. ¡°Young guy. I heard you have the Gemiphen?¡± Nichs spoke first. His eager demeanor was like that of a person who had starved for three days and finally saw a delicious feast. ¡°I do have it, but not many. They were all passed down through my ancestors,¡± Dustin replied. He could tell from the emblem on their clothes that they were from the Stoneray Valley. To avoid trouble, he could only give such an answer. ¡°So it¡¯s an ancestral elixir? Young guy, how many pills do you have left? I¡¯m willing to buy them at a high price! Nichs urgently asked. ¡°I had two pills before, but one got destroyed. Now I only have thest one.¡± Dustin replied. ¡°What? Only one pill left?¡± Nichs frowned, looking regretful. He wanted to buy a few pills from Dustin and study them after returning to Stoneray Valley. What a pity. ¡°Mr. Turner, let¡¯s cut the small talk. Since this guy still has one Gemiphen, let¡¯s save the patient first.¡± Spring urged from the side. ¡°Yes, yes. Please proceed,¡± Nichs replied, maintaining a rtively polite attitude. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t me me for not warning you. You better be able to cure my grandfather¡¯s internal injuries. Otherwise, you will be doomed!¡± Torben suddenly interjected coldly. About to start the treatment, Dustin suddenly stopped and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m a timid person and can¡¯t handle such intimidation. If you¡¯re going to say that, then I won¡¯t treat him. You¡¯d better find someone else.¡± With that, he turned around and was about to leave. ¡°No, no, no¡­ Young man, please don¡¯t listen to his nonsense.¡± Spring panicked and quickly grabbed him. At the same time, he shouted at Torben, ¡°You brat! Shut up if you don¡¯t have anything nice to say!¡± Torben felt somewhat displeased but didn¡¯t say anything more. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dustin, this guy has a loose tongue. Please don¡¯t stoop to his level, Patrick quickly reassured. ¡°Alright, if you want my Gemiphen, it¡¯ll cost you, but you¡¯ll have to pay extra,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°No problem. How much?¡± Spring asked eagerly. Dustin didn¡¯t answer directly. Instead, he held up one linger. ¡°One million dors?¡± Torben furrowed his brow. ¡°Kid! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too greedy? How dare you ask for one million dors for such a worthless thing?¡± ¡°Who said I want one million? I want 100 million!¡± Dustin said, astonishing everyone with his statement. ¡°What? ¡°What? 100 million dors?¡± Torben was dumbfounded. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why don¡¯t you just go and rob someone? What makes this dark thing worth so much money?!¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯ve changed my mind. 200 million dors.¡± Dustin extended two fingers casually, as if he was discussing an everyday matter. ¡°200 million? Are you intentionally messing with us?¡± Torben was so furious that he was on the verge of hitting someone. ¡°300 million,¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with them. He extended three fingers. The more Torben. shouted, the higher the price Dustin demanded. That was the cost of being rude. ¡°You¡­!¡± Before Torben could say anything. Spring¡¯s face turned pale, and he pped Torben across the face, shouting. ¡°You beast! Shut your damn mouth!¡± Chapter 431 ¡°What?¡± Torben was stunned. Holding his face, he felt confused. Shouldn¡¯t they be reprimanding Dustin at this moment? Why did his uncle p him instead? ¡°You useless fool! Get the hell out if you can¡¯t speak properly!¡± Spring¡¯s face was stern. He was clearly angry. It was supposed to be a situation where they didn¡¯t have to spend any money, but this idiot had managed to raise the price of a pill to 300 million. Dustin would probably ask for even more if they let him continue. Why punish him instead of this damned guy? ¡°Spring, you¡¯ve gone too far.¡± Autumn frowned. Of course, he wasn¡¯t happy about his son getting pped. ¡°You shut up too!¡± Spring turned around and glowered. ¡°Father¡¯s life is hanging by a thread, and we urgently need the medicine to save him. Yet you people are still here arguing. If something happens to Father, can you afford the responsibility?¡± Hearing that, the father and son exchanged nces and dared not say another word. The Hill family was known for its martial prowess, and their patriarch, Paul, was a master of Balerno martial arts three years ago. Although he had retired now, he stillmanded great respect and status in the martial world. Even the current leader would show deference to him. The Hill family stood strong and was known as one of the top three families because of Paul¡¯s towering presence. If the patriarch were to pass away, the entire Hill family would suffer a devastating blow. ¡°Young man, I apologize sincerely. I have failed to teach my people manners. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. As long as you can save my father¡¯s life, 300 million dors is not a problem.¡± Spring agreed without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m d you picked the right choice.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°The Hill family has great wealth and influence- 300 million is nothing to you.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Torben narrowed his eyes as a hint of killing intent shed across them. Yet he controlled himself. ¡°Young man, please proceed.¡± Spring forced a smile. ¡°Alright.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t say much. He took out a Gemiphen and stuffed it into Paul¡¯s mouth. Then he lifted the old man¡¯s clothes, took out a silver needle, and pierced three key acupoints: The posterior neck Acupoint, lower chest acupoint, and stomach acupoint. Then, he flicked his finger. ¡°Buzz¡­¡± The three silver needles rapidly spun, and waves of true energy flowed into Paul¡¯s body through the needles. ¡°What amazing acupuncture skills!¡± Witnessing this scene, Nichs was greatly astonished. Although he specialized in alchemy, he also had considerable medical knowledge. With his discerning eyes, he could tell that Dustin¡¯s acupuncture technique was extraordinary. Although his skills might not surpass Dr. Jeremy. Dustin was almost as good as him. To possess such exquisite acupuncture skills at such a young age¡­ Who exactly was this young man? After administering the needles, Dustin helped Paul up and delivered a strong palm strike to his back. A surge of true energy erupted in Paul¡¯s body. Paul tilted his head back and spewed out a mouthful of dark blood. Then his head slumped, and once again. he lost consciousness. ¡°Alright, the patient is out of danger now. However, the internal injuries have umted for a long time. So it will take some time for aplete recovery. After I return, I will prepare some medicine for the patient. Drinking two cups every day for about ten days should lead to a full recovery.¡± Chapter 432 ¡°Oh, by the way, don¡¯t remove the silver needles from the patient¡¯s body for another three hours. That¡¯s all. Now, you can pay up.¡± After a series of instructions, Dustin directly asked for payment. He hade to treat Paul as a favor to Patrick, but he still expected to bepensated for his services. He didn¡¯t want to make the trip for nothing. ¡°The matter of payment is not an issue, but we need to confirm my father¡¯s condition first.¡± Spring signaled to Nichs with his eyes. Nichs quickly approached and checked Paul¡¯s pulse. Instantly, his eyes widened, ¡°How is he? Is there something wrong with my father?¡± Everyone felt anxious upon seeing this. ¡°No, no, no Mr. Hill¡¯s pulse is very calm, and most of the stagnant blood in his body has been removed. The broken meridians were also remarkably repaired. It¡¯s truly amazing!¡± Nichs eximed with delight. Thebined effects of the Gemiphen and the miraculous acupuncture technique produced such astonishing results. ¡°Damn it! You scared me! Can¡¯t you just finish your sentence?¡± Torben grumbled angrily. If anything happened to his grandfather, he would have an excuse to execute Dustin on the spot and hold Patrick ountable. ¡°The experts from Stoneray Valley have confirmed it. Now, can you rest assured?¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, young man. We are extremely grateful!¡± Spring expressed his gratitude. ¡°You¡¯re wee. You pay me to treat your father anyway.¡± Dustin replied in response. ¡°Please go to the living room and have a cup of tea to get some rest.¡® Spring smiled. Then he turned around and said, ¡°Autumn, go and withdraw the money for this young man here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Autumn gave Dustin a deep look before turning to leave. Meanwhile, Dustin followed the servant to the living room. The Hill¡¯s residence covered a vast area, enveloping a whole mountain. Tall walls surrounded the premises, and numerous vis dotted thendscape. A dozen guards patrolled around the clock. Their security was very strict. It would be nearly impossible for ordinary people to enter. Ten minutester, Autumn and Torben entered the living room with a check in hand. ¡°Young man, this is your reward.¡± Dustin picked up the check and frowned. ¡°Did you make a mistake? I asked for 300 million, not three million.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Torben answered arrogantly, ¡°Even the experts of Stoneray Valley only charged us three million. You¡¯re just an unknown doctor from god knows where. You should be grateful that we¡¯re willing to pay you this much.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about others, but since we agreed on 300 million, it must be 300 million, not a penny less,¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°You little brat! Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Torben red. ¡°Three million is more than enough for someone like you to live avish life for years. If you have any sense, take the check, and get the hell out of here!¡± ¡°Are you nning to go against your word?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°So what if we are?¡± Torben sneered. ¡°Open your eyes wide and see where you are!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Torben thought to himself. ¡°Do you think a nobody like you can take away 300 million dors just like that?¡± ¡°I never expected the prestigious Hill family to be a bunch of untrustworthy people. It¡¯s truly disappointing.¡± ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Torben grabbed Dustin¡¯s cor and threatened, ¡°Kid, I¡¯ll give you two options now: either take the three million and get lost, or I¡¯ll break your legs and throw you out!¡± ¡°Three million¡­ It¡¯s barely enough to buy your coffin.¡± Picking up the check, Dustin threw it directly at Torben¡¯s face. Chapter 433 The check lightlynded on Torben¡¯s face with a loud smack. It didn¡¯t hurt him, but he felt utterly humiliated. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Torben instantly became furious and raised his fist to strike Dustin. Yet before he could reach Dustin, he got kicked away and fell to the ground. He ended up in a pitiful state and coughed nonstop. ¡°I will kill you for sure!¡± Torben¡¯s eyes widened in rage. He forcefully tore off his clothes, revealing his muscr body covered in body hair. Then, like a raging bull, he fiercely charged toward Dustin. ¡°Get lost!¡± Dustin raised his hand and pped Torben, sending him flying. Torben let out a miserable scream and crashed to the ground, struggling to get up. ¡°How dare you hit my son?¡± Autumn¡¯s face turned dark as he witnessed the scene. ¡°Guards! Take this guy down!¡± With hismand, a group of guards dressed in sturdy clothing quickly swarmed in and surrounded Dustin. ¡°You brat! How dare you act recklessly in the Hill family? You must be tired of living! I wanted to give you three million, but now, you won¡¯t get a single penny! Not only that but your legs will be broken as a deterrent!¡± Autumn shouted. ¡°Attack!¡± He waved his hand, and the guards raised their weapons, preparing to strike. ¡°Stop!¡± At that moment, Patrick rushed in urgently. ¡°Uncle, what are you doing? Dustin is a benefactor of the Hill family. Aren¡¯t you afraid of Grandfather¡¯s rage if you act like this?¡± ¡°Mind your business! Get out of here, or I¡¯ll beat you too!¡± Autumn remained obstinate. ¡°If you have anyints,e at me, but I won¡¯t let youy a hand on Dustin!¡± Patrick spoke in a stern voice. ¡°You insolent brat! Today, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!¡± Autumn grew furious. Just as he was about to make a move, a servant rushed in, panic¨Cstricken, and shouted, ¡°Mr. Autumn! Something¡¯s wrong! Mr. Hill has gone mad!¡± ¡°What? Gone mad?¡± Autumn was shocked. Not daring to linger, he hastily led the guards and left. ¡°You, brat, just you wait!¡± Leaving behind a harsh threat, Torben rushed out too. Paul was the pir of the family, and they could not afford any mishap. ¡°What happened?¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°Dustin, didn¡¯t you say that my grandfather was line?¡± ¡°Your grandfather is indeed not in any life¨Cthreatening danger, but I didn¡¯t expect him to go mad like this,¡± Dustin said, deep in thought. He had examined Paul¡¯s pulse earlier, and as long as he didn¡¯t forcefully cultivate his energy, there shouldn¡¯t have been any issues.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. *Dustin, can youe with me to check on my grandfather?¡± Patrick proposed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I also want to see what¡¯s going on.¡± Without saying much, Dustin followed Patrick out of the living room. At this moment, the entire Hill residence was in chaos. Several armed guards rushed in various directions, heading towards the garden. When Dustin and Patrick arrived at the garden and saw the scene, they couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. The once grand garden was now inplete disarray. An elderly with white eyebrows and a white beard was rampaging through the garden in his pajamas. Like a bulldozer, he destroyed the trees and flowers wherever he went. The man was none other than Paul. ¡°Kill! Attack!¡± Paul¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, his expression ferocious and mad. He would even roar like a beast. Anyone who approached was sent flying by him. They didn¡¯t even have the chance to put up a fight. Paul was once a master of Balerno martial arts. Although he was old now, he was still formidable. Especially after losing control, he couldn¡¯t recognize anyone and kept wanting to kill others. Anyone who approached him would be in trouble. ¡°Quick! Stop Mr. Hill!¡± Spring shouted hoarsely. The guards approached in groups, holding shields. However, as soon as they got close, they were sent flying by Paul¡¯s strong palm. Chapter 434 Paul¡¯s rampage left the guards severely injured. They coughed up blood and screamed in agony, yet couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Oh no! Grandfather has gone mad!¡± Torben eximed in shock. His gaze suddenly fell on Dustin, and he shouted, ¡°Uncle! It¡¯s all that kid¡¯s doing! He caused Grandfather to go berserk. Quickly, capture him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve long seen through this kid¡¯s malicious intentions. He deliberately poisoned Father and caused Father to end up like this. He must be punished severely!¡± Autumn echoed. ¡°Don¡¯t use Dustin without evidence! I don¡¯t believe he would do such a thing!¡± Patrick shouted. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Frowning. Spring quickly approached Dustin and asked, ¡°Young man, what¡¯s happening? Didn¡¯t you say my father was fine? Why did he lose control?¡± ¡°Somebody tampered with my needles.¡± Dustin carefully observed and quickly noticed something wrong. ¡°Tampered with your needles? What do you mean?¡± Spring was puzzled. ¡°I inserted three silver needles in the posterior neck, lower chest, and stomach acupoints to stabilize internal injuries. However, the needle in the lower chest acupoint is missing.¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Hmm¡­ He¡¯s right!¡± Spring carefully examined and noticed the silver needle on Paul¡¯s chest was really missing. ¡°Hmph! Stop spouting nonsense!¡± Torben sneered. ¡°I can see right through you. You¡¯re clearly guilty and making excuses!¡± ¡°Spring, this guy must have caused Father to be like this. Stop wasting time and just torture him until he confesses the truth!¡± Autumn said, brimming with hostility. ¡°Uncle Spring, Dustin is my friend, and I¡¯m willing to guarantee with my life that he¡¯s innocent!¡± Patrick argued firmly.. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Both of you are obviously in cahoots!¡± Torben spat. ¡°Enough! Shut your mouths!¡± Spring furrowed his brow and turned to Dustin. ¡°Young man, you have exceptional medical skills. Is there anything you can do to help my father regain control?¡± ¡°As long as you can restrain your father, I have a method to bring him to normal¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°Restrain my grandfather? That¡¯s utter nonsense!¡± Torben was displeased. ¡°Do you even know who my grandfather is? He was a master of Balerno martial arts, a towering figure in the martial arts world! Nobody can restrain my grandfather in Millsburg.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, young man. You just witnessed it. None of the armed guards could get close to my father. How can we restrain him?¡± Spring also looked troubled. ¡°Hmph! I think someone is deliberately looking for trouble!¡± Autumn¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°This is surely tricky.¡± Patrick sighed. Paul was a master of Balerno martial arts. Only Jonas Hill, Spring¡¯s oldest son, couldpete with his grandfather in martial arts. However, Jonas was currently far away in Chouxe. He couldn¡¯te back in time. ¡°Run! Grandfather ising this way!¡± Torben suddenly yelled. Everyone looked up and saw Paul changing direction and charging toward them furiously. In an instant, everyone panicked and scattered in fear. ¡°Dustin! What are you waiting for? Run now!¡± Patrick turned his head and saw Dustin still standing in ce. ¡°If you can¡¯t stop him, then let me handle it.¡± Dustin replied calmly without evading. ¡°Dustin! Are you out of your mind? Come here quickly!¡± Patrick¡¯s face fell upon witnessing the scene. ¡°Hmph! Ignorant fool!¡± Torben sneered repeatedly. ¡°Young people are so ignorant! Do you really think you can withstand my grandfather?¡± Autumn also looked gleeful wishing Dustin would die in his father¡¯s hand. ¡°Young man, don¡¯t be impulsive! You can¡¯t stop my father!¡± Spring shouted. Unfazed by the warnings, Dustin walked straight ahead. ¡°Kill! Attack!¡± Paul¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted madly. Seeing someone blocking his path, he threw a powerful punch. In an instant, the world seemed to be in chaos. The surrounding nts and trees copsed one after another. The atmosphere itself seemed to distort. A tremendous boom echoed as Dustin effortlessly caught Paul¡¯s earth¨Cshattering punch. The whole area fell intoplete silence. Chapter 435 The entire garden fell eerily silent. Everyone was stunned by the scene before them. No one had expected Dustin to be able to block Paul¡¯s punch. Not only did he block it, he didn¡¯t suffer any harm. After all, Paul was once a master of the Balerno martial arts, a grandmaster. His punches and kicks carried the power to shatter mountains and split the earth. How many people in the Hill family could contend with such a terrifying existence? ¡°Did¡­ Did he just block the punch?¡± Torben was so shocked that his eyes widened in disbelief. In their eyes, Paul represented the pinnacle of power in Millsburg. He could kill a divine¨Clevel martial artist with a casual move. How could a doctor who came out of nowhere block a grandmaster¡¯s punch? What was going on? ¡°Oh my god! Someone actually blocked Mr. Hill¡¯s punch! Am I seeing things?¡± Chs¡¯s mouth hung open, his jaw almost dropping to the ground. He had thought Dustin was only a genius in medicine, but he never expected Dustin to be so good at martial arts too. ¡°Damn it! I didn¡¯t know Dustin was so good!¡± Patrick almost jumped up. Opening his mouth wide, he ¡°Who exactly is this guy?¡± Spring was shocked and suspicious. Sweat rolled down his forehead. He thought Dustin was seeking death when he approached Paul just now, but he ended up blocking Paul¡¯s attack. None of the elite guards from the Hill family could aplish what the person did. His strength was evident. ¡°No¡­ Impossible!¡± Shocked. Autumn shook his head frantically, denying the truth. ¡°This kid is in his twenties. How could he block Father¡¯s punch? It must be because Father¡¯s power has greatly diminished due to his condition. That was why he had the opportunity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Grandfather is physically weak and in a state of madness. His strength has greatly declined. Otherwise, how could this kid withstand him?¡± Torben echoed. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing that, everyone nodded in agreement. Indeed, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Paul was physically weak and severely II, he could definitely do better than that. In the end, Dustin got lucky and found a loophole to block the punch. Thinking of this, the crowd calmed down. ¡°Mr. Hill, sleep well.¡± Dustin paid no attention to the expressions of the people around him. Immediately after blocking Paul¡¯s punch, he retrieved a silver needle and pierced it into the lower chest acupoint. Instantly. Paul¡¯s body went limp, and he fainted on the spot. ¡°Young man, how is it? Is my father okay?¡± Spring approached with a group of people. ¡°He¡¯s out of danger, just a bit weak. He¡¯ll be fine after a nap,¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Spring sighed in relief. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re truly amazing! You actually went head¨Cto¨Chead with my grandfather. I¡¯m impressed!¡± Patrick gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s so impressive about it? If it weren¡¯t for Grandfather¡¯s weakened state, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand it. It¡¯s just dumb luck, Torben said, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you step up earlier? You ran away like a rabbit,¡± Patrick taunted. ¡°You¡­¡± Torben was at a loss for words. Paul¡¯s power was unquestionable. Who would dare to confront him? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s help Mr. Hill back to rest.¡± Spring gestured, and soon the guards stepped forward and carried Paul into the room. Chapter 436 ¡°Young man, we will need your help again,¡± Spring said. ¡°Treating your father and saving his life is not a problem, but I hope you Hills can uphold your promise and pay me the full amount of money instead of resorting to coercion, intimidation, and taking advantage of your position,¡± Dustin said calmly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Coercion, intimidation, taking advantage of our position? What are you talking about, young man?¡± Spring was puzzled. ¡°Perhaps you should ask the two people next to you what they have done,¡± Dustin hinted. ¡°Autumn, what¡¯s going on?¡± Spring frowned. ¡°Well¡­¡± Autumn hesitated to speak. He couldn¡¯t openly bring up such embezzlement of funds. ¡°Uncle Spring, I know what¡¯s going on. Uncle Autumn and the others took it upon themselves to change. Dustin¡¯s 300 million remunerations into three million without permission and even went so far as to threaten him!¡± Patrick said seriously. ¡°Autumn! Have you lost your mind?¡± Spring¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Dustin saved our father¡¯s life. He is the Hill family¡¯s benefactor. How can you treat him like this? Who gave you the audacity? Do you think our father¡¯s life is only worth a mere three million?!¡± ¡°Spring. I just feel that this kid doesn¡¯t deserve so much money.¡± Autumn muttered. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Spring red at Autumn. ¡°Dustin has the skills. Why doesn¡¯t he deserve the money? You¡¯ve made a mistake yet show no signs of remorse. Immediately go to the shrine and kneel! Reflect on yoursell!¡± *Spring¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Autumn was about to say something, but Spring angrily interrupted him. Left with no choice, he could only obediently kneel at the shrine. ¡°And you!¡± Spring red at Torben. The man shrank his neck and dared not defy him. Before leaving, Torben cast a resentful look at Dustin. ¡°Dustin, I apologize sincerely. I failed to teach them their manners. Please forgive me.¡± Spring said, looking. ashamed. ¡°It¡¯s alright, as long as I get the money.¡± Dustin waved his hand. After all, he didn¡¯t suffer any losses, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Patrick, go and personally withdraw the money for Dustin. Make sure you don¡¯t make any mistakes, Spring instructed. ¡°No problem.¡± Patrick nodded and quickly left. In no time, a 380 million check was handed over to Dustin. Lispter 436 ¡°Dustin, we owe you a great debt today.¡± Spring took out a silver waist token and presented it with both hands. ¡°This is the Hill family¡¯s guest token. With this, you will be an esteemed guest of the Hill family. Not only can you freely enter all the ces of the Hill family, but if you encounter any trouble, you can also seek help from the Hill family through this token.¡± ¡°Dustin, you have to ept it. The token is a precious item. You can solve many problems with it,¡± Patrick said eagerly. The guest token of the Hill family was something countless people dreamed of possessing. It meant having the support of the Hill family, almost allowing one to act recklessly within the boundaries of the entire South City. ¡°Well, since it¡¯s a precious item, I¡¯ll take it.¡± Dustin smiled and directly put it away. As one of the Tremendous Three, the Hill family had tremendous influence in the seven provinces of Balerno. Dustin might need the Hill family¡¯s help if he encountered any problems. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I will take my leave.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t intend to stay any longer. ¡°Patrick, help me see Dustin off,¡± Spring said with a smile. ¡°Dustin, this way, please.¡± Patrick gestured with one hand, quickly leading Dustin away. As Spring watched the two figures depart, his smile gradually faded and was reced by a cold expression. ¡°He¡¯s good in both medicine and martial arts. Not bad. He identally disrupted my ns. As he spoke, he flipped his palm, revealing a silver needle. It was the same needle that was extracted from Paul¡¯s body! Chapter 437 It was evening, and Dustin was sitting in the living room of Enchanting Vi, engrossed in a book, when Abigail suddenly rushed down the stairs. ¡°Uncle! I need your help with something urgent! Will you apany me somewhere? Abigail leaned in, acting secretive. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Dustin¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. You¡¯ll find out once we get there.¡± Abigail yfully dodged the question. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t go.¡± Dustin firmly declined. ¡°Well will youe with me if I tell you?¡± Abigail frowned. ¡°It depends on the situation.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. My friend is celebrating her birthday tonight, and we¡¯ve nned to have some fun together, Abigail revealed with a mischievous smile. ¡°What does your friend¡¯s birthday have to do with me? I¡¯m not going.¡± Dustin rolled his eyes. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re not keeping your word! You just promised me earlier!¡± Abigail became a bit anxious. ¡°I said it depends on the situation. I didn¡¯t promise you anything.¡± ¡°You, you, you¡­ you¡¯re being unfair!¡± Abigail stomped her foot in frustration. ¡°Listen, youngdy. I¡¯d rather quietly read my book than join you youngsters.¡± Dustin waved his hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m giving you an opportunity here! Do you know that my friend is a celebrity? She¡¯s gorgeous.¡± Abigail tried to tempt him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of beautiful girls. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Hey! Are you even a man? You¡¯re not interested in women at all?¡± Abigail bit her lip and snatched the book. from Dustin¡¯s hand. ¡°Uncle, please, can¡¯t you do it for me? If you don¡¯t go, I won¡¯t be able to go cither!¡± ¡°Wait. Why does it matter if I go or not? You can go without me.¡± Dustin was speechless. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, huh? Follow me then.¡± Without waiting for a response, Abigail grabbed Dustin¡¯s hand and pulled him towards the exit. However, when they reached the front door, Edmund suddenly appeared and blocked their way with a somewhat menacing look. ¡°You see that now?¡± Abigail turned her gaze toward Dustin as if saying, ¡°See, this is why I can¡¯t leave.¡± Whenever she wanted to go out at night, her father would appear like a ghost, and there was no escaping him. ¡°Um¡­¡± Dustin was momentarily speechless. ¡°Abigail, you¡¯re going out again at thiste hour? Wasn¡¯t the lesson fromst time enough?¡± Edmund sald sternly. ¡°Hey, hold on! Get it straight! It¡¯s not me who wants to go out. It¡¯s this guy here, and I¡¯m just apanying him,¡± Abigail lied without batting an eye. ¡°Mr. Rhys, are you going somewhere?¡± Edmund was slightly stunned, but soon, his expression softened. ¡°Sort of.¡± Dustin forced a smile. ¡°Did you hear that? Uncle said he¡¯s feeling bored at home and wants me to take him out for a stroll. Are you going to stop him?¡± Abigail spoke coldly. With that arrogant demeanor, she seemed to be leveraging Dustin¡¯s presence. ¡°It Mr. Rhys wants to go out, of course, I won¡¯t stop him. But please be careful and avoid crowded ces.¡± Edmund squeezed a smile. ¡°Understood. You can step aside now, and don¡¯t dampen Uncle¡¯s mood.¡± With that, Abigail forcefully dragged Dustin away. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She immediately showed her true colors once they were out of Edmund¡¯s sight. ¡°Uncle, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so useful. It seems I¡¯ll have to make good use of you as my tool in the future.¡± ¡°Just listen to what you¡¯re saying.¡± Dustin responded impatiently. ¡°Either study diligently or practice martial arts seriously. Don¡¯t wander around aimlessly all the time and waste your great talent.¡± ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve been training all day. Don¡¯t you understand the importance of work¨Clife bnce? I should at least take a break, right?¡± Abigail raised her head proudly. ¡°Considering that you helped me once, I¡¯ll treat you to something tonight!¡± Dustin shook his head and couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her. Chapter 438 Since he was quite free, he thought he could use some time to rx. Twenty minutester, Dustin and Abigail exited the car in front of a music bar. Compared to the lively and noisy atmosphere of a karaoke bar, the music bar was quieter. Friends could sit together, drink, chat, and listen to music. It was rxing andfortable. ¡°Abigail! Over here!¡± Right after they entered the music bar, a short¨Chaired girl stood up and waved at Abigail. Dustin followed the direction of the sound and recognized several familiar faces. The short¨Chaired girl was Nina Sharp. Another one was a popr guy in school, Mike Horton. Dustin thought the rest looked quite familiar but couldn¡¯t recall their names. The only person he couldn¡¯t recognize was a girl in a school uniform. She looked young and pretty. The girl had a delicate oval face with exquisite features. She looked pure and innocent, like a fairy. With just a nce, she could capture a person¡¯s attention. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯rete. Abigail approached them with a smile and took the opportunity to introduce Dustin, ¡°Uncle, you¡¯ve already met everyone else. So I won¡¯t introduce them again. As for this person, she¡¯s the star of today. our guest of honor, Ruby Xenos.¡± Abigail added, ¡°Let me tell you a secret. Ruby is not only a popr live streamer with millions of fans, but she¡¯s also a star at our school.¡± ¡°Abigail, don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m just a trainee, still far from being a star,¡± Ruby pouted. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your singing is so beautiful. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you debut. I believe you¡¯ll be famous in no time!¡± Abigail said with a smile. ¡°Whatever you say!¡± Ruby rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t lie to you. I told you there would be beautiful girls here. So, are you impressed?¡± Abigail turned back and teased Dustin. Dustin nced at her sideways and couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond. ¡°I mean, Abigail, why did you bring an outsider with us when we¡¯re here to drink and sing?¡± Mike seemed displeased. ¡°Yeah, Abigail, it¡¯s Ruby¡¯s birthday today, and it¡¯s not quite appropriate to bring a stranger along.¡± Nina chimed In. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The more, the merrier,¡± Unfazed, Ruby smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! This guy here is good at fighting. If anything happens, he can be our bodyguard.¡± Abigail nodded repeatedly. ¡°What¡¯s the point of being good at fighting? If something really happens, it¡¯s all about connections and rtionships,¡± Mike sneered. Since Dustin stole the limelight before, he had been holding a grudge. He wanted to use Lord Horst to deal with Dustin and settle the score. Yet the man pped him right then and there. His face was still a bit swollen. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Since everyone is here, let Ruby sing us a song.¡± Abigail quickly changed the subject. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve heard Ruby sing. Today, we¡¯re finally in for a treat!¡± ¡°Ruby,e on stage quickly. I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± The crowd joined in the cheer. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try my best then.¡± Ruby nodded with a smile, then walked up to the stage and talked with the male singer. The male singer readily agreed and willingly gave up his spot. ¡°Oh, this young beauty is taking over the stage. Interesting.¡± ¡°Hey, pretty! Sing ¡®The Love of a Boatman¡® for me!¡± As soon as Ruby stepped on stage, she immediately drew the attention of countless people, especially the men who had a few drinks. They became even more excited and kept cheering for Ruby. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know how to sing this song.¡± Ruby apologized. ¡°The Love of a Boatman is simple. You can learn it on the spot. As long as you sing this song, I¡¯ll reward you!¡± A chubby guy walked forward with a smile, holding ten roses that he had purchased. Each rose cost one hundred dors. He had spent more than enough to request a song. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to sing this song.¡± Ruby seemed awkward. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve already requested the song, and if you don¡¯t sing, it means you¡¯re disrespecting me.¡± The chubby man continued with an evil grin. ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re willing to have a few drinks with me, we can let this matter go.¡± Upon hearing that, Mike immediately stood up, infuriated. Chapter 439 ¡°Hey! What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Mike sprung up and yelled, feeling a burst of righteousness after secing the sleazy man pester Ruby. ¡°My friend already told you she can¡¯t sing the song! Why the hell do you. keep pressing her?¡± ¡°Exactly! How can you force people to sing songs they don¡¯t know? Aren¡¯t you being too unreasonable?¡± Ninal chimed in. The others who had remained silent wore simr indignant expressions. ¡°A show¨Coff, huh?¡± The chubby man sneered, ¡°She should follow the rules since she walked onto the stage. I¡¯ve already paid, so she has to sing!¡± ¡°So what if you paid? That measly sum is barely enough to buy coffee!¡± Mike scoffed disdainfully. ¡°You want to talk about rules? Let me humor you. Hey, I¡¯ll give you 100 roses. Sing whatever you like for the first song!¡± he said and paid ten thousand dors on the spot. ¡°Damn! He sure is easygoing with his money. He spent ten thousand without hesitation.¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably some rich kid. Let¡¯s see what happens.¡± The ama, which was far more interesting than someone¡¯s singing, attracted many onlookers, reaching the desired effect. ¡°I expected more than just ten thousand dors,¡± the chubby man Jeered before pulling out a card and swiping it through the card terminal. He yelled. ¡°Bring this girl ten bottles of red wine!¡± Each bottle cost ten thousand dors, so ten bottles added up to 100 thousand dors. It took guts to spend that much money without even hesitating. ¡°Holy shit! Spending 100 thousand dors for one song? That guy must be loaded!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand the life of the rich. 100 thousand is my total sry for an entire year.¡± ¡°That girl¡¯s getting so much money for no reason, Is this one of the perks of being pretty?¡± The crowd began whispering among themselves for different reasons, namely surprise, envy, and even jealousy, while the owner of the music bar beamed from ear to ear. Usually, they only get a few thousand bucks in tips at most; today, however, they were getting over 100 thousand dors, which meant that the owner would be raking in arge profit even if he split the amount evenly with the singer. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, punk? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even pay 100 thousand bucks?¡± Chubster taunted, causing Mike¡¯s expression to darken. ¡°It¡¯s on! Let¡¯s see how much you¡¯re willing to spend!¡± Mike immediately swiped his card again and shouted. ¡°I want 20 bottles!¡± 20 bottles cost 200 thousand dors, double what Chubster had paid earlier. There was no way Mike was willing to give up now. ¡°Hey, chubster. Do you know how powerful Mike is? You should give up before you embarrass yoursell!¡± Nina boasted loudly. ¡°Hmph! Mike¡¯s family has hundreds of millions in assets. What makes you think you can win against him?¡± ¡°Precisely! 200 thousand is nothing to him. I dare you to top that. Let¡¯s see who the final winner is.¡± A chorus of taunts and jeers rose from the crowd of youngsters, who were at the age where they cared about nothing else besides their ego. Naturally, it meant returning insults after being on the receiving end. ¡°Foolish brats!¡± The chubby man sniggered and swiped his card again. ¡°I want another hundred bottles!¡± ¡°100 bottles of red wine?¡± The man¡¯s order caused an uproar among the crowd, who couldn¡¯t believe someone had not hesitated to spend a million dors on 100 bottles of red wine. ¡°He¡¯s a real tycoon!¡± ¡°That much money could get him a house, but he gave it away so casually. Just how rich is he?¡± Everyone was shocked. No one expected to encounter such a scene when they merely came to enjoy some drinks and music. ¡°I dare you to top that, brat.¡± Chubster sniggered. Mike gritted his teeth, his expression darkening. A million dors was far from a small amount of money. His monthly allowance was only 100 thousand dors at most, and his yearly allowance amounted to only around a million dors. The thought of spending a year¡¯s worth of allowance just for a singer troubled Mike. Worse still, he didn¡¯t have that much money on his card. ¡°Get him, Mike!¡° ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s too arrogant! You should teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be a big deal since the money is going to Ruby anyway.¡± Mike¡¯s friends were ticked off by the chubby man¡¯s attitude and chose to fuel the fire. Mike¡¯s hands clenched into fists, his face bing stormy with anger. ¡°Goddamn it! I just wanted to show off and impress Ruby. How was I supposed to know that the average- looking chubster was rich?¡± he thought. ¡°Pfft! Don¡¯t tell me you ran out of money,¡± the chubby man jeered as realization dawned on him. ¡°You¡¯re trying to show off your wealth when you don¡¯t even have a million dors? How embarrassing!¡± ¡°You-¡± Mike¡¯s jaw clenched, but he couldn¡¯t refute what the other man was saying. His friends quickly noticed something was wrong after seeing him remain silent, and they soon realized they might lose. ¡°What made you think an immature brat like you could win against me? How foolish!¡± The chubby man scoffed. ¡°Go home and y with your toys instead of making a fool of yourself here. Do you fancy yourself a knight in shining armor? Ha, what a joke!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too far!¡± Mike yelled. ¡°So what? You could always prove me wrong by paying up.¡± Chubster taunted, rendering Mike speechless. Shut the hell up if you don¡¯t have that money.¡± The chubby man glowered at Mike before turning his attention to Ruby. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a million dors on you, sweetie, so you better start singing. You¡¯re going to have a few drinks with me after that too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sing for you, but I¡¯m going to have to turn down the drinks.¡± Ruby shook her head. While she was shocked by the chubby man¡¯s considerable wealth, she also knew what he had in mind, so there was no way she¡¯d share some drinks with him. ¡°I spent over a million dors on you, so how hard can it be to share a few drinks with me?¡± Chubster huffed. displeased. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not good with drinks.¡± Ruby seemed troubled. ¡°Shut up! You aren¡¯t leaving here if you don¡¯t drink with me!¡± the chubby man shouted. ¡°Is a million a lot?¡± Dustin suddenly questioned icily. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you ten million dors to leave this instant instead of disgusting everyone. Chapter 440 ¡°Ten million?¡± The crowd exchanged astonished nces when they heard him. Ordinary citizens couldn¡¯t even dream of earning that much money in their lifetime. How could Dustin make such a bold statement? ¡°Do you even have that kind of money?¡± Abigail asked, shocked and anxious. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t show off when you don¡¯t even have that much money. You¡¯ll only end up embarrassing yourself.¡± Mike said scornfully, giving Dustin a disdainful look. Although he dared not challenge the chubby man again, he still had the audacity to look down on Dustin. There was no way he believed a shabby¨Clooking country bumpkin could win against someone as wealthy as Chubster. ¡°You¡¯re just spouting nonsense to show off, right? Well, let¡¯s see how this ends!¡± Nina snorted, not believing that someone like Dustin would have ten million dors. ¡°Who the fuck said that?¡± Surprised, Chubster nced around the room frostily. ¡°It was me.¡± Dustin stood up slowly, his stare icy. ¡°Are you challenging me?¡± Chubster sneered. ¡°Are you sure a beggar like you has ten million dors?¡± ¡°And what if I do?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°Then you can have the girl. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll have to get on your knees in front of everyone and bark like a dog!¡± Chubster taunted. Upon hearing that, the crowd roared enthusiastically. After all, the show had gone from justpeting with money to verbal insults. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just let this go? Fighting against someone like him is pointless.¡± Abigail advised Dustin. Truth be told, she doubted Dustin as well. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be staying in her home if he had ten million dors. ¡°Of course not. He challenged me, so how can I back down now?¡± Dustin replied nonchntly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But this is ten million dors we¡¯re talking about, not one million!¡± Abigail cried, feeling desperate. She dreaded the thought of seeing Dustin bark like a dog for the chubby man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just ten million dors. No biggie,¡± Dustin answered with a smile. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a billionaire? Just ten million dors? Yeah, right.¡± Nina snorted. How could a country bumpkin like him have ten million dors when even someone as rich as Mike was struggling? ¡°Let him be. We should just let him keep acting.¡± Mike smiled cooly. ¡°Hey! What are you guys mumbling about over there?¡± Chubster shouted. ¡°Are you going to do it or not? Get lost if you¡¯re not. You¡¯re ruining my mood!¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m not going to?¡± Dustin smirked. ¡°But we should make it fair. The person who loses has to kneel and bark like a dog. How about that?¡± ¡°Are you trying to scare me? Ha, you¡¯re on!¡± Chubster retorted boldly. ¡°I¡¯ll get down on my knees and start barking if you can produce ten million dors.¡± ¡°We have a deal.¡± Dustin smiled and pulled out his card, tossing it to the owner. ¡°I¡¯d like to treat that lady to ten million dors.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± The owner gripped the card, bewildered. His entire establishment wasn¡¯t even worth that much money. ¡°Why would I lie? Swipe it. The PIN is 666666,¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°Alright, then.¡± The owner gulped and ran to the counter to process the request. Chubster started feeling nervous when he saw how confident Dustin was. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that shabby kid actually has that much money,¡± he thought. The rest of the crowd also began exchanging uncertain nces. Chapter 441 Chapter441 Despite how inly dressed Dustin was, his confident and collected demeanor made people think twice about their opinions of him. They began to believe that he was either a regr braggart or someone who actually had ten million dors. As everyone waited silently for the results, the restaurant owner walked over and said, ¡°My apologies, sir, but the PIN was wrong, and the transaction failed.¡± ¡°Wrong?¡± Dustin was surprised. Wasn¡¯t his PIN 666666? Did he remember wrongly? ¡°What about the ten million you were talking about?¡± Chubster burst outughing. ¡°Why bother pretending if you¡¯re poor? Did you think you could get away with it by acting? What a joke!¡± ¡°Tsk. Turns out he¡¯s just a braggart. I nearly believed him.¡± ¡°I know, right? And it must be embarrassing to get your lie exposed like that.¡± Everyone cast their mocking and disdainful gazes at him, believing that the wrong PIN was his excuse to escape from paying. There was no way they¡¯d allow him to get the attention without paying the money. ¡°That¡¯s such a stupid trick. Only you would use that kind of excuse!¡± Mike scoffed loudly. ¡°What kind of friend do you have, Abigail? He¡¯s so shameless! Isn¡¯t it bad enough that he¡¯s poor? How could he pretend to be wealthy?¡± Nina sneered. *Exactly. Who knew someone who looks as good as him would do something like that?¡± The group Dustin was sitting with began chipping in with scornfulments, feeling ashamed. ¡°I told you not to act like a hero.¡± Abigail frowned, her face burning slightly. Instead of responding to the mockery. Dustin turned to the owner and said, ¡°If the PIN isn¡¯t 666666, then it¡¯s 888888. Try again.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± The owner raised an eyebrow, displeased. He was sure he was being toyed with. ¡°Yes.¡± Dustin nodded. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine. I hope it¡¯s correct this time.¡± The owner smirked before heading back to the counter. ¡°Pilt! Keep acting, then!¡± Chubster sneered. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep this up.¡± ¡°I guess someone people just don¡¯t know when to give up,¡± Mike quipped. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he find it embarrassing to keep up with the act when he¡¯s already been exposed?¡± Nina humphed in disgust. Dustin had clearly turned into a clown, and the onught of insults and jeers never stopped. Just then, the owner rushed over anxiously and stammered. ¡°I¨Cit¡¯s wrong, sir!¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s still wrong?¡± Dustin frowned. Those surrounding him burst outughing this time. ¡°This trick again? Can¡¯t you think of something new?¡± ¡®I¡¯ve met people who are shameless, but none who are as shameless as you!¡± *Stop joking around. Get to your knees and start barking.¡± ¡°How shameful! Well, you had iting.¡± By then, Chubster, Mike, and everyone else was tantlyughing at him. ¡°You¡¯re all mistaken! It¡¯s not the PIN that¡¯s wrong; it¡¯s the amount I keyed in!¡± The owner cried out, panicked. ¡°I was supposed to key in ten million dors, but I identally added another zero, and the amount became 100 million dors! Worse, the transaction has already gone through, so I can¡¯t fix it! I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Instantly, the room went pin¨Cdrop silent. Chapter 442 ¡®he crowd was stunned to see the owner frantically apologizing to Dustin. They all gaped at Dustin, jaws Iropped in disbelief. ¡®en million dors had identally turned into 100 million dors, and the transaction was sessful? Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. How much money was on that card? lo one couldugh anymore. Instead, their eyes were full of shock and envy as they stared at Dustin, who had asily paid what ordinary families couldn¡¯t even earn after generations. He was the true tycoon! T¨Cthat¡¯s impossible!¡± After getting over his shock, Mike¡¯s reaction turned into disbelief. ¡°Did you make a nistake, sir? There¡¯s no way this guy could have so much money!¡± How could such a shabbily dressed man have 100 million dors? ¡®He¡¯s right. It has to be fake. There¡¯s no way anyone would carry 100 million dors around!¡± Nina voiced her suspicions as well, Although none of the others spoke, they obviously doubted it as well. ¡®Look closely, you ignorant fools!¡± The owner humphed and pped the bill onto the table. Several people who read the slip of paper were shocked. ¡°l¨Cit¡¯s real?¡± Both Mike and Nina were stunned, and even those who had their doubts were astonished. With the proof right before their eyes, they had no choice but to recognize Dustin¡¯s wealth, ¡°Where did you get so much money?¡± Abigail asked in awe. Ten million dors was shocking enough, much less 100 million. ¡°I earned it, of course. How else?¡± Dustin responded indifferently. ¡°What do you do to earn that much?¡± Abigail became even more curious. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. I treat wealthy people, so it shouldn¡¯t be surprising. Dustin answered truthfully. ¡°I see For a moment. Abigail pondered if she should start learning medicine instead. ¡°My apologies, sir. I¡¯ll contact someone to refund you immediately,¡± the owner kept apologizing. There was no way he could afford to offend someone who had over 100 million dors. Anyone in their industry knows that if someone has 100 million in their deposits, their total assets could be worth ten times more! *Just get it done,¡± Dustin responded with a nod before turning his attention to Chubster. ¡°Hey, Chubster! I don¡¯t have ten million dors. Will 100 million do?¡± The corner of Fatty¡¯s eye twitched, his face darkening rapidly. Just like how arrogant his attitude had been earlier, he felt equally humiliated right now. Who could have thought that a country bumpkin could be this rich? ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a ¡®yes, Dustin smirked. ¡°As per our earlier agreement, you should get to your knees and start barking now.¡± ¡°You should go easy on others. You never know what might happen in the future, so don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Chubster growled. ¡°I doubt you were going to let me go easily either, so why should I go easy on you?¡± Dustin wore a fake smile. ¡°Because I¡¯m from the Doyle family!¡± Chubster answered coldly. ¡°My name is Duncan Doyle, and my eldest brother is Terry Doyle, someone who is well¨Cknown in Millsburg!¡± ¡°What? Terry Doyle?¡± Everyone paled after hearing his name. Most people have heard of that name before. The Doyle family is a martial arts family that runs a security firm. They were known for providing excellent security for wealthy and powerful families. Terry Doyle was the future head of the family. At a young age, he had already made a name for himself for being a capable but ruthless man who disregarded thew. Chapter 443 In terms of power, Terry was potentially Tyler Grant¡¯s rival since they both liked doing things however they wanted. ¡°So what if you¡¯re rich? You still have to submit to the Doyle family.¡± Mike goaded secretly. As a martial arts family, the Doyle family has always acted however they liked, so they would never take this matter lightly. ¡°The Doyle family is incredibly powerful. I guess it¡¯s over for this guy.¡± Nina shook her head, pleased with the show. Being rich was different from being powerful. Some rich families were nothing but ants to powerful families. ¡°You scared now?¡± Duncan smirked. ¡°Since you know who I am now, you should know what to do next, right?¡± He may not be able to withdraw 100 million dors, but he had a powerful brother. As long as he used his brother¡¯s name, most people would let him have his way. ¡°So what? Don¡¯t be a sore loser. You¡¯ve lost the bet, so you should keep your side of the bargain,¡± Dustin responded bluntly. ¡°Huh?¡± Duncan frowned. ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying? Are you challenging the Doyle family right now?¡± ¡°My answer remains the same. Since you lost, you¡¯ll have to kneel! Custin answered. ¡°You have no shame!¡± Duncan mmed his palm onto the table and yelled. ¡°Men, teach him a lesson!¡± Immediately, two burly bodyguards popped out of the corner of the room. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Those who disrespect the Doyle family will have to pay the price. Therefore, we will break one of your arms today!¡± The two guards glowered at Dustin as they advanced furiously, making people dodge aside out of fear, ¡°Go away!¡± As soon as the two men came near him, Dustin smacked them across the face forcefully, sending them flying. Furniture broke, and wine sttered in all directions. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Duncan was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect Dustin to be so powerful, defeating his two elite bodyguards effortlessly. ¡°Kneel!¡± Dustin walked toward the other man slowly, his eyes turning menacing. ¡°Y¨Cyou better not mess around! My brother won¡¯t let you go if you harm me!¡± Duncan shrieked. ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s see if your brother is capable enough.¡± Dustin sneered before jamming his foot into Duncan¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Ouch!¡± Duncan wailed. He soared through the air before his knees smashed into the ground, turning into a bloody mess. ¡°H¨Ch¨Chow dare you hit me!¡± Duncan stammered, outraged, ¡°So what?¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t me me for teaching you a lesson when you broke your promise first. It should be fair to trade the three barks with three ps.¡± With that, he delivered two ps across Duncan¡¯s face. It caused the man to feel lightheaded, his teeth popping out and his nose bleeding. Duncan¡¯s already plump face swelled up even further. ¡°Remember to keep a low profile the next time you try to have some fun.¡± Dustin raised his hand slowly and delivered thest blow. With a loud smack, Duncan¡¯s body, which weighed over 200 pounds, flew into the air beforending on one of the tables heavily, and the man passed out on the spot. The sight had rendered everyone speechless as they gaped at Dustin, How could he hit someone from the Doyle family? Did he have a death wish? Chapter 444 ¡°Are you out of your mind? How could you attack someone from the Doyle family?¡± Nina and the others went pale as a sheet when they saw Duncan lying on the floor, unconscious. They never expected Dustin to be so bold. ¡°So what?¡± Dustin replied, unconcerned. ¡°Hmmph! What an ignorant fool!¡± Nina nced at him disdainfully. ¡°The Doyle family is one of the Fabulous Five. You might end up as a corpse floating in the Ziby River by tomorrow!¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can do whatever you want just because you¡¯re rich. The Doyle family is far stronger than you can imagine.¡± Mike informed scornfully. Terry Doyle is also a protective man. If he hears that his family was attacked, he¡¯ll take this seriously! If I were you, I¡¯d start apologizing to them and atoning for my sins. That way. you might still have a chance of survival.¡± Dustin gave the other man a small smile in response. ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. Since you¡¯re being so foolish, good luck. Let¡¯s go!¡± Mike sneered and got up to leave. He didn¡¯t want to get caught up in this mess with the Doyle family. ¡°Hmmph! It¡¯s no use talking to people like you. When the timees, you¡¯ll learn just how powerful they are.¡± Nina shot Dustin a re before following Mike. ¡°Dude, word of advice? Leave Millsburg right now. Run as far as you can before it¡¯s toote,¡± the group cautioned before leaving hurriedly, worried they might get roped in as well. ¡°What should we do now? You seem to have gotten yourself in trouble now. I shouldn¡¯t have encouraged you earlier.¡± Abigail muttered worriedly. She has heard of the Doyle family before as well. They were people whom ordinary citizens like her could never cross. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°Yeah, right. Quit bragging.¡± Abigail huffed. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Dustin chuckled but didn¡¯t exin further. ¡°Thanks for that just now.¡± Just then, Ruby walked over and nodded her head at Dustin. ¡°You¡¯re wee. That chubster just happened to annoy me.¡± Dustin waved her off before suddenly thinking of something. ¡®Oh, right. Remember to return my ten million dors.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ruby was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect him to bring up money at that moment. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, how can you ask someone to pay back the money you¡¯ve already gifted out? That¡¯s such a spineless move.¡± Abigail gave him an odd look. ¡°I was only doing that to defend you guys. You don¡¯t expect me to still give my money away, do you?¡± Dustin syed out his hands. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting guy. Sure. I¡¯ll return your money to you. Let me get your contact first.¡± Ruby smiled and exchanged numbers with Dustin before continuing. ¡°You can call me if the Doyle family tries anything funny.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin was surprised. From the way Ruby spoke, he could tell that there was more than what met the eye. ¡°It¡¯ste, Abigail. I¡¯ll be going home now. Talk to you soon,¡± Ruby waved her hand and turned to leave.. ¡°Hey, kid. Who¡¯s that friend of yours? She doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person.¡± Dustin casually asked. ¡°I heard that shees from a rich family, but I don¡¯t know what business they¡¯re in.¡± Abigail shook her head. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go. Your dad¡¯s going to get worried.¡± Pushing the matter aside. Dustin and Abigail quickly left. Chapter 445 The next morning. Dustin was reading medical literature when a silver Bentley pulled up at the entrance of the courtyard. ¡°Bad news, Dustin! Something happened to my dad!¡± Ruth rushed into the building and yelled anxiously. ¡°Calm down. Your dad won¡¯t die yet.¡± Dustin slowly lowered his book, looking unbothered. ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± Ruth was surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday? Your father was poisoned, and he won¡¯t live past three days. This is only the second day, so he still has one day left.¡± Dustin answered. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Then, what should we do? Can you treat him?¡± Ruth pressed. ¡°I can, but on one condition.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I hope your family can agree to your sister¡¯s request and break off the engagement with the Grant family. ¡°Break off the engagement?¡± Ruth frowned. ¡°Dustin, this isn¡¯t a matter to be taken lightly. My father won¡¯t agree to it.¡± The marriage was one that both families were expecting. Should the engagement be broken off, the rtionship between the two families would worsen, which could negatively impact the Harmon family. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s more important than your father¡¯s life?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°You don¡¯t know my dad. He¡¯s always prioritized the bigger picture. For the greater good of the family, he¡¯d rather sacrifice himself!¡± Ruth told him gravely. ¡°He¡¯s that stubborn?¡± Dustin was surprised. ¡°Why else would my sister be forced to do something against her will? I would love for you to be my brother¨Cin-w, but my dad will never allow her to break off the engagement.¡± Ruth sighed. ¡°What a stubborn old man!¡± Dustin frowned. At first, he thought he¡¯d be able to use this incident to change the other man¡¯s mind, but it seemed like that n was bound to fail. Suddenly, Ruth said, ¡°If you want to stop them from getting married, I have an idea.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to get through my dad, but you can always try someone else. For example, the Grant family.¡± Ruth lowered her voice. ¡°The Harmons¡® annual family gathering is happening tomorrow. I¡¯m sure Tyler will send some gifts tomorrow. You should use that opportunity to kick up a fuss. You might be able to mess the engagement up that way.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯ll work?¡± Dustin thought about it. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You still have to try. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ruth puffed out her chest. Dustin stared at her tiredly without replying. She must spend too much time watching soap operas. ¡°I don¡¯t mind saving your father, Roth, but I need to meet your sister first.¡± Dustin decided to compromise. He was more worried that he might take things too far, so he wanted to ask for Natasha¡¯s opinion beforehand. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll get it down right now!¡± Ruth took out her phone and made a call. After a moment, she answered. ¡°My mom agreed. As long as you can treat my father, she¡¯ll let you meet my sister.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Dustin sprung up and got into the Bentley to apany Ruth back to the Harmon estate. He has been feeling anxious for the past few days. Now, they could finally meet again. Chapter 446 At noon, Dustin sat in Ruth¡¯s car, and the two of them arrived at the Harmon estate with ease. As one of the Fabulous Five, the Harmon family¡¯s headquarters were luxurious. It had a man¨Cmade lake, a garden with artificial hills, farms, wineries, and numerous magnificent vis. Hundreds of guards patrolled the perimeters, and dozens of staff worked there, fully demonstrating the power of an aristocratic family. Staring at the garden, Dustin pondered about the annual family gathering happening tomorrow. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The silver Bentley slowly pulled into the entrance of the main vi. As soon as they got out of the car, they spotted Jessica and two servants waiting for them at the entrance. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Jessica gave Dustin a lock over and asked cooly, ¡°Yesterday, you said that my husband was poisoned by mystic poison. Is that true?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have looked for me if it weren¡¯t,¡± Dustin answered, making Jessica narrow her eyes. She would never have sought him out if her husband, Hector, hadn¡¯t sumbed to the odd illness. Even the doctors in their family couldn¡¯t find the cause of the problem. ¡°Let me ask you again. Are you sure you can cure him?¡± Jessica asked again. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That depends on the severity of his sickness. If it hasn¡¯t progressed too far, it¡¯ll be easy to treat but it¡¯ll be hard if it has.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t promise her anything. ¡°Follow me.¡± Jessica frowned and spun around to lead the way. Dustin and Ruth quickly followed her, and they soon arrived at a ward full of medical equipment. Many specialists were gathered there as they tried toe up with a treatment n while Hectory unconscious on the bed. His once charming face had turned blue, and his lips had turned a shade of purple from the powerful poison. Dustin approached the bed and took Hector¡¯s pulse before checking his eyes and mouth. He was now sure that Hector had been poisoned by incredibly potent poison. ¡°Dustin, how¡¯s my dad? Can you treat him?¡± Ruth asked tentatively. ¡°It¡¯s a little tricky, but I can try.¡± Dustin answered after thinking about it. ¡°Try?¡± Jessica frowned. ¡°This is his life we¡¯re talking about, and you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ll try? Are you joking?¡± ¡°Mrs. Harmon, this isn¡¯t any regr poison. We¡¯ll have to take a risk if we want to save him.¡± Dustin exined. With how serious Hector¡¯s condition was, it¡¯d be a miracle if they could even save his life. ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear! I want my husband to recoverpletely!¡± Jessica hissed. ¡°She¡¯s right. If you can¡¯t do it, let us treat him.¡± Suddenly, a group of people entered the room. They were led by a chubby, middle¨Caged man, followed by Quentin and a voluptuous woman wearing a dress. ¡°What are you guys doing here. Trent?¡± Jessica was surprised. The Harmon family had three brothers. The eldest was Trent Harmon, the middle was Jacob Harmon, and the youngest was Hector Harmon. As the most capable brother, Hector ended up being the head of the family. ¡°I heard Hector had fallen ill, so I sought out a famous international doctor. Trent gestured to someone behind him, and a blond man in a coat walked forward, proudly carrying a case. ¡°This is Dr. Peter Shillingford.¡± Trent introduced with a smile. ¡°Dr. Peter is one of the best doctors in the world, and he¡¯s currently a professor at Harvard Medical School. He¡¯s known for treating all sorts of illnesses. I¡¯m sure Hector will be safe now that he¡¯s here.¡± ¡°A professor at Harvard?¡± Jessica¡¯s face lit up when she heard that. It was easy to imagine how excellent Peter¡¯s skills must be to be a professor at the world¡¯s best medical school. There was no way the doctors in their country could be better than him. ¡°What are you waiting for, Rhys? Step aside! There¡¯s no way your measly skills canpete with Dr. Peter.¡± Trent sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not underestimating him, but he won¡¯t be able to treat this,¡± Dustin replied calmly. The poison inside Hector was made up of abination of witchcraft and parasitic poison. No matter how advanced Western. medicine might be, there was no way the doctor would be able to treat this. ¡°Humph! What a fool!¡± Quentin snapped. Just because you¡¯re a loser doesn¡¯t mean Dr. Peter is. Go away. Don¡¯t dy Hector¡¯s treatment!¡± ¡°Jessica, what on earth were you thinking? How could you trust a quack doctor? What would you do if Hector ended up suffering side effects? Who would take the responsibility for that? Trent demanded, displeased. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Jessica smiled sheepishly. She turned around and told Dustin, ¡°Dustin, get out of Dr. Peter¡¯s Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. way.¡± ¡°Mrs. Harmon, I promise I can save Mr. Harmon¡¯s life, but I can¡¯t say the same for someone else.¡± Dustin warned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think you¡¯re better than Dr. Peter. What a joke!¡± Quentin sniggered. ¡°Dr. Peter is one of the best international professors of medicine. How about you? You don¡¯t even have a medical license. What gives you the courage to challenge Dr. Peter?¡± ¡°Things from overseas aren¡¯t necessarily better. Besides, traditional medicine isn¡¯t inferior to modern medicine. * Dustin retorted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of traditional medicine before. It¡¯s the thing people use to trick patients, isn¡¯t it?¡± Peter¡¯s smug voice rang cut. His intonation wasn¡¯t the best, but his words could still be heard clearly. ¡°You¡¯re right! I knew you¡¯d be able to tell!¡± Quentin gave Peter a thumbs¨Cup and smiled. ¡°Modern medicine is the best. Traditional medicine is old news by now. People only use it to trick others nowadays.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind you looking down at me, but you shouldn¡¯t look down on traditional medicine. Ignorant people like you don¡¯t even know how powerful traditional medicine can be.¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a smallpetition since you seem unconvinced?* Peter smirked. ¡°How?¡± Dustin. ¡®See this patient right here? We¡¯lle up with our own treatment ns. Whoever treats him the quickest wins. The person who loses has to admit that their nothing but a fraud and quit practicing medicine.¡± Peter taunted. ¡°Are you sure you want to put the stakes so high?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why? Are you afraid?¡± Peter leered. ¡°I¡¯ll let this matter go if you admit that traditional medicine is merely a fraud.¡± ¡°Afraid?¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°Well, I am slightly afraid that you might burst out crying.¡± Chapter 447 ¡°You agree, then?¡± Peter regarded Dustin disdainfully with his arms folded. ¡°Of course.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Since you look so confident. I¡¯m curious to see how good you are. However, I hope you don¡¯t regret your promiseter.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll show you howcking your traditional medicine ispared to modern medicine!¡± Peter smirked smugly. He pulled a vial of green liquid from his case and exined. ¡°See this? This is the newest antidote my team developed. Within thirty minutes, the patient will wake up again.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Dustin¡¯s response was simple. ¡°Look closely. This is the power of science!¡± Peter eximed before slowly injecting the green drug into Hector¡¯s body. After ten minutes, the unconscious man began to react. Sweat beaded Hector¡¯s forehead, his limbs began warming up, and the blue discoloration in his skin began to recede as his condition began to improve. ¡°It¡¯s working! It¡¯s working!¡± Jessica and Ruth were over the moon to see the changes. As expected of a leading medical professor from abroad, the effects of such a small action were amazing. ¡°Do you see this, Rhys? This is Dr. Peter¡¯s skills. One vial was enough to deal with aplicated issue your couldn¡¯t deal with!¡± Quentin grinned. ¡°That¡¯s just a temporary fix. It won¡¯t fix the root cause.¡± Dustin replied indifferently. ¡°You sure are as stubborn as a mule!¡± Quentin humphed. ¡°Western medicine is all about science while traditional medicine is nothing but tricks. How could you ever win?¡± Peter grinned smugly. ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Dr. Peter!¡± Jessica praised. ¡°What do you think, Jessica? The person I asked for help is good, isn¡¯t he?¡± Trent smiled softly. ¡°Thank you so much, Trent. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡± Jessica lowered her head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re a family, after all.¡± Trent waved her off. ¡°The annual family gathering is tomorrow. As the head of the family, Hector will have to host the event, so make sure he takes care of himself.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I will.¡± Jessica nodded her head. ¡°Hey, Rhys! It¡¯s time to keep up your end of the bargain!¡± Quentin yelled. ¡°From today onwards, you¡¯re a liar who can¡¯t ever practice medicine again. Got it?¡± Wed don¡¯t know who the winner is yet. Aren¡¯t you speaking too soon?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°Just look at the evidence. Are you trying to go back on your word?¡± Quentin sniggered. ¡°Open your goddamn eyes and see how your uncle is doing.¡± Dustin gestured with his chin. ¡°Huh?¡± Quentin turned around to see that Hector¡¯s condition had worsened. His skin, which had seen some improvement earlier, had turned blue once more. ¡°Why is this happening? Hasn¡¯t he been cured?¡± Quentin paled. ¡°Dr. Peter, what¡¯s happening?¡± Jessica frowned, her earlier happiness quickly turning back to worry. ¡°That¡¯s odd. He was fine just now.¡± Peter noted, puzzled. ¡°Maybe the dosage was too low. Let me inject another vial.¡± He pulled out another vial from his case and administered the drug once more. The results were the same. After a temporary improvement, Hector¡¯s skin and lips would turn blue and purple. and his limbs would turn stiff again. Instead of improving, his condition seemed to worsen further. ¡°Dr. Peter, didn¡¯t you say that everything was fine? Why is this happening?¡± Chapter 448 Jessica¡¯s eyes had turned hostile. ¡°That¡¯s odd. We¡¯ve tested our antidote multiple times. There¡¯s no way it would fail.¡± Peter began feeling slightly nervous as well. ¡°What now?¡± Jessica demanded with a frown. ¡°This ce is too poorly equipped. There¡¯s nothing better I can do. Peter answered seriously. ¡°So you turned out to be useless after all?¡± Jessica¡¯s face darkened further. The person she thought was her husband¡¯s savior turned out to be a quack doctor! ¡°Why don¡¯t you think of another solution, Dr. Peter?¡± Quentin insisted. ¡°It¡¯s futile. The technology your country uses is too dated. I can only cure him back in my country.¡± Peter shook his head, feeling proud of his country. ¡°Just admit that you can¡¯t do it and stop ming our facilities or technology.¡± Dustin retorted cooly. ¡°As if you¡¯d be able to treat something I can¡¯t!¡± Peter humphed haughtily. ¡°This is the difference between traditional medicine and modern medicine. You need all sorts of equipment, but we only need our hands and some silver needles,¡± Dustin replied calmly. ¡°Nonsense! Do you think you¡¯re God or something?¡± Peter looked at him dubiously. As one of the best doctors in the world, he despised frauds like Dustin. ¡°I have no idea if God can do it, but I¡¯m sure I can.¡± Dustin answered. ¡°Fine! Go ahead! Let¡¯s see how quack doctors like you treat patients. Peter flushed with anger. ¡°Exactly! What¡¯s the point of saying all that? You need to treat Uncle Hector first!¡± Quentin echoed along. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll show you!¡± Dustin unbuttoned Hector¡¯s shirt and drew out his silver needles. After studying Hector¡¯s body carefully, he pricked several of the man¡¯s vital pressure points, most of which were gathered around his midsection. When all the needles were in ce, he flicked one finger, and the dozens of needles began vibrating at a high frequency. Soon, dark blood tricked out of where the needles were ced and slowly gave way to a steady stream of vibrant red. Then, Dustin took out a pill and stuck it into Hector¡¯s mouth. When the man¡¯s stomach began grumbling, Dustin pped his palm on his midsection. Instantly, Hector sprung up and spat out a mouthful of darkened blood, which fell to the floor with a sizzle. Everyone in the room was shocked when they saw a cluster of wiggling, red maggots swimming in the pool of blood. It was a frightening sight. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The crowd exchanged puzzled nces. No one could have expected Hector to have so many maggots in his stomach. ¡°This is the mystic poison I was talking about. Do you believe me now?¡± Dustin slowly let out his breath and turned to Jessica. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Jessica frowned but said nothing. ¡°H¨Chow did you do that?¡± Peter gaped at Dustin in awe. After throwing up the mouthful of dark blood, Hector¡¯splexion had returned to normal, and his breathing finally evened out, seeming to be fine now. ¡°This is traditional medicine. You¡¯ll never understand it.¡± Dustin stated indifferently. Peter blushed in embarrassment, not expecting the ordinary doctor he mocked to be so skilled. Was this the power of traditional medicine? Chapter 449 Not long after he spat out the dark blood, Hector came around. Although his body was weak, it was a miracle that he¡¯d made it. As for Peter, when he saw Hector regain consciousness, he admitted defeat and apologized to Dustin sincerely. He said that he¡¯d been foolish to underestimate the power of traditional medicine and that he¡¯d resign from his position after returning to his country to start learning traditional medicine instead. Dustin decided to let the man be. After all, Peter may be a proud man, but he sincerely respected those who were stronger than him. The rest of the Harmon family also resumed their activities after making sure that Hector was fine. Quentin, however, made sure to re at Dustin on his way out. ¡°How are you feeling. Dad? Are you in pain anywhere?¡± Ruth walked over to the bed, holding a ss of warm water. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel slightly bloated.¡± Hector took two sips. ¡°Duh. Look at the blood you threw up. It¡¯s full of maggots!¡± Ruth told him, shaken. ¡°Huh?¡± Hector looked down and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Dustin said you were poisoned by mystic poison. If it weren¡¯t for him, you¡¯d still be unconscious right now.¡± Ruth exined. ¡°Dustin?¡± Hector nced around before noticing Dustin standing beside him, his expression turning troubled.¡± I didn¡¯t expect you to save me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to celebrate. Although I¡¯ve gotten rid of the venomous curse, you aren¡¯t in the clear yet.¡± Dustin told them bluntly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°Mystic poison is abination of witchcraft and parasitic poison. The parasitic poison has been cleared, but the witchcraft issue remains.¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Hector asked. ¡°Simple. I just need to treat you once per day for the next five days, and you¡¯ll recover,¡± Dustin said. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°I see.¡± Hector nodded and asked, ¡°How much will each treatment cost?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want money. I just need you to promise me something.¡± Dustin bargained. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I hope you can annul the engagement between the Harmon family and the Grant family.¡± Dustin¡¯s reply was astonishing. ¡°Annul the engagement?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°Never!¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, Mr. Harmon, I¡¯m the only one who can save your life. I think trading that marriage for your life is a good deal,¡± Dustin said with a small smile. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Hector narrowed his eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯m merely making a request.¡± ¡°My answer won¡¯t change. Never!¡± Hector¡¯s attitude was firm. ¡°I can tell you that it doesn¡¯t matter if you treat me. The marriage will stillmence.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of dying?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Everyone has to die eventually. The only thing different is the timing.¡± Hector answered calmly. ¡°I guess you are different. No one would think about death so calmly.¡± Dustin sighed. He had his doubts when he heard what Ruth said earlier, but after speaking with Hector, he was now sure that the older man was not afraid of death at all Stubborn men like Hector were always the hardest to deal with. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to butter up to me now. Tell me how much money you want for saving me today, and forget about everything else.¡± Hector stated icily. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me. I did what I needed to. I just want to see Natasha.¡± Dustin gave in. ¡°Why do you want to see her? You should know that there¡¯s no future for you two!¡± Hector warned. ¡°Even if there isn¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing wrong with meeting a friend, right? Besides, Mrs. Harmon already agreed to this earlier.¡± Dustin replied. Chapter 450 ¡°Huh?¡± Hector turned around and looked at Jessica, who reluctantly said, ¡°You were in critical condition, so I became desperate and told him that as long as he¡¯s able to treat you. I¡¯ll let the two of them meet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Your intentions were good.¡± Hector didn¡¯t get angry but responded calmly instead. ¡°I agree to let you two meet, but you¡¯d better not mess around. I¡¯ll have someone watching you. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dustin agreed immediately. ¡°Ruth, lead him to your sister,¡± Hector instructed. ¡°Okay!¡± Ruth chirped. Natasha has been waiting for this chance for ages, and today, the two would finally get to meet. ¨C ¡°Oh, that reminds me. Before leaving the room, Dustin halted and turned his head around. ¡°Mr. Harmon, mystic poison isn¡¯t a simple issue. The person who poisoned you probably has more in store. Be careful of those around you.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Hector nodded. He has always lived in seclusion, so it wasn¡¯t easy to poison him. It was also worth noting that tomorrow was the annual family gathering. As the head of the family, things would be thrown into chaos should others find out that he had fallen ill Therefore, it was hard not to have suspicions when the timing at which things were happening was so precarious. ¡°Jesa, who do you think poisoned me?¡± Hector asked all of a sudden. ¡°Besides the Dark Lord, I can¡¯t think of anyone else who is skilled at the mystic arts and holds a grudge against our family.¡± Jessica responded in a serious tone. The mysterious and powerful Dark Lord has always been a thorn in their side. The Harmon family has invested in countless men to get rid of him over the years, but their efforts proved to be futile. Every year, core members. of the Harmon family would mysteriously end up dead, and each time, clues would point to the Dark Lord as the culprit. It was safe to say that one man alone had made the entire Harmon family restless, y and mentally. ¡°Yes He¡¯s the only one.¡± Hector sighed tiredly. ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t do much since he continues to hide in the dark. That¡¯s why I have no choice but to force Natasha to marry into the Grant family.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Jessica sighed as well. ¡°We can only use the Grant family¡¯s power to deal with the Dark Lord if N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Natasha marries Tyler. Or else, our entire family will be doomed.¡± ¡°I feel so sorry for Natasha. She has to sacrifice herself for our family.¡± Hector looked remorseful. As a father. there was nothing he wished more than his children¡¯s happiness. s, some things were beyond his control. ¡°Natasha is a good girl. She¡¯ll understand why you¡¯re doing this,¡± Jessica consoled him. ¡°I hope so.¡± Hector sighed again. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, ¡°What do you think of Dustin?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a genius who¡¯s skilled in both medicine and martial arts. He might be the best among his peers in Millsburg. Unfortunately, he still has a long way to go beforepeting with Tyler Grant.¡± Jessica gave her honest opinion. After knowing Dustin longer, she finally changed her opinions about him. However, because of his family background, there was still a gap between them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind making him our son¨Cinw if Natasha wasn¡¯t promised to another. Unfortunately, they were just not meant to be,¡± Hector muttered, troubled. ¡°Try your best to help him from now on. We owe him that much.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jessica nodded. The marriage between the two families had been set in stone, so it was a pity that the fated pair could never get together. Chapter 451 Meanwhile, in the backyard, a gorgeous woman sat gracefully on the arched bridge over the pond, her gaze fixed on the fish swimming in the water. Her feet dangled in the air, and her toes would asionally break the water¡¯s surface. Bathed in warm sunlight, she resembled a fairy, taking one¡¯s breath away effortlessly. Even the colorful blossoms in the garden paled inparison to her. There was a ssh as the woman flung a handful of fish feed into the pond. Instantly, thousands of fish swarmed near her and thrashed around, sshing water everywhere. The colorful fish painted a gorgeous painting as they fought for good. ¡°I envy you fish. You can live without worrying about anything, unlike me, who can¡¯t even decide what I like.¡± The woman sighed, her expression turning sad. ¡°Who said you can¡¯t?¡± A familiar voice rang out behind her. The woman froze beforeughing at herself. ¡°I¡¯m even beginning to hallucinate in broad daylight now.¡± ¡°Hallucinate? It¡¯s not that serious, is it?¡± The voice rang out again. This time, the woman froze and slowly turned around to see a man step into the rays of sunlight and approach her. The person was none other than Dustin. ¡°W¨Cwhat are you doing here?¡± Natasha was so ted to see the person she had been missing dearly that she even doubted her eyes. She had been confined in her room for some time now, the istion nearly throwing her into depression. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯de to look for you in Millsburg if you don¡¯t return to Swinton? I¡¯m keeping my promise right now.¡± Dustin smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Dear!¡± Smiling sweetly, Natasha forgot about the fish feed and threw herself into his arms. looking as happy as the fish in the pond. Dustin finally felt his nervousness dissipate as he inhaled her familiar scent. He¡¯d been worried ever since Natasha left Swinton, his worry only growing when he learned that she was going to marry Tyler. Now that he finally got to see her, he felt much calmer. ¡°Ahem. Mind your manners,¡± an unhappy voice lectured from behind them. The two turned around to see a middle¨Caged woman standing behind Ruth. ¡°Mrs. Davys, I wish to talk to my friend. You may leave us.¡± Natasha waved her away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Natasha. Mr. Harmon told me to keep an eye on the two of you.¡± Mrs. Davys shook her head. ¡°Hmmph! Why is that stubborn old man being so cautious? Does he think we¡¯re going to elope?¡± Natasha huffed. Mrs. Davys lowered her head without replying. Chapter 452 Knowing Natasha¡¯s temper, eloping did sound like something she might do. With the family gathering right around the corner, Mrs. Davys couldn¡¯t let something like that happen. ¡°Fine. You can stay.¡± Natasha wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue, so she dragged Dustin over to the gazebo over the pond. Mrs. Davys was just about to follow them when Ruth stopped her. ¡°My dad only said to keep an eye on them. not stalk them! Why would you impede on a couple¡¯s private conversation?¡± Mrs. Davys thought about it for a moment and decided to wait where she was. After all, the two of them were still within her sights, and she could see every move they made. ¡°How did you get in here, Dear? My father isn¡¯t the type of person who would give in easily.¡± Natasha asked, pouring two cups of tea. ¡°I saved his life, so I asked to meet you in return.¡± Dustin gave her a run¨Cdown of everything that had happened. After hearing the story, Natasha grumbled. ¡°What a reckless old man!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I came to talk to you. What should we do?¡± Dustin asked helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this too. There are only two ways to stop this wedding. We either change my father¡¯s mind, or we force the Grant family to propose the annulment first.¡± Natasha pondered for a second before pointing out. ¡°My father¡¯s too stubborn. He¡¯s even willing to die for the family, so it¡¯ll be too difficult to persuade him unless we can get rid of his worries.¡± ¡°What worries?¡± Dustin asked, curious. Natasha sighed. ¡°Years ago, our family offended someone called the Dark Lord. He¡¯s a ruthless and evil person who uses despicably cruel methods. He¡¯s been tormenting our family for years, killing someone every now and then. In recent years, he has been acting more ferociously, going to more extreme lengths. Even Fletcher Lawson was one of his men. It¡¯s safe to say that the Dark Lord is not only a thorn in my father¡¯s side but also a constant pain in my family¡¯s ass. The reason my parents decided to marry me off to the Grant family was to ensure my safety, as well as borrow their power to deal with the Dark Lord.¡± Understanding immediately dawned on Dustin. ¡°So, as long as we get rid of the Dark Lord, your dad might give in?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Nasha nodded. ¡°Without the Dark Lord, our family has nothing to fear anymore.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the Dark Lord? I¡¯ll get rid of him.¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes turned murderous. ¡°Things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way if anyone knew where he is.¡± Natasha shook her head, smiling bitterly. ¡°He¡¯s so well hidden; I don¡¯t even know what he looks like.¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to be tricky.¡± Dustin frowned. It was going to take some time to find someone whose identity and looks were both a well¨Ckept secret. ¡°Since dealing with the Dark Lord Is Impossible, we can only think of a n to make the Grant family annul the agreement first.¡± Natasha¡¯s tone turned sharp. ¡°Knowing Tyler Grant, he can¡¯t bear it If anything is tainted. Tomorrow, when This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. they send the gifts over, I¡¯ll tell him that I¡¯m already yours. With his pride, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll ept that. He might even annul our engagement on the spot!¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯ll work?¡± Dustin asked, unsure. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. Natasha grinned mischievously. ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll be kicking up a fuss tomorrow. Worsee to worst, I¡¯ll just use my trump card. That way, the Grant family would never ept a daughter¨Cin- ¡°What trump card?¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°That¡¯s a secret for now. You¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± Natasha teased. After all, it¡¯s a trump card. She wouldn¡¯t reveal it so easily unless absolutely necessary. Chapter 453 Dustin did not leave right after meeting Natasha. Instead, he stayed in the Harmon estate under the pretense of treating Hector¡¯s illness. Naturally, to prevent the two of them from eloping, Mrs. Davys kept a close eye on them the entire time, separating them every time their actions became intimate. During the night, the two were forbidden from seeing each other, which Dustin obeyed begrudgingly. With that, the night passed uneventfully. The next morning, the Harmons¡® annual family gathering had officially begun. Countless people began pouring into the estate, luxury cars casually clustering the za. As one of the Fabulous Five, the Harmon family was incredibly prosperous, consisting of hundreds of family members. Besides those from the Harmon family, loyalpany staff and other important family guests had all been invited as well making the ce much livelier. Hector, the head of the family, looked much better after receiving another round of treatment from Dustin. Although the older man still looked weak, he was able to move around without much difficulty. ¡°Is the gathering this packed every year?¡± Dustin was shocked by the volume of guests heading to the banquet hall ¡°Of course!¡± Ruth lifted her head proudly. ¡°Our family isrge and well¨Cconnected, so a lot of people come for our annual gathering.¡± ¡°They¡¯re merely opportunists, trying to butter up to us after hearing of our union with the Grant family.¡± Natasha scoffed. None of the past gatherings had ever been this lively. Most of the people were obviously here because of the Grant family. ¡°What are you still doing here, Rhys?¡± An annoying voice asked from behind them. Dustin turned around to see Quentin and the woman from yesterday walking over. She wore a dress that showed off her voluptuous curves, and her enchanting looks only making her more bewitching. In comparison, Quentin looked much paler and weaker. ¡°Dustin is my dad¡¯s savior. Why can¡¯t he be here?¡± Ruth demanded. ¡°Hmph! It was just a coincidence. What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Quentin scoffed. ¡°Mind your manners, Quentin,¡± the woman admonished Quentin before shing Dustin a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling sicktely, Doctor. When can youe over to my room and help me take a look? You seem quite skilled.¡® ¡°Huh?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. What she said had sounded quite odd. ¡®Dustin has been quite busy recently, Aunt Celeste. I¡¯ll ask him to treat you when he has the time.¡± Natasha stered on a smile. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll be waiting, then.¡± The woman, Celeste Marrow, smiled teasingly, brushing against Dustin as she walked past, releasing a unique and calming aroma. ¡°Hey, our annual family gathering is not something you can join. You should piss off,¡± Quentin growled a warning before following the woman, emitting the same scent. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Natasha regarded Dustin coldly when she realized he was still staring at the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have a thing for other people¡¯s wives too?¡± ¡°O¨Co¨Cof course not!¡± Dustin choked, awkward. ¡°I was just thinking of the unique scent she carries.¡± ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t smell as good as her?¡± Natasha snapped, jealous. ¡°She¡¯s my eldest aunt. You better not get any ideas.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your aunt?¡± Dustin was surprised. ¡®She¡¯s so young. She doesn¡¯t look much older than Quentin.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°My uncle¡¯s first wife passed away a long time ago, so he found this woman. She looks pretty, but her reputation is horrible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that people would criticize a couple with such arge age gap.¡± Dustin wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°It¡¯s not just that.¡± Natasha shook her head and lowered her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that she ys around with Quentin as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin gaped at her. ¡°Are you serious?¡± A stepson having an affair with their stepmother? How scandalous! ¡°Why would I joke about something like that?¡± Natasha answered seriously. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from that witch, or you won¡¯t even know how you were caught.¡± ¡°Um Dustin pressed his lips together, at a loss for words. No wonder the woman had been looking at him that way. She turned out to be a cheater. Poor Trent. Dustin wondered what expression the other man would wear if he found out about his son sleeping with his wife. As time passed, more guests filled the banquet hall, and things became even livelier. People crowded together to share wine and chat together. Beverages were self¨Cserved, so people were free to eat and drink however they pleased. While everyone was having a good time, a wall cried out from the crowd. A man who had been drinking suddenly began throwing up blood violently before crashing to the floor, convulsing. His face had turned blue, and blood seeped out from his nostrils, painting a terrifying picture. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shocked, the crowd stepped away from the fallen man. No one could have expected the man, who had been happily drinking and chatting a second ago, to abruptly fall to the floor, coughing up blood. ¡°How can this be?¡± Natasha¡¯s brows furrowed, and she quickly approached the scene with Dustin. Dustin studied the sick man before testing his pulse. ¡°He was poisoned by a powerful poison!¡± Chapter 45d ¡°Poisoned?¡± Natasha paled. ¡°The food and drinks here were carefully inspected. How could it be poisoned?¡± As soon as those words escaped her lips, more pained wails came from the crowd as a woman in a gown suddenly fell to the floor, convulsing, bleeding out of her nose. ¡°T¨Cthere¡¯s poison in the wine!¡± she yelled, terrified. Immediately, pandemonium ensued as everyone in the room panicked. Those who hadn¡¯t drunk the wine quickly tossed their sses aside, while those who had quickly became frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. Unfortunately, that was not the end. After the first women, people began toppling over like dominoes, and more tortured wails rang out. One after another, guests fell to the floor, blue¨Cfaced, convulsing, and bleeding out of their noses. Within moments, more than half of the guests cried out in pain on the floor. The few unharmed people remained rooted in their positions as they looked around, terrified. Within minutes, the once happy atmosphere had turned intoplete hell! Chapter 454 ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who did this?¡± Natasha¡¯s brow furrowed tightly as she studied the people on the floor, her face turning cold. Things would still be fine if only a few people were poisoned. Now, however, hundreds of people had been poisoned simultaneously. The consequences would be detrimental The person who did this clearly only had one aim¨Cto get rid of the Harmon family, once and for all! ¡°Dad! Mom! Uncles!¡± Ruth panicked after seeing her family fall to the floor consecutively and darted toward them, but before she could reach them, she also spat out blood before crashing to the floor. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ruth!¡± Natasha paled. She was about to rush forward, but Dustin pulled her back. ¡°Don¡¯t go there. It¡¯s the air that¡¯s poisonous, not the wine!¡± ¡°Then, what should we do? We have to save them!¡± Natasha cried worriedly, struggling to keep calm when faced with her poisoned family members. ¡°Take this pill first.¡± Dustin drew out a white pill and put it into Natasha¡¯s mouth. It was a Curax, which was an antidote for poisons. ¡°To cure them, we have to first find the source of the poison. Give me some time.¡± After ensuring Natasha¡¯s safety, Dustin began scanning the room. For the poison to escape his notice, it must either be colorless and odorless or sessfully fused into the environment. ¡°The Dark Lord! It must have been him!¡± Trent yelled as hey on the floor, his agitation prompting him to throw up more blood. ¡°I get it now. The Dark Lord must be trying to use this opportunity to get rid of our entire family!¡± Jacob seethed through gritted teeth. As a powerful martial artist, his body was better than most, and his symptoms were less severe than others. Still, he would die from the poison sooner orter. ¡°Him again! It¡¯s been years! Why can¡¯t he let us go?¡± Hector coughed violently, his face turning as white as a sheet as his condition began to deteriorate. There was no way he¡¯d be fine after suffering another bout of poisoning before he even fully recovered from the previous round. Currently, the only ones in the hall left standing were Dustin and Natasha. Everyone else was lying on the floor, howling in pain. ¡°Found it!¡± Dustin quickly noticed the anomaly. Four incense burners had been ced in each corner of the hall, white smoking billowing out from them. continuously. Upon closer inspection, Dustin realized that all of the incense had been tampered with. Poisoned gas mixed with the scent of Incense was normally difficult for anyone to notice. After getting rid of the source, Dustin pulled out several Curax tablets and fed them to Hector and several others. ¡°Natasha, get me two buckets of water.¡± Dustin turned around and ordered. ¡°Okay.¡± Natasha rushed out without hesitation, reappearing momentster, carrying two buckets of water. Dustin pulled out his bottle of Hexanavir and poured half a bottle into each bucket. There were over hundreds of poisoned victims, and he didn¡¯t have enough Curax, so the only temporary fix left was Hexanavir. It may not be as effective as Curax, but it could at least stop them from dying. ¡°Feed all the victims half a bowl of water,¡± Dustin instructed and got to work. Those who were able to move crawled over to the bucket themselves, so Dustin and Natasha only had to feed those who could no longer move. Chapter 455 After struggling for half an hour, everyone finally managed to drink the antidote. Although they were still weak and pale, their lives were no longer in danger. By the time they were finished, Natasha copsed on the floor, worn out, and Dustin heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had so many drugs on hand, or there¡¯d be no way he could deal with so many poisoned patients. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here, Dustin, or our family would have been done for.¡± Hector pulled himself up, his face full of gratitude. The Harmon family had nearly been wiped out. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr. Harmon. I just did what I had to.¡± Dustin replied, waving his arm. ¡°Uncle Hector, don¡¯t you find this suspicious?¡± Quentin suddenly asked. ¡°Why does this guy have the antidote?¡± ¡°What are you implying?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°Everyone who joined the gathering is either from our family or our esteemed guests. Everyone knows each other very well, while this guy is merely a stranger,¡± Quentin said, locking suspiciously at Dustin. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m the one who poisoned you?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hmmph! Someone from the inside was involved in this incident. You were able to correctly identify the cause and provide the antidote. Shouldn¡¯t we be suspicious of you?¡± Quentin asked. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense! Why would he save you if he was the traitor?¡± Natasha yelled. ¡°To earn our trust, obviously!¡± Quentin answered confidently. ¡°He orchestrated this entire thing. He first poisoned us before saving us with the antidote. This is not the first time I¡¯m seeing such dirty tactics!¡± His words immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention to Dustin, their gazes conveying various emotions. Wariness. Distrust. Confusion. Anger. After some thinking, they realized what Quentin said was logical. After all, everyone present had a vested interest and knew each other inside out, and the only stranger was Dustin, which made it hard not to suspect him. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How absurd!¡± Natasha cried indignantly. ¡°Quentin Harmon! Dustin saved your life just now, but you¡¯re using him wrongfully? What kind of person are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help everyone figure out who the mole is,¡± Quentin replied unapologetically. ¡°Fine! You said that Dustin is the traitor. Where¡¯s the proof?¡± Natasha demanded. ¡°Isn¡¯t all this proof enough?¡± Quentin sneered. ¡°All of us were poisoned, but he waspletely fine, so who else could it be?¡± His words caused an uproar. ¡°He¡¯s right! All of us were poisoned except that guy. How fishy!¡± ¡°Exactly. I was wondering why he was fine, but he turned out to be the person who poisoned us!* ¡°What a treacherous man! Why on earth did I even thank him for? Ugh!¡± Everyone¡¯s opinion about Dustin began to sway under Quentin¡¯s prodding. Instead of appreciative gazes, all Dustin received now were furious res. Hearsay sure was dangerous. In no time, Dustin found himselfbeled guilty. ¡°Shut up!¡± Natasha yelled, infuriated. ¡°Are you guys crazy? Dustin saved you, but instead of thanking him, you¡¯re pointing your fingers at him? Unbelievable!¡± ¡°Natasha, this is a serious matter. I think we should look into this issue properly.¡± Trent suddenly spoke. ¡°I agree!¡± Jacob shouted abruptly. ¡°I say we arrest and interrogate him for everyone¡¯s safety!¡± ¡°Arrest him! Arrest him!¡± the Harmon family chanted agitatedly. It was as if Dustin had suddenly turned into a criminal. Chapter 456 Looking at all the hostile faces around him, Dustin smiled an imperceptible cold smile. They really didn¡¯t know what was good for them. If he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have saved anyone. Now, he not only ended up failing to get into anyone¡¯s good books but even brought trouble unto himself. How unlucky! ¡°Why so quiet, Dustin? Is it because you¡¯re feeling too guilty, so you don¡¯t dare to speak a word?¡± Quentin said aggressively. He looked as if he wanted to get to the bottom of things. ¡°You¡¯ve already said everything there is to be said. What else can I say?¡± Dustin snorted and continued, ¡°I saved your lives, but you keep insisting that I poisoned you and speaking so self¨C righteously. I¡¯ve never met anyone as ungrateful as you bunch.¡± ¡°Humph! How dare you still defend yourself?!¡± Quentin¡¯s gaze was icy as he said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t poison us, then why don¡¯t you exin why you have the antidote?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why would you have the antidote?!¡± Everyone started demanding loudly. The incident was too much of a coincidence: it was difficult for people not to be suspicious. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, and I¡¯m also proficient at medicine. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to cure you guys from the poison?¡± Dustin said inly. ¡°I can vouch that Dustin is indeed a very skillful doctor!¡± Natasha said firmly. ¡°Me too!¡± Ruth added. They believed firmly in Dustin¡¯s medical skills and character. ¡°Fine, even if you¡¯re a doctor and happened to have the antidote, then tell me why you didn¡¯t get poisoned. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because you have a strong immune system, so no poison can harm you,¡± Quentin demanded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am indeed immune to all poison,¡± Dustin said seriously. With his capabilities,mon types of poison had no effect on him. Even the Deadly Slither¡¯s poison, one of the most infamously lethal types of poison, only made him sleep for a while. ¡°Did you guys hear that? What a ridiculous excuse!¡± Quentin scoffed and said coldly, ¡°Dustin, oh Dustin! You¡¯re such a good liar. You¡¯re also human like all of us, so what gave you the audacity to say that you¡¯re immune to all poison?¡± ¡°Hmmph! Immune to poison? Sounds like bullshit to me!¡± ¡°I know, right? Only the person who poisoned us coulde up with such a ridiculous excuse!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste any more time on him. Hurry up and hold him down so we can interrogate him!¡± The crowd flew into a furious uproar. They obviously did not believe Dustin. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re the head of the family, hurry up and say something!¡± Seeing that the situation was going sideways, Natasha immediately turned to her father. ?? Hector frowned, not knowing what to say. Although he believed that Dustin was innocent, he couldn¡¯t treat a threat to the whole family¡¯s life lightly. Most importantly, there were still suspicions surrounding Dustin, which made it hard for him to decide. ¡°Hector, let me handle this,¡± Trent said. ¡°I¡¯ve been in charge of the salety and security of the family all along. Since something like this has happened, I should carry out a thorough investigation regardless of whether Dustin is innocent.¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s right! For the family¡¯s safety, we should always be safe rather than sorry! Men, detain him!¡± Quentinmanded with a swift gesture of his hand. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A group of the Harmon family¡¯s guards stepped forward and surrounded Dustin. They had already drawn their swords. ¡°Stop!¡± Natasha shouted in anger. ¡°If anyone dares to act rashly, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!¡± ¡°Natasha, you have to look at the bigger picture,¡± Trent said sternly. ¡°If Dustin is innocent, then I will surely clear his name. I will not condemn him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between condemning him and arresting him in public?¡± Natasha said with a frown. ¡°I only require his cooperation in the investigation. I guarantee that I will not hurt him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, Natasha. This is a very serious matter that warrants a thorough investigation. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to trouble Dustin a little this time.¡± Jessica said. Chapter 457 ¡°Why don¡¯t you trouble yourself? I don¡¯t care, but nobody touches Dustin today!¡± Natasha didn¡¯t give in at all. In her eyes, no one was more important than her man. Even if he was guilty, she would still defend him till the end, much less when he was being wronged right then. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Jacob¡¯s temper red, and he shouted, ¡°How can a junior like you meddle with such an important family matter? Someone take Miss Harmon back to her room!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Mrs. Davys and the others dared not show any hesitation. They half dragged, and half persuaded Natasha out of the banquet hall. Witnessing this scene, Dustin frowned. He had wanted to take action a few times already, but he had controlled himself. The Harmon family¡¯s ways already ignited his anger. ¡°No one¡¯s going to help you now, Rhys.¡± Quentin took two steps forward and gave a lowugh. ¡°I already asked you to leave earlier, but you just didn¡¯t want to listen to me. Look where it¡¯s gotten you now. You regret it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the person who poisoned you,¡± Dustin tried to exin. ¡°Is that important? If I say that it¡¯s you, then it¡¯s you!¡± Quentinughed coldly. ¡°So you¡¯re condemning me on purpose?¡± Dustin asked with a frown. Being suspected was one thing, but being condemned was another. ¡°So what if I am?¡± Quentin had on an amused expression. ¡°Everyone needs an exnation anyway, and making you the culprit will please everybody! What¡¯s the matter? You feel very wronged, don¡¯t you? Very dissatisfied? But what can you do? In this world, poweres above everything else. A pariah from the lowest rungs of society like you deserves to be a scapegoat! Just ept your fate!¡± With that, he turned around and bellowed, ¡°Lock him up and torture him till he owns up! If he dares to retaliate, then kill him at once!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hearing hismand, the Harmon family¡¯s guards acted immediately. ¡°Get lost!¡± Dustin rocked his body, and a potent wave of energy sent countless guards flying. ¡°How dare you still resist? This just shows that you definitely have something to be guilty of! Guards, heed mymand! Kill the culprit immediately!¡± Quentinughed wickedly and gave the kill order. At once, a wave of elite guards surged into the banquet hall from all directions. ¡°Do you really want to take things to the extreme?¡± Dustin asked icily. ¡°Humph, anyone would kill a traitor like you! Kill him!¡± Quentin said pompously. The moment he said that, a figure shed before him. Dustin¡¯s arm shot out suddenly, and he gripped Quentin by the neck, lifting him into the air with just one hand. He looked like he was holding a dying fish. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°This is preposterous!¡± Seeing what was happening, the Harmon family members all shouted in shock. Nobody thought Dustin would still dare to attack while he was already being surrounded. ¡°You imbecile! Let go of my son now!¡± Hector shouted furiously. However, he dared not act rashly for fear that Quentin would get hurt. ¡°He is undoubtedly the culprit! We must not let him go!¡± The crowd went into a furious uproar when they saw Dustin attacking someone. ¡°Hahaha¡ª Hey, kid! You¡¯ve pissed everyone off. Nobody can save you now!¡± Quentinughed mirthlessly and said confidently. ¡°If you havemon sense, let me go at once. I could still spare your life. But if you dare touch a hair on my head, I can promise I¡¯ll make you die a painful death!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Dustin snorted and tightened his grip aggressively. With a loud snap, Quentin¡¯s head lolled sideways. He died on the spot before he knew it! Chapter 458 Seeing Quentin die such a sudden death, the crowd was frozen with fright. Their eyes protruded, and disbelief was written across their faces. They could never have imagined Dustin to be so daring as to kill someone over a mere misunderstanding. He was swift, brutal, and very vicious. He never even gave Quentin a chance to negotiate. Shouldn¡¯t every hostage be given a chance to negotiate first? Where was the reason for killing someone straight away without saying anything first? He was so unpredictable. ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s really over this time.¡± Ruth smacked her forehead and shut her eyes. Il Dustin was just a suspect before this, he was now a murderer, no matter what the truth was. From that moment on, Dustin was the Harmon family¡¯s public enemy! After a short moment of silence, the crowdunched into uproar. ¡°How dare you kill someone with all of us watching! Today will be yourst day!¡± *Fuck! Is that idiot crazy? How could he be so bold as to kill a member of the Harmon family on their very own turf? He¡¯s a lunatic!¡± ¡°Burning bridges with the Harmon family so openly? I¡¯ve never seen someone so extreme.¡± Because of Dustin¡¯s actions, the entire family gathering turned into chaos. Some people were in shock, others were shouting furiously, and some even felt in awe of him. ¡°Imbecile! You imbecile!¡± Seeing his son¡¯s body. Trent was so outraged that he vomited blood and copsed onto the floor. ¡°How dare you kill my nephew! I¡¯ll rip you to pieces!¡± After getting his senses back, Jacob bellowed furiously.¡± What are you guys waiting for? Kill him!¡± ¡°Stop! Everyone stop!¡± A feminine shout sounded out. It was Natasha running back after being dragged away earlier. She barged her way through the crowd and stood in front of Dustin, looking like she would defend him till the end. ¡°Natasha! What are you doing? You can¡¯t possibly be defending that murderer!¡± Jacob shouted angrily. ¡°Natasha! Hurry up and move aside! That man has lost his mind!¡± Jessica yelled in panic. ¡°I already saw what happened just now. If you guys hadn¡¯t pushed him to his limits. Dustin wouldn¡¯t have made an impulsive mistake like that.¡± Natasha still attempted to defend him. ¡°This is absurd! He killed your cousin. Not only do you not me him, but you¡¯re even defending him. Are you even a part of the Harmon family?!¡± Jacob was beside himself with rage. ¡°That¡¯s right! I think you¡¯ve be blinded to be defending a murderer!¡± ¡°You really are in cahoots with him!¡± Natasha¡¯s attitude pissed off all the Harmons. She was a turncoat and a heartless traitor! ¡°Dustin! Quick, take me hostage! It¡¯s the only way you can leave this ce alive!¡± Natasha whispered. She knew that saying anything else would be useless at that point, and the only way she could keep Dustin alive was to go with this underhanded n. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. Give me three minutes, and I can exin everything.¡± Dustin said with a slight smile. Natasha¡¯s selfless protection warmed his heart. ¡°What¡¯s there to exin? Quentin¡¯s dead. Nobody will believe anything you say!¡± Natasha said anxiously. If she wasn¡¯t worried that people would see through their act, theri she even wished she could hold a knife to her throat. ¡°As long as you believe me.¡± Dustin said calmly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What exactly are you up to?¡± Natasha asked with a frown. She really didn¡¯t know how he could be so calm when the situation had already escted to such a point. Chapter 459 ¡°Everybody. I know that all of you hate me, but please let me say a few words.¡± Dustin looked around and said loudly, ¡°As long as you let me finish speaking, you can kill me ordo anything you please. I will not resist!¡± ¡°Hmmph! Are you still trying to make excuses till the very end?¡± Jacob demanded with a re. ¡°I must say this regardless of whether you¡¯ll believe me, but Quentin deserved to die. That¡¯s because he is the real culprit who poisoned you!¡± Dustin dropped a bombshell. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Jacob snorted coldly. ¡°Quentin is a Harmon. How could he poison members of his own family? I think you¡¯re just framing him!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you¡¯re going to make up a story, then at least make it believable. Who would believe you saying Quentin was the culprit?¡± Everyone scoffed and looked at Dustin with hostile gazes. If it wasn¡¯t because Natasha was shielding him, they would have attacked him long ago. ¡°You say that Quentin is the culprit, but do you have evidence?¡± Hector, who had been silent till then, finally spoke up. He didn¡¯t trust anyone, only the facts of the case. ¡°First off, I hold no grudges against the Harmon family, so I have no reason to poison you guys,¡± Dustin exined slowly. ¡°Hence, all of you should be aware that the real culprit behind the scenes is the Dark Lord. However, not only did Quentin not me the Dark Lord after being cured, but he kept suspecting me. He even used all sorts of reasons and excuses to condemn me and mislead everybody to make me the scapegoat. He deserves to pay with his life! That¡¯s why I have reason to suspect that Quentin works for the Dark Lord! And because I saved everyone from the poison, he saw me as a pain in the ass that should be eliminated as soon as possible!¡± Once he finished exining, everybody became a lot more quiet. Some people were already mulling it over to determine if it was the truth. Everybody had their own version of a story, but after hearing Dustin out, they found it indeed a little strange. ¡°Humph! What a good talker!¡± Jacob¡¯s expression was still icy. ¡°He¡¯s already dead anyway, so you can say whatever you want, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Exactly! Do you think you can walk free by making up a story? Let me tell you that won¡¯t be the case!¡± The members of the Harmon family were still treating Dustin with animosity, not trusting him at all. ¡°Words are useless. You must show us evidence!¡± Hector shouted. ¡°You want evidence, huh? Sure!¡± Dustin walked into the corner and picked up the incense burner that had been used to release the poisonous fumes. He exined, ¡°The incense inside has a unique scent. It¡¯s very long-sting, and when it mixes with the poison, it makes it very hard to notice.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Jacob said impatiently. ¡°Take a sniff. Isn¡¯t there an odd scent on Quentin? It smells almost exactly the same as the incense,¡± Dustin. said. ¡°Huh?¡± Jacob smelled the incense, then walked over to Quentin¡¯s body and took a hard sniff. His expression changed instantly. Just like Dustin had said, the smell on Quentin was exactly the same as the incense in the burner. ¡°They smell the same!¡± To determine the truth, many people from the crowd came forward to take a sniff and experienced a shocking revtion. ¡°Humph! So what if they smell the same? What does it prove? It could merely be a coincidence!¡± Jacob said coldly. ¡°Of course, the smell cannot prove anything. Actually, what raised my suspicion was not the smell, but Quentin¡¯s body.¡± After a pause, Dustin dropped another bombshell. ¡°You might not believe me when I say this, but Quentin already died long ago. His body was only being controlled using witchcraft!¡± The crowd flew into an uproar. Chapter 460 ¡°Outrageous! This is absolutely outrageous! All of us saw with our own eyes that Quentin was alive and well before you killed him. Yet you dare say that he was just a corpse? How absolutely ridiculous!¡± Jacob¡¯s rage burned to a whole new level, and he wanted to rip Dustin apart. ¡°Hmmph! Do you take us for fools? What makes you think we would believe your bullshit?!¡± ¡°Exactly! You were the one who killed Quentin. We all witnessed it!¡± The crowd was furious, and their suspicions towards Dustin grew even stronger. How dare he deny killing Someone and even use such a ludicrous excuse to clear his name? Did he think they were three¨Cyear¨Colds? ¡°Young ng man, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Hector said with a frown. He had tried to give Dustin a chance to exin himself, but his words only grew more outrageous. ¡°I know you guys don¡¯t believe me, but I have proof.¡± Dustin walked to Quentin¡¯s corpse and ripped Quentin¡¯s clothes off, exposing patches of red lines to the crowd. ¡°Do you see this? This is corpse que!¡± Dustin shocked everybody again. ¡°Corpse que?!¡± Everybody looked at each other skeptically at hearing those words. On the one hand, they were taken aback by what Dustin said. On the other hand, they were skeptical about whether the corpse que was real. ¡°Hmmph! Is it corpse que just because you say so? What if those are just normal bruises?¡± Jacob said with a frown, still in disbelief. ¡°I ¡ª I can prove that it is really corpse que!¡± At that moment, a bespectacled man suddenly stepped forward and said with a shocked expression, ¡°I used to be a doctor, and I¡¯m very familiar with corpse que. What¡¯s more, judging by the corpse que on his body, Quentin has been dead for at least twelve hours!¡± The moment he said that, everyone¡¯s expression changed. ¡°How could that be?! Quentin was still up and about just now. We all saw it clearly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! There are so many witnesses. How could it have been a sham?!¡± Besides being shocked, many people were skeptical because this revtion was hard to ept. ¡°I was also wondering how a living person could have such serious corpse que on his body,¡± the bespectacled man said in astonishment. ¡°Dustin, what¡¯s going on?¡± Natasha asked in confusion. She also couldn¡¯t believe that the Quentin she had seen earlier was actually a dead body. ¡°I already said that Quentin was already dead, but somebody was controlling his body with witchcraft.¡± Dustin continued exining. ¡°I believe you guys must have heard of the rumors of corpse possession in Iden. This is simr to corpse possession, but the technique of it is far more refined.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! How could dark magic like corpse possession exist in this world?!¡± Jacob demanded. ¡°If you haven¡¯t seen something before, it doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist. There are endless branches of the mystic arts that are very strange. Corpse possession is nothing inparison,¡± Dustin said inly. ¡°Hmmph! You can¡¯t solve the case merely based on corpse que!¡± Jacob said stubbornly. As a warrior, he only believed in his own fists. ¡°You really don¡¯t believe anything I say, huh? Fine, since you still doubt me, then I¡¯ll enlighten you today.¡± Dustin suddenly pulled out a silver needle and stabbed it into the space between Quentin¡¯s eyebrows! A rumbling sound filled the air. A little while after he plunged the needle, Quentin¡¯s body suddenly started convulsing. Then, ck blood started flowing uncontrobly from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. After a few heaves of Quentin¡¯s chest, little ck snakes started slithering out from every orifice of the corpse. ¡°Snakes! They¡¯re snakes!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Witnessing this scene, the crowd lost theirposure and retreated in fright. Anyone would get goosebumps just by imagining snakes slithering out from a person¡¯s head. ¡°How could this be?¡± Chapter 461 Jacob was stunned and he couldn¡¯t really believe his eyes. It was his first time witnessing such a strange incident. ¡°The Dark Lord! It must be the Dark Lord¡¯s doing!¡± some members of the Harmon family started shouting. From time to time before this, some Harmon family members would die sudden deaths, but none of them had been as terrifying as this incident. ¡°How very brutal!¡± Hector frowned deeply, looking distressed. Someone had killed Quentin first, then controlled his body with witchcraft to poison the whole Harmon family. These tactics were not just cunning but vicious. Nobody other than the Dark Lord could be capable of it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys believe my words now?¡± Dustin said at the perfect timing. T- ¡°I-..¡± Jacob was hesitant to speak. Although it was hard to ept, the facts wereid before him, and he had no choice but to believe it. ¡°Dad! The truth is out. Won¡¯t you ask your men to fall back?¡± Natasha said. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Fall back.¡± Hector gestured with his hand for the guards to retreat. ¡°Hector! He is my only son. He can¡¯t just die for nothing!¡± Trent wailed. He was sitting copsed on the floor. ¡°Jacob! This incident has nothing to do with Dustin. Our hatred should be directed at the Dark Lord!¡± Hector said grimly. ¡°But ¡°Trent opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to ept this revtion. ¡°Trent, don¡¯t worry. Quentin¡¯s death will not be in vain. We will find the Dark Lord and avenge Quentin!¡± Hector promised. ¡°Ahh¡­ my poor son!¡± Trent sobbed sorrowfully. Hector sighed and patted him on the back in constion. Then, he turned to look at Dustin and asked the question everybody was curious about. ¡°How could you tell?¡± ¡°I already realized that something was off since yesterday, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Only when I got close to Quentin today did I realize that his face was deathly pale, and his limbs were stiff. There was even a smell of rot on him. Although the incense covered the smell of rot, I still managed to notice. Of course, I did not act rashly. The main question I had to find the answer to was who was controlling Quentin¡¯s body and what this person¡¯s motive is,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Then have you found out?¡± Hector asked. Dustin nodded and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve already found out who the perpetrator is.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Hector narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists subconsciously. ¡°This person is so near yet so far.¡± Dustin looked around and pointed at a pretty young woman beside Trent.¡± It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Everybody looked in the direction he was pointing in and immediately frowned. ¡°Me?¡± The young woman was stunned. ¡°Bullshit! You speak nothing but nonsense!¡± After a moment of shock, Trent got worked up. ¡°You idiot! You just murdered my son, and now you¡¯re ndering my wife? What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°Dustin, do you know that she is my sister¨Cinw?¡± Hector asked with a frown. ¡°Of course I do,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°Not only is she your sister¨Cinw, but also the perpetrator of this incident. She is the mastermind behind controlling Quentin¡¯s corpse!¡± Chapter 462 ¡°The mastermind?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on the beautifuldy when they heard that. Had he said that at any other time, none of them would have believed him. In fact, they might even have brushed it off as a lie. But after everything that had happened, they had no choice but to consider his words seriously. After all, they had just witnessed a corpse moving around with such vitality. At this point, nothing seemed impossible anymore. ¡°Hey, miracle doctor, I haven¡¯t crossed you before this, have I? Why are you setting me up?¡± The beautifuldy frowned with a troubled expression. ¡°Dustin, you better not be using others without solid proof!¡± Hector warned him gravely. His brother had just experienced the pain of losing his son, and now, his wife was used of being the perpetrator. This was no doubt rubbing salt in his wound. ¡°That¡¯s right! What proof have you got to im that our sister¨Cinw has anything to do with this?¡± Jacob demanded loudly. ¡°I must have a certain level of confidence to use someone of something so severe.¡± Dustin gazed pointedly at the woman and said, ¡°Quentin¡¯s body has a unique scent on it. And she has the same smell on her, only much stronger. If you don¡¯t believe me, go ahead and catch a whiff.¡± A few of thedies who stood close to the woman went closer and sniffed the air around her. Immediately. they nodded. ¡°He¡¯s right! She does have a special scent on her, and it¡¯s the same scent on Quentin¡¯s body!¡± Everyone¡¯s expression changed when they heard that, and their look on the woman turned wary. ¡°I¡¯ve always been using fragrances that I formte myself, and Quentin¡¯s my son! What¡¯s so strange about my scent rubbing off on him?¡± She tried her best to exin the situation. ¡°The scent is just a point of suspicion. It isn¡¯t solid evidence, and it doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± Hector shook his head. It didn¡¯t make sense to pin the me on someone based on a scent. ¡°Of course, that isn¡¯t all.¡± Dustin approached the woman and circled her as he continued, ¡°People who are well- versed in the mystic arts usually have something different about them because they feed the venomous insects that they breed with their blood. With time, some changes will happen to their body.¡± ¡°What changes?¡± Hector probed. ¡°Ordinary people have crimson red blood, but people who practice the mystic arts will have blood which is ck and acutely poisonous. All you need to do now is to check her blood, and the truth shall be uncovered.¡± Dustin stated nonchntly. *Nonsense!¡± The woman shouted. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re going to check my blood? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± ¡°Celeste, it¡¯d be best to run a test to prove your innocence,¡± Hector persuaded. ¡°What? Do you really believe the rubbish he said?¡® Celeste asked, feeling wronged. ¡°This is a grave matter, Celeste. You should cooperate with us on this,¡± Jacob echoed. ¡°Honey, they¡¯re joining hands and putting me in a difficult position! Are you just going to watch as they treat me like this?¡± With tears in her eyes, Celeste turned to Trent for help. ¡°Jacob! Hector! I¡¯m your elder brother! Are you not going to show me any respect? Trent roared. His son had just passed away, and now, they were turning on his wife. Of course he couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°Trent! You¡¯ve got to see the big picture here!¡± Hector said seriously. ¡°If Celeste is innocent, I¡¯ll make a public apology!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Trent. This is a matter that affects the future of our family. We can¡¯t risk it! Everyone can be at ease once we just run a quick test on her blood.¡± Jacob coaxed. ¡°Fine! From the looks of it, you¡¯ve all been brainwashed by this rascal!¡± Trent spat through clenched jaws. Then, he furiously said. ¡°Alright! If you insist on running a test on Celeste¡¯s blood, then fine, we¡¯ll do it. But if my wife turns out to be innocent. I¡¯ll cut this brat¡¯s tongue off!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Dustin agreed. ¡°Honey, you know that the sight of blood makes me faint.¡± The woman shrunk back with a scared look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be over before you know it. Once we prove your innocence, I¡¯ll make sure he pays!¡± Trent said confidently. ¡°Check her blood.¡± With a wave of Hector¡¯s hand, two women swiftly came forward and proceeded to take a blood sample from Celeste. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. But right before they managed to do so, she sighed regrettably. ¡°I never thought that I¡¯d be exposed so soon! What a waste of my excellent acting skills.¡± ¡°What?¡± Trent, who stood by the side, was caught off guard. Chapter 463 Before he could even wrap his head around what was going on, a sharp de was already pressed up against his throat. The de glistened with a dark sheen, obviously coated in poison. ¡°Celeste, what are you doing?¡± Stunned by the sharp turn of events, Trent was at a loss at how to react. He had never thought that the day woulde when his wife would threaten him with a de against his neck. ¡°Stop calling me that. Your beloved Celeste died a few days ago.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not Celeste? Then who are you?¡± Trent¡¯s expression was one of utter horror and confusion. ¡°The Dark Lord is my master. Who do you think I am? The sinister smile on her face remained unchanging. ¡°You¡¯re the Dark Lord¡¯s disciple?¡± Hector frowned. This was a grave matter. They had never expected the Dark Lord to nt a mole in the Harmon family disguised as one of them. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So it is true that you¡¯re the one who poisoned Quentin! Guards! Get her!¡± Jacob ordered without further ado. ¡°Stand right there!¡± The woman made a slight move with the de and threatened. ¡°This de is coated with poison. Just the slightest scratch on him, and you¡¯ll bid him goodbye forever. I suggest that none of you make any sudden moves.¡± Everyone in the room stopped in their tracks when they heard that. ¡°Let my brother go, and I¡¯ll spare you!¡± Hector bellowed. ¡°Hah! Do you think I¡¯d believed you?¡± The woman held Trent hostage and began inching backward toward the door. As she did so, she taunted, ¡°You lot are in luck. My intention had been to wipe out all of you today. Who knew you¡¯d be so lucky to have someone here to save you? None of you would have been able to survive otherwise.¡± ¡°Cut the crap! Let him go right this instant, or you won¡¯t make it out of the door alive!¡± Jacob roared savagely. ¡°Do you bunch of dimwits think that you can stop me? Anyway, I¡¯ve had my fun today. I¡¯lle back some other day to toy with you.¡± When she reached the exit, the woman suddenly turned to Dustin and smiled seductively at him. ¡°Hey, miracle doctor, don¡¯t you forget what you promised. When you have the time,e over to my room, and we¡¯ll have a nice long chat, alright? See you again soon!¡± And with that, she produced a spherical object and hurled it to the ground. With a loud resounding boom, dense smoke burst out on the spot, clouding the visibility for a radius of several feet around them. ¡°Quick! Spread out! The gas might be poisonous!¡± Dustin warned at once. That gave everyone a fright, and they all dispersed promptly for fear of inhaling poisonous gas. By the time the smoke cleared out, the woman was already gone. Trent was left behind, lying on the ground. unconscious. ¡°Trent!¡± Hector rushed forward to check on him. Fortunately. Trent was just unconscious and wasn¡¯t harmed in any way. ¡°Get her!¡± Jacob was livid. Gathering his men, he was ready to go after her to take her down. ¡°Let her go!¡± Hector stopped them. He wouldn¡¯t put it past the Dark Lord¡¯s disciple to have several tricks up her sleeves. It might be dangerous for them to go after her and fall into her trap. ¡°Are we going to let her off just like that, Hector?¡± Jacob was peeved at the thought of her going free after all she had done. ¡°Of course not. But now¡¯s not the time for us to take action yet¡± Hector told him seriously. They were out there in the open while their opponents were in hiding. The situation was not beneficial to them, and besides, without proper n and preparation, they would only be led on a wild goose chase. ¡°Damn it! The Dark Lord is really ying us for fools!¡± Jacob hissed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister. For now, have your men arrange to send our guests back safely. Our family gathering will end here.¡± Hector announced. ¡°Sure.¡± Jacob nodded and busied himself with the arrangements. Now that something like that had happened, there was no point in carrying on with the gathering anymore. Chapter 464 With Hector and Jacob¡¯s arrangements, all the guests in attendance at the Harmon family gathering gradually left, and the annual event came to a jarring end. In order to prevent any other parties from taking advantage of the situation, Hector gave everyone firm instructions to keep what happened a secret and that under no circumstances was any information to be leaked. When all the guests had left, about 100 of the Harmons stayed back. As part of the Harmon family, they understood that if anything were to happen to the family, they would be simrly implicated, so they were all in it together. ¡°We really appreciate your help in finding the culprit, Dustin. Had it not been for you, the Harmon family would have suffered a tremendous loss.¡± Hector patted Dustin on the shoulder with admiration in his eyes. It was rare toe by such a fine young man. ¡°Dad, Dustin saved our entire family. Surely you¡¯re not just thanking him verbally?¡± Natasha prompted. ¡°Of course not.¡± Hector smiled. ¡°Dustin, if there¡¯s anything that you need, just name it. I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill your wish,¡± ¡°If you really mean it, Mr. Harmon, I¡¯d like to request that you annul Natasha¡¯s marriage alliance and let her have her freedom,¡± Dustin said earnestly. ¡°Well Hector frowned. A momentter, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to you for saving my family. but this is one thing I cannot promise you.¡± ¡°Why? Is it only because the Grants are able to help you defeat the Dark Lord?¡± Dustin questioned. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to defeat the Dark Lord.¡± Hector sighed and continued helplessly. ¡°The marriage alliance had been agreed upon a long time ago. If we suddenly decide to annul it, it would be akin to publicly disgracing the Grant family, and its repercussions would be beyond our imagination!¡± There were three prominent families in South City. The Murrays had a military background, and with General Christopher Murray as head of the household, they were highly respected and had the military behind them. The Hill family, on the other hand, had their connections in the martial world. As someone who had been a master of the Balerno martial arts, Paul Hill had a myriad of disciples across the nation. His prestige in the martial world was unrivaled. As for the Grants, they had both military power and connections in the martial world. Their multifaceted development made them the family who thrived and flourished the most out of the three influential families. Their wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources, and how extremely well- informed they were about current affairs because of all their connections made them more formidable than the Dark Lord himself. He amounted to nothing when compared to the powers that the Grant family possessed. Harmons stood a chance against the Dark Lord, but they were utterly helpless against the Grants. And that just was how things stood with the Harmons now. Annulling the marriage alliance was simply out of the question. They dared not even think about it. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Say, Mr. Harmon, would it change things if it wasn¡¯t the Harmons who decided to cancel the marriage but the Grants instead?¡± Dustin asked cautiously. ¡°I know you¡¯re holding out hope for that, but chances of that ever happening is about as close to zero.¡± Hector shook his head. ¡°The reason why the Grants agreed to the marriage alliance was because they were Interested in our family¡¯s potential in the business world so that they can bring their family¡¯s status up to a whole new level with our support in the industry.¡± ¡°But would you agree to it if the Grants decided to annul the arrangement?¡± Dustin probed. ¡°If it reallyes to that, I guess I¡¯ll be forced to agree.¡± Hector chuckled. ¡°Dad! Mark your words!¡± Natasha broke out into a grin when she heard his words. ¡°As long as Tyler Grant decides to annul the marriage arrangement, you must never force me into a marriage again!¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Hector felt uneasinessing over him. This daughter of his always had the wildest ideas. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. All you¡¯ve got to do is remember what you just said.¡± Natasha did not exin any further. ¡°You¡± Just as Hector was about to say something, Mrs. Davys came over. ¡°Mr. Harmon, the Grants are here to visit.¡± she reported. ¡°Hurry up and wee them!¡± Without wasting any time, he personally went out to wee them with the rest of the Harmons in tow. Outside the gates, arge throng of smartly dressed people awaited. Chapter 465 There were several luxurious cars and a whole lot of bodyguards standing guard behind them. It was a grand sight to behold as there were easily a hundred people gathering: A man and a woman stood right at the forefront. The charismatic man had a tall physique that exuded amanding presence, and his sharp eyes seemed to be able to see through everything. Every step he took gave out a strong air of danger and menace, as though he were the Grim Reaper himself making his way through a sea of bloody corpses. He stood out from the crowd and carried such an air of reverence. This was none other than the impressive Tyler Grant! And thedy beside him was Ja Grant, whom Dustin had had a chance encounter with. ¡°Tyler, I¡¯ve asked Natasha about her thoughts on this marriage alliance before. She seemed to have expressed that she did not wish to marry you,¡± Ja said offhandedly. ¡°That¡¯s not her choice to make. No matter what she says, I will get the woman I have my eyes on,¡± Tyler said domineeringly with such confidence. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ja nodded in agreement. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what Natasha thinks. This is an alliance of two families. She¡¯s just a woman. She has no right to say anything about it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Tyler raised his head and gazed straight ahead. The gates to the Harmon estate swung open, and Hector, along with the rest of the Harmons, swiftly came forward to wee them. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. Tyler. Come on in.¡± Hector politely beckoned for them to enter. Soon, they were all brought into thepound of the Harmon estate. As they made their way in, the Harmons stood to either side of them, showing their respect and sincerity. ¡°Bring us tea,¡± Hector instructed the household staff. Once they settled down in the lounge, all sorts of refreshments were served. The Harmons demonstrated such courtesy and were as respectful as could be. ¡°Mr. Harmon, you should know that the purpose of our visit today is to send you the bride token,¡± Ja started, and as she spoke, she gave a p as a signal. In no time, boxes upon boxes of gifts were brought to them. Upon opening the boxes, they found them to be full of priceless goods. Some were packed full of gold bars, some were full of essories made of pure gold, and others carried jewelry of all sorts. There were over 20 boxes in total, and every one of them held goods of priceless worth. It was truly astonishing. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Harmon, will this be enough for the bride token?¡± Ja asked with her chin proudly lifted, Tyler, however, just sat by the side, sipping on his tea as though all of these were none of his business. ¡°Of course it is! We¡¯re very pleased with the sincerity that the Grant family has shown us.¡± Hector nodded with a smile. ¡°Great! Since you¡¯re happy with this, we shall proceed with the marriage. We wille for the bride in 10 days! * Ja cut things straight to the point. ¡°Sur-¡± Hector was just about to agree to the arrangement when the crisp voice of a woman sounded. Chaply 465 ¡°No, I do not agree to this!¡± ¡°What?¡± When they heard that, everyone¡¯s gaze shot over to the entrance of the lounge. With everyone¡¯s eyes on her, Natasha slowly made her way into the lounge with several people behind her. ¡°l do not agree to the marriage alliance.¡± ¡°You do not agree?¡± Ja¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Have you any idea what you¡¯re saying, Natasha?¡± ¡°Of course I have. And I stand by my words: I will not marry Tyler Grant,¡± Natasha said impassively. ¡°What is the meaning of this. Mr. Harmon? Are you going back on our arrangement?¡± Tyler slowly looked up. his sharp gaze directed pointedly at Hector. ¡°Have you ever considered the repercussions of your actions?¡± Chapter 466 The Harmons couldn¡¯t help but shudder when Tyler¡¯s gaze swept over them. An uncontroble fear seemed to ¡°Do not be mistaken, Tyler. She doesn¡¯t mean that.¡± As Hector said that, he shot Nataha a re. ¡°Stop messing around. Go back to your room right this instant!¡± ¡°Natasha, this marriage alliance is an arrangement between two families! This isn¡¯t child¡¯s y! You mustn¡¯t act recklessly!¡± Frightened, Jessica stepped forward to warn Natasha. It was one thing for her to speak. impulsively in front of Ja. But now that Tyler was here, things would get out of hand if she still insisted on saying such things. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not messing around, nor am I acting recklessly.¡± Natasha stood her ground. ¡°I know you¡¯re an exceptional person, Tyler, but matters of the heart cannot be forced. Nothing good wille of this. I hope that you can cancel the arrangement.¡± The Harmons were in no position to annul the marriage arrangement, but the same could not be said for the Grants. ¡°You want me to cancel the marriage arrangement? And why should I do that?¡± Tyler asked, aloof. ¡°As I said, we¡¯re notpatible. It will not bring us any good if we get married just for the sake of getting married,¡± Natasha said with certainty. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Tyler took another sip of his tea before he continued indifferently, ¡°Since we had an arrangement, then you¡¯re going to follow through with it, or you¡¯re going back on your words.¡± ¡°Can you please be reasonable?* Natasha frowned. ¡°I already have someone that I like. You and I, it¡¯s not going to work out for us!¡± ¡°Oh? And who is that person that you like?¡± Tyler demanded. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Natasha dragged Dustin out from behind her. ¡°You?¡± Ja¡¯s brows furrowed when she had a good look at Dustin. She never expected to bump into that annoying person here. ¡°What? Do you know hirn?¡± Tyler shot Ja a side¨Clong nce. ¡°Tyler, he¡¯s the one who fought with me over the flower of Crimson Gem!¡± Ja hissed. ¡°Oh.¡± Tyler wasn¡¯t too fazed. ¡°Do you see now, Tyler? This is the man I like. We have mutual feelings for each other, so I hope you¡¯ll give us your blessings,¡± Natasha said. ¡°Mutual feelings? Tyler chuckled menacingly. ¡°You¡¯re mine, Natasha. Nobody can take you away from me. If you refuse to marry me, I¡¯ll kill him. You get me?¡± His words were straight to the point, and he did not even bother to mask his threats. ¡°How dare you!¡± Natasha was furious. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much I daren¡¯t do,¡± Tyler stated matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°Tyler, if it¡¯s an alliance with the Harmons that you¡¯re after, you have a myriad of other options! Why are you so intent on marrying me when there are so many other eligible youngdies in the Harmon family?¡® Natasha drew a deep breath and announced gravely, ¡°Since this is what things havee to. I¡¯lle clean. I am no longer a virgin. I have slept with Dustin.¡± ¡°What? You ve slept with him?¡± Chaos broke out when they heard what Natasha said. The Harmons all stared at her wide¨Ceyed in disbelief. The Grants, on the other hand, were equal parts horrified and infuriated. ¡°Natasha! What nonsense are you spouting? Are you out of your mind?¡± Jessica was so shocked she broke out in cold sweat. It was a disgrace to the Harmons¡® reputation for Natasha to lose her virginity before marriage. Besides, it was also tant humiliation toward the Grants. ¡°You wretched girl! What nerves you¡¯ve got!¡± Hector was beside himself with fury. The Harmons had strict rules, especially toward their daughters, who were expected to preserve their innocence until the day they were married. Chapter 467 ¡°Natasha Harmon, you are shameless! Absolutely vile!¡± Ja was so angry she mmed her hands on the table and jumped up from her seat. With her brother¡¯s status and prestige, he was never going to marry a woman who had slept with someone else. ¡°Are you trying to provoke me?¡± Tyler¡¯s brow knitted together ever so slightly. A brief secondter, he regained hisposure and put on a facade of indifference. ¡°I do not mind that you¡¯ve lost your virginity.¡± ¡°What?¡± Once again, everyone was shocked by what they heard, especially the Grants. It was like they did not even know Tyler anymore. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°You do not mind that I¡¯m no longer a virgin? Well, what if I told you that I¡¯m with child?¡± Natasha tossed him another shocker. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯m carrying Dustin¡¯s child!¡± The moment she said that, amotion came over the room. ¡°Oh, you wretched child! How terrible!¡± ¡°Oh, Natasha! You¡¯ve brought disgrace upon the entire Harmon family!¡± ¡°How can you agree to a marriage alliance when you¡¯re already pregnant with a brat? How utterly shameless!¡± From the Harmons to the Grants, everyone was admonishing and chastising Natasha for what she had done. Some of her close rtives were so furious that they didn¡¯t even know what to say. Even Dustin himself was surprised to hear that. Was this the trump card that Natasha imed to have? Wasn¡¯t it too much? It didn¡¯t seem like the best idea out there. She had totally destroyed her reputation just to get out of the marriage arrangement. He had to admit that he was impressed by this trick she pulled, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling bad for her. He could already imagine the mean words and criticism that would be thrown her way from now on. ¡°Natasha Harmon! I¡¯ve shown you enough patience and tolerance, but this is too much! You¡¯re pushing my boundaries!¡± Tyler slowly stood up with a dark expression. No matter howposed he usually was, he could no longer stay calm now. *The me is on me, and for that, I am sorry. If you need any form ofpensation, just let me know.¡± Natasha said. ¡°Compensation?¡± Tyler scoffed. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re being smart by pulling something like this? That everything will go your way because of what you said?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Uneasiness crept up over Natasha. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I hate the most, Natasha, it¡¯s being lied to. You better pray that I don¡¯t ever find out that your pregnancy is a sham or who knows what I¡¯ll do to you. Also, you won¡¯t be getting what you wished for. I will not call off the marriage. I stand by what I said. You¡¯re mine, and nobody¡¯s ever going to change that. It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not you¡¯re pregnant, and it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re dead or alive. What¡¯s mine will stay with me forever! I will be back for you in 10 days, and if you Harmons insist on rejecting the marriage. arrangement, I¡¯ll take it that you choose to be enemies of the Grant family. As for what wille of that, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more than aware. With that, Tyler turned and left, but his words left Natasha in a state of stupor, She did not expect Tyler to be so persistent even when things had turned out the way they had. ¡°Count yourself lucky that my brother is still willing to ept you, Natasha! But I have you know, people like you will never have an easy time in the Grant household!¡± Ja followed in Tyler¡¯s footsteps after she hissed meanly. ¡°Oh, Natasha! What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Jessica was so upset that she was just short of pulling her hair out.¡± You¡¯ve just managed to ruin what was supposed to be a perfect marriage! It was foolish of you to pull something so absurd!¡± ¡°Natasha, Tyler isn¡¯t an average person. You¡¯ll never fool him with your pregnancy deception. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ve gotten yourself into some deep trouble!¡± Hector sighed. The only reason he had gone along with the act was because he bore hopes of freeing her from the marriage arrangement, but who would have thought that Tyler didn¡¯t buy it at all? And not only so, he did not seem to have any intention of calling off the marriage at all! *There must be some other way¡­ Natasha¡¯s brow was deeply furrowed as she cracked her head thinking of a way out of her predicament. The way things had yed out was beyond her expectations, and she was in a dilemma right now. ¡°Dustin, hurry. You should get out of Millsburg pronto! Knowing Tyler, he¡¯d never let you off the hook!¡± Hector was suddenly reminded of the danger Dustin was in. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Mr. Harmon. Tyler won¡¯t be able to mess with me so easily.¡± Dustin smiled and continued, Oh, and leave the matter of calling off the marriage to me. If persuasion doesn¡¯t work on him, then we¡¯ll try more aggressive means. Chapter 468 ¡°More aggressive means?¡± Hector and the rest of the Harmons were taken aback by Dustin¡¯s suggestion, and they all stared at him like he had gone out of his mind. He wanted to use more aggressive means against the Grants? Did he have a death wish? ¡°Dustin, if you have a death wish, that¡¯s all on you. Please do not implicate us!¡± Jessica said sternly with a frown. From how she saw it, her daughter¡¯s rebellion and her publicly calling off the marriage were all because of Dustin, so she harbored some form off resentment toward him. ¡°Tyler Grant isn¡¯t an ordinary person. He has the smarts and the brawns, he¡¯s courageous and witty, and most importantly, he¡¯s got military ranks. It would be arduous to make him back off.¡± Hector shook his head. ¡°Every man has his weaknesses. As long as I grab hold of his weakness, I¡¯ll be able to turn the tables. We¡¯ve got 10 days left. I¡¯ll make sure that I smoothen everything out nicely.¡± Dustin promised with certainty. ¡°Act within your means, boy. Don¡¯t push things, or you¡¯ll bring doom upon yourself,¡± Hector warned him gravely. He was thankful to Dustin and did not wish to see him putting himself at risk. ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Harmon. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Dustin nodded. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dustin, why don¡¯t you stay at the Harmon vi for the next few days? I don¡¯t think that Tyler would do anything over the top on our turl,¡± Natasha suggested. ¡°No!¡± Natasha¡¯s suggestion elicited an immediate rejection from Jessica. ¡°It would make things immensely worse if the Grants were to find out that Dustin is staying here!¡± ¡°Well things have already fallen apart between us. Will this make any difference?¡± Natasha raised a brow. ¡°The situation as of now is still salvageable, but if you continue provoking Tyler, then you¡¯re putting us all in grave danger!¡± Jessica said sternly. With the power and authority the Grants possessed, they had infinite ways of making the Harmons¡® lives a living hell. ¡°Mrs. Harmon¡¯s right. Now¡¯s not the time to be making enemies. It¡¯d be best for us to keep a low profile for the next few days.¡± Dustin nodded in agreement. It went without saying that he did not fear the Grants, but that did not mean that the Harmons did not fear them too. ¡°What if Tyler wants to kill you?¡± Natasha frowned. ¡°Well, that¡¯d be a wishe true! I haven¡¯t had the chance to loosen up for the longest time! I¡¯d wee a punching bag.¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m being serious here! This is a grave matter!¡± Natasha chided hullily. The Grants weren¡¯t part of the martial world, so they weren¡¯t bound by all the rules of the martial world. They had no qualms about killing someone off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Stay home and wait for my good news!¡± Dustin soon left after setting Natasha at ease. Things weren¡¯t looking good for the Harmons. On the one hand, they had to deal with the Dark Lord, and on the other, the Grants. One was hiding, and the other was up on the surface. Neither one of them was easy to deal with. It would be a challenge for him to deal with both of them alone. He had to come up with a perfect strategy to settle everything. ¡°Did I really act too impulsively today, Dad?¡± Natasha let out a sigh as she watched Dustin walk away. She had thought that she could anger Tyler into canceling the arrangement, but it turned out that not only did her n not work, but she had also nted Dustin in a precarious position. She was sure Tyler would find all sorts of ways to make life difficult for him. ¡°You were pretty rash Indeed, but what¡¯s happened has happened. There¡¯s no point dwelling on it any further. We¡¯d be better off thinking about how to deal with it.¡± Hector said thoughtfully. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to Grandpa?¡± Natasha asked warily. ¡°Why should we go to him? We, Harmons, do not need his help!¡± Hector¡¯s expression turned cold. The usually calm and collected man suddenly lost his cool as though she had brought up something sensitive which should not have been mentioned. Natasha dared not speak anymore when she saw how agitated her father was. Standing by the side, Jessica sighed when she heard the conversation between them. It seemed almost impossible to bridge the gap between the two families. At the same time, over in the backseat of a luxurious car. Chapter 469 Tyler leaned back into the seat. Even as he took a rest with his eyes closed, he exuded an air of danger. ¡°Tyler! That wretched girl Natasha is really too much! We need to bring her into line!¡± Ja sat beside Tyler, still indignant over Natasha¡¯s words. Her brother was such a remarkable person who was outstanding in every aspect. Natasha should have counted her blessings and thanked every deity she knew that he even wanted to marry her! But not only did she not appreciate him, she dared to call off the marriage alliance in front of such a crowd. This was humiliation through and through! ¡°Say something. Tyler! That bitch cheated on you! Are you really not pissed off by that?¡± Ja was even more disgruntled by Tyler¡¯s silence. His fianc¨¦e had cheated on him with another man and even got herself pregnant! This was something that would never sit well with any man! ¡°There¡¯s no point getting all worked up.¡± Tyler said with indifference. ¡°I am not marrying Natasha because I like her. I only have my eyes on the potential she holds, so it matters not to me whether or not she¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°Surely you can¡¯t be serious, Tyler! She cheated on you! Does that not matter to you?¡± Ja thought that her ears were ying tricks on her. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I am only interested in results. I don¡¯t care what means it takes to achieve the results I¡¯m after. I will marry Natasha, and that¡¯s final. Whoever dares stop me from getting what I want, Ill see to it that they die.¡± Tyler¡¯s tone remained as detached as ever. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Tyler,¡± Ja said as she shrunk back into her seat. She¡¯d been away from her brother for two years, and she was starting to find that he was getting increasingly unfeeling. A man who was unaffected by being cheated on by his fianc¨¦e. He truly seemed quite terrifying to her now. ¡°What do you know about the man who was with Natasha, Ja?¡± Tyler changed the topic. ¡°He¡¯s Dustin Rhys, a medical practitioner. He lucked out and got a flower of Crimson Gem at an auction not too long ago. We had a little argument over that.¡± Ja told Tyler all that she knew about Dustin. After her disagreement with him back then, she ran a thorough check on him, but she found nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°The flower of Crimson Gem is quite valuable. I want it,¡± Tyler said nonchntly. ¡°Get some of our men to retrieve it, and get rid of the scumbag while they¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Ja¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. She had been nning to exact revenge on him for the longest time. Now that she had her brother¡¯s support, she was sure she¡¯d get things to go her way. On Dustin¡¯s way back, his phone rang. He took his phone out to see that it was a call from Dahlia. ¡°Dustin, where have you been for the past few days? I haven¡¯t heard from you for quite some time. I went to the medical center to see you, but Maximus said you¡¯ve gone missing for several days.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got some matters to attend to in Millsburg. I won¡¯t be back so soon,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Is that so? What a nice coincidence! I¡¯m in Millsburg too! I just got off the train. I called to bid you goodbye, didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d get here before I did!¡± Dahlia sounded surprised. ¡°What are you doing here in Millsburg? Dustin was taken aback. ¡°The Nicholson family¡¯s business, Cardinal Group, is located here in Millsburg, so I¡¯vee to take over the position of chairperson,¡± Dahlia told him. ¡°I see.¡± Upon giving it more thought, it made sense for thepany to be in Millsburg. After all, many elites were gathered here in Millsburg, so many huge corporations and enterprises chose to establish their presence. and operations here. ¡°Shall we have lunch together? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you,¡± Dahlia invited. ¡°Sure. Where are we having lunch?¡± ¡°Spices Diner.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡± Dustin ended the call and told the chauffeur to head straight to Spices Diner. Chapter 470 Over at Spices Diner, Florence sat in a booth and took in the sight around her, asionally commenting on what she saw. ¡°Look, Dahlia. Things are so different here in Millsburg. Every other diner here looks so posh! I¡¯ve decided! I¡¯ll stay here in Millsburg for good! This is such a huge and advanced city! Everything¡¯s so convenient here, and it¡¯s way better than stuffy old Swinton!¡± There was nothing much Dahlia could do but listen helplessly. She had nned oning to Millsburg to assume her position alone, but Florence and James insisted on tagging along. They imed that they didn¡¯t want hering to Millsburg alone with no one to rely on and that they¡¯d be more at ease knowing that they¡¯d be able to help her and take care of her. ¡°Mom, does Aunt Victoria live nearby?¡± James suddenly asked out of nowhere. ¡°She does! And I¡¯ve invited her to join us for lunch. She should be here by now.¡± Florence nodded. As they spoke, a group of three came in through the door, led by a morously dressed middle¨Caged woman. She was adorned from head to toe in gold, from gold nes to gold earrings and rings. She appeared every part a wealthy woman, and she was none other than Florence¡¯s sister, Victoria Franklin. Following behind her were Julie and an attractive young man. ¡°You¡¯re here, Victoria! Quick, have a seat!¡± Florence immediately stood up and weed them enthusiastically when she saw theming in through the door. ¡°Florence, why have you decided to visit Millsburg? Victoria eyed her from head to toe, deliberately showing off her gold bangles and the thick gold rings on her fingers as she spoke. ¡°Dahlia¡¯s running apany here in Millsburg, so we followed her here.¡± Florence chuckled. Then, it finally registered with her how shily Victoria had dressed up. ¡°Hey, have you hit the jackpot? Where¡¯d you get all your jewelry from?¡± ¡°Haha! These are nothing! I¡¯ve got loads more at home!¡± Victoria smiled smugly. ¡°I have to say, I¡¯ve got quite an aplished daughter. She recently made a hundred million dors, so she got me some jewelry.¡± ¡°What? A hundred million dors?¡± Florence¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Julie, since when were you so capable?¡± Dahlia had toiled and suffered for three whole years to start up Quine Group, and even she did not have a hundred million in cash. Julie had struck il rich indeed! ¡°Oh, Aunt Florence, have you forgotten I graduated from a prestigious university? I¡¯ve always been capable! You just don¡¯t know it.¡± Julie hugged her arms arrogantly. She had returned to Millsburg and enjoyed all of N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. life¡¯s pleasure after selling off Florence¡¯s sapphire. ¡°I guess I never found out.¡± Florence shot her an awkward smile. ¡°Florence, how long does it take for Dahlia to make a hundred million dors? A year or two? Well, Julie did it in three days!¡± Victoria announced proudly. ¡°Three days? You wouldn¡¯t get rich so soon even if you robbed a bank!¡± James had his doubts. ¡°Oh, you have such a limited worldview,¡± Julie made a disdainful face. ¡°Victoria, who¡¯s this with you?¡± Florence¡¯s gaze stopped on the charming young man who stood beside Julie. ¡°Oh, this is my daughter¡¯s boyfriend. He¡¯s Terrence Stone.¡± At the mention of Terrence, Victoria was even more chuffed up. ¡°Terrence is a manager in Brooks Corporation. A fine young man with broad connections, he is. Oh, by the way, do you know Brooks Corporation? That¡¯s arge enterprise worth several billion in market value!¡± ¡°Worth billions?¡± Florence was shocked to hear that. Cardinal Group was big enough of a deal for her. The prospect of apany with a value of up to billions was unimaginable. Was this the kind of grandeur that Millsburg had to offer? Chapter 471 ¡°I guess you can say that I have quite an influence here in Millsburg, so if any of you ever run into any problems here, you cane to me,¡± Terrence said as he handed out his name card. As he spoke, he shot Dahlia one too many nces. A hint of lust shed in his eyes. Dahlia was, after all, a bombshell. Not only did she have a perfect figure, but her face was also exquisite. She was unlike any other woman he¡¯d seen before and definitely in a much different leaguepared to Julie. ¡°Very impressive, Mr. Stone! Here, take a seat, everyone.¡± As Florence gestured for them to take their seats, she called out to the waitstaff, ¡°Excuse me, we¡¯re ready for our meal now!¡± ¡°Hang on,¡± Dahlia piped up. ¡°We¡¯re missing one person.¡± ¡°Oh? Who else are we expecting?¡± Florence looked around them, puzzled. Just as Dahlia was about to speak, Dustin gracefully made his way in through the doors. ¡°Over here!¡± Dahlia stood up and beckoned for Dustin to join them. Herpany turned around to see who it was and collectively frowned. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Florence was obviously displeased. Because of her prejudice toward him, she still held him in disdain. ¡°Sorry to keep you all waiting.¡± Dustin went up to them and smiled politely. ¡°We weren¡¯t waiting for you!¡± Florence said curtly. ¡°You sure are a pesky one, Rhys! We¡¯ve just arrived in Millsburg, and you¡¯ve followed us here? You haven¡¯t been tailing us, have you?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯ve been in Millsburg for the past few days.¡± Dustin said calmly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Hah! Who knows if you knew that we¡¯d being here beforehand?¡± Florence pursed her lips. Her daughter was now the chairwoman of Cardinal Group, and she¡¯d had a huge leap in status. Dustin was nowhere good enough for her anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Mom. I was the one who invited Dustin for lunch,¡± Dahlia exined. ¡°Fine, whatever. Since you¡¯re already here, you can join us.¡± Florence couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. ¡°Have a seat,¡± Dahlia patted the seat beside her, indicating Dustin to sit beside her. Her caring and attentive gesture, however, seemed to have caught Terrence¡¯s attention. A cold glint rose in his eyes. ¡°Damn it! Why would such a gorgeous and thoughtful woman be attracted to such a douchebag?¡± He thought to himself. ¡°Buddy, you don¡¯t sound like you¡¯re local. Mind sharing where you¡¯re working?¡± Terrence smiled insincerely. ¡°Where he¡¯s working? Hah! He¡¯s just a grubby old medical practitioner with no formal qualifications,¡± Florence scorned. From how she saw things, Dustin¡¯s sess today was all thanks to Natasha. Simply put, he was nothing more than a toy boy. ¡°You practice medicine without qualifications?¡± Terrence was briefly stunned before he burst out laughing.¡± That¡¯s a rare one. You¡¯d barely be able to sustain yourself with such a job, would you? Things must be hard for you.¡± He was tantly poking fun and regarded Dustin with a dismissive attitude. ¡°You¡¯re right. It is tough. I barely get any patients. I¡¯d call it a good month if I even get five patients coming in.¡± Dustin said, unbothered by Terrence¡¯sments. ¡°Hah! Then why are you still practicing it?¡± Terrence adjusted his tie and said pompously. ¡°I say, why don¡¯t you work for me? It just so happens that I¡¯m in need of a chauffeur. If you can drive, why don¡¯t you be my chauffeur? I¡¯ll pay you a monthly sry of ten thousand dors. How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯m not interested.¡± Dustin shook his head. Chapter 472 ¡°My man, this is a pretty decent sry. You won¡¯t get a better offer anywhere else! Il you do a good job, I might even give you a bonus!¡± Terrence jibed. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that Terrence is offering you this position as his chauffeur, Dustin. You¡¯ll regret it if you pass on this opportunity!¡± Julie said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s right! Terrence is the manager of Brooks Corporation, and he has a bright future ahead. You¡¯ll get a lot of extra perks working for him. What¡¯s there to not like about it?¡± Victoria echoed. ¡°Is Brooks Corporation that big of a deal?¡± Dustin still wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°You don¡¯t know Brooks Corporation? It¡¯s a huge enterprise worth over hundreds of billions! You¡¯ll live a life of luxury if you¡¯re even the least bit affiliated with it!¡± Victoria scorned. He truly was a country bumpkin who knew nothing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± Dustin shook his head yet again. He didn¡¯t know much about the business sector in Millsburg. *Alright, so you¡¯ve never heard of Brooks Corporation. But how about Big Bucks Brooks? Surely you¡¯ve heard of him? He¡¯s renowned in the whole of Balerno!¡± Terrence smirked. ¡°Big Bucks Brooks?¡± Dustin raised his brows. ¡°Of course, I know him.¡± ¡°Great. Well, Brooks Corporation is one of Big Bucks Brooks¡® businesses, and I work for him!¡± Terrence dered self¨Cimportantly. ¡°Oh? So you work for Roderick? What coincidence!¡± Dustin chuckled. ¡°What do you mean? Do you know him?¡± Terrence¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Of course I do! He used to seek medical help from me!¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Seek your help?¡± Terrence sniggered. ¡°You¡¯re quite a liar, aren¡¯t you, my man? Have you even got any idea how influential Big Bucks Brooks is? How could he possibly go to an unqualified medical practitioner like you for help?¡± ¡°Exactly! There are reputable doctors everywhere here in Millsburg! Why would he seek medical help from you, of all people, when he can go to them? Who do you think you are?¡± Julie said with contempt. ¡°Hey, Rhys! Quit acting all important when you haven¡¯t even gone through proper medical training! How disgusting!¡± Florence frowned. Since Dahlia was the one who invited him over, she felt embarrassed now that he was ousted as a liar. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Well, how about I give Roderick a call now?¡± Dustin proposed. ¡°Sure! Go on, call him. I¡¯d like to see for myself just how well¨Cconnected you are.¡± Terrenceughed maliciously. Even as manager of Brooks Corporation, he didn¡¯t have Big Bucks Brooks¡® number. How could this punk be acquainted with him? How ridiculous! ¡°Yeah, go on! I¡¯d be impressed if you actually got ahold of him!¡± Julle sneered. ¡°Okay.¡± Without wasting any time, Dustin pulled out his phone and made a call to Roderick Brooks. But after quite some time, the call still didn¡¯t get through. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is he not picking up? Haha! Well, carry on then, Terrence joked sarcastically. He was sure that Dustin was just putting on a show. ¡°Hey! Are you done yet? Everyone can tell that you¡¯re taking it! Are you really going to carry on with the act?¡± Julie asked condescendingly. ¡°Hah! What an embarrassment!¡± Florence was very much annoyed. ¡°Forget it. Dustin. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Dahlia saw that things weren¡¯t going well for him, so she quickly attempted to help him out of the awkward situation. Everyone knew Big Bucks Brooks. He single¨Chandedly controlled Millsburg¡¯s economy, so he definitely wasn¡¯t someone who just anyone could establish a connection with. ¡°It got through.¡± Just as everyone held Dustin contemptuously. Roderick finally picked up his call. ¡°Oh? The call got through? Here, let me hear what he has to say!¡± Terrence teased nastily and snatched the phone right out of Dustin¡¯s hand before putting the call on speaker mode so that everyone could hear the conversation. ¡°Hello, who is this? Are you Big Bucks Brooks? Hey, Mr. Brooks, I¡¯d just like to know, are you nning on ying along with the act too?¡± he asked derisively. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not Mr. Rhys! Who are you?¡± Roderick asked. ¡°Me? Hahaha! I¡¯m Terrence Stone, manager of Brooks Corporation! You¡¯re pretending to be Roderick Brooks, aren¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± Terrence scoffed.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Terrence Stone, right? Very well. I¡¯ll remember you.¡± Chapter 473 ¡°So what? What can you do to me?¡± Terrence taunted, unaware of the impending trouble he had brought upon himself. ¡°I¡¯m Roderick Brooks, and you work for me. What do you think I can do to you?¡± Roderick asked coldly. ¡°Still keeping up the act, I see. Do you think I¡¯d really buy this crap you¡¯re spouting?¡± Terrence snorted. *Terrence Stone, I¡¯m officially informing you that you have been fired by Brooks Corporation, effective today. You need note to work tomorrow.¡± Roderick wasted no time in making the decision. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re firing me? You¡¯re something else, aren¡¯t you!¡± Terrence gulfawed. ¡°Truth be told, I have a powerful person backing me up in Brooks Corporation. Even Roderick Brooks is in no position to fire me, much less an impostor like you!¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, would you be so kind as to enlighten me who the person backing you up might be?¡± Roderick asked sternly. If someone like this was the manager, it was high time Brooks Corporation had a restructuring. ¡°You have no business finding out who the person is. All you need to know is that you¡¯ll be sorry if you ever mess with me!¡® Terrence expressed conceitedly. ¡°How insolent!¡± Roderick huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time speaking to you. Pass the phone to Mr. Rhys!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t hold up the act any longer? You¡¯re no fun.¡± Terrence then tossed the phone back to Dustin and ridiculed, ¡°My man, this actor you found yourself is pretty ipetent at what he does! Hecks the necessary charisma. I say he needs to go back and brush up on his skills!¡± ¡°Actor?¡± Dustin stifled augh. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying: he really is Roderick Brooks!¡± ¡°Heh! If he¡¯s Roderick Brooks, then I¡¯m Roderick Brooks¡® father!¡± Terrence said without giving it much thought. Dustin simply found him amusing. Terrence was quite a stubborn one. Dustin had already reminded him multiple times that it was really Roderick Brooks he was speaking with, and yet he took no heed and continued to speak with such arrogance. He¡¯d be in for a lough time when he went to work the next day. ¡°Mr. Rhys, do you know this person?¡± Roderick suppressed his anger. ¡°I don¡¯t know him well. This is my first time meeting him,¡± Dustin said with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Roderick heaved a sigh of relief. If Dustin were on close terms with Terrence, then he wouldn¡¯t act rashly. But since they weren¡¯t, he could handle things his way. ¡°Alright, Mr. Brooks, I¡¯ll leave you to carry on with your day then. I¡¯ll contact you some other time.¡± Dustin quickly ended the call. His intention had just been to give Terrence a warning so that he didn¡¯t behave so arrogantly. Who¡¯d have known that he was so foolhardy and went so far as to insult his boss like that? ¡°Your act¡¯s been busted, my man. Is there any point keeping it going?¡± Terrence looked down his nose at Dustin, wearing a wise and discerning expression as if he had seen through Dustin¡¯s lie. ¡°Hah! I think he¡¯s the only one fooled by his act! Some people really know no shame! Julie shook her head, looking at Dustin like he was nothing but a clown. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of all this, Florence? How could you bring a scammer to our table? Are you insulting us?¡± Victoria was upsel. ¡°Dustin! Can you please cut your bullshit? Are you not ashamed of yourself? Because I am!¡± Florence shot daggers at him out of her eyes. Why did he have to act like he was all that when they were just having a meal? And what¡¯s worse was that his lie got busted! It was downright embarrassing! ¡°There¡¯s no point saying anything more. You¡¯ll find out the truth tomorrow.¡± Dustin gave a faint smile, not bothering to exin further. He knew that no matter what he said, these people weren¡¯t going to believe him. ¡°Quick! This is the ce! I saw him go in!¡± Right then, amotion broke out at the door. They looked up and saw an obese man with a bunch of henchmening in menacingly. The person taking the lead was none other than Duncan Doyle, who had had a run¨Cin with Dustin in a bar a few days back. ¡°Here he is!¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes swept across the diner, and he quickly spotted Dustin. With his henchmen in tow. he stormed up to him. Chapter 474 ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why are they headed our way? They look like they¡¯re up to no good. They¡¯re not here to give us trouble, are they?¡± Florence fidgeted anxiously in her seat. ¡°They¡¯re here for me.¡± Dustin piped up. ¡°You? Have you offended someone again?¡± Dahlia frowned. She noticed that Dustin ran into quite a lot of trouble these days. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly say I offended him, per se. I simply beat him up to teach him a lesson on how to behave,¡± Dustin said calmly. *This is not Swinton. There are influential people all around. There are some people that we simply cannot afford to cross!¡± Dahlia whispered. Though she was now chairwoman of Cardinal Group, the handover had yet to bepleted, so she had neither funds, connections, nor experience. At this stage of her life, what she needed to do was to make more connections, keep a low profile, and stay out of trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. Miss Dahlia. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll make sure that nobody kicks up a fuss here.¡± Terrence shot her a confident smile, trying to portray the image of a savior. He¡¯d never pass up the opportunity to flex his muscles in front of such a beautifuldy. Every man wanted to y the part of a hero saving the damsel in distress. ¡°Dahlia, Terrence has some very powerful people backing him up. With the connections he has, these rascals don¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Julie said proudly as she hooked an arm around Terrence¡¯s. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll have to thank Terrence in advance.¡± Dahlia managed to force a smile on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Terrence said with a wave of his hand as he beamed joyfully, thinking it¡¯d be effortless to deal with these thugs. ¡°You scoundrel! I¡¯ve been searching high and low for you for the past two days! You can¡¯t run away now!¡± Duncan advanced with a threatening smile on his face. His malicious gaze was fixed on Dustin. ¡°Why were you searching for me? Have you finally realized that you were wrong and were looking for me to apologize?¡± A hint of a smile tugged on Dustin¡¯s lips. ¡°Apologize, my foot!¡± Duncan¡¯s face fell as he roared. ¡°Two days ago, you humiliated me and gave me three ps across the face. I swear I¡¯ll chop your hands off today, you asshole!¡± ¡°Excuse me, sir, Please calm down. If Dustin has hurt you in any way at all, I¡¯ll pay you for the damages he¡¯s done.¡± Dahlia stood to alleviate the tension. Surprised that someone would stand up for Dustin, Duncan gave Dahlia a good look before his eyes lit up. ¡°Gorgeous! Thisdy is gorgeous Indeed!¡± he thought. He¡¯d set eyes on many beautifuldies before, but this was something else. She was truly a rare beauty! N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Hey loser, is this your girlfriend? She¡¯s quite hot.¡± Duncan stroked his chin as he leered at Dahlia with a smirk. ¡®I¡¯ll strike you a deal. If you let your girlfriend sleep with me for one night, I¡¯ll let you off the hook for that ass move you pulledst time. How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You insolent bastard!¡± Before Dustin could say anything, Terrence mmed his list on the table and stood up. ¡°Which sect do you belong to? Don¡¯t you know that men¡¯s disagreements should be settled between men? So keep thedy out of your dirty business!¡± ¡°And who are you to run your mouth here, you cad?¡± Duncan squinted at him. ¡°Hmph! I am Terrence Stone, manager of Brooks Corporation! If you know what¡¯s good for you, you better scram, or I¡¯ll make you regret the day you were born!¡± Terrence said with his hands behind his back, going for a look of superiority. Brooks Corporation was a giant in the Millsburg business industry and had enormous influence over the market, so Terrence was used to people backing off the moment he told them that he worked for Brocks Corporation. It worked like a charm. ¡°Manager of Brooks Corporation?¡± Duncan¡¯s expression darkened when he heard that, and within a split second, he went up to Terrence and gave him a hard p across the face. ¡°Fuck you! How dare a measly manager behave so pompously? Do you have a death wish?¡± Chapter 475 With a loud smack, Duncan¡¯s hand made contact with Terrence¡¯s cheek. The force was so strong that he staggered backward, nearly tripping over himself. The crimson outline of a palm blossomed on his face, clear for all to see. Julie, along with the rest of them, were astonished by what they saw. It was beyond their expectation that these thugs would be so dauntless as to assault the manager of Brooks Corporation. Were they out of their minds? ¡°You¨CHow dare you hit me!¡± Terrence held his cheek in his hand, gasping in disbelief. ¡°Do you not know who I am? I am a managerial level in Brooks Corporation!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°So what?¡± Without another word, Duncan gave him another hard p. I¡¯d probably be intimidated if Roderick Brooks himself were here. But a mere manager? Do you think I¡¯d be afraid of you?¡± ¡°You scumbag! You¡¯re done for, I¡¯m telling you! How dare you hit me! I¡¯ll make you pay if it¡¯s thest thing I do! Beside himself with rage. Terrence pulled his phone out and was about to call for backup. ¡°Fuck you!¡± Duncan kicked Terrence to the ground and bellowed, ¡°How dare you act so arrogantly when death is staring you in the face? Get him, boys! Give him a good beating and show him who¡¯s boss! With his orders, his henchmen came forward and rained kicks and punches down on Terrence. ¡°Stop it! Stop this immediately, or I¡¯m calling the cops! Julie shouted. These thugs were going to be in deep trouble for messing with Terrence! ¡°Call the cops? Yeah, you go ahead and try that, and you¡¯ll be walking out of here with one arm less!¡± Duncan red at her nastily. That did the trick and shut Julie up. ¡°You you you¡¯re too much!¡± Victoria was so angry, but there was nothing she could do, and that added to her frustration. She was consumed by distress at the sight of her prospective son¨Cinw being beaten up. ¡°This is all your fault, Rhys! If it wasn¡¯t for you, Terrence would never have been beaten up!¡± As usual Florence pinned the me on Dustin. Bullying people that she thought were weaker than her was what she did best. ¡°I¡¯m not the one beating him up! What¡¯s this got to do with me?¡± Dustin was speechless. After all, it was Terrence who wanted to be the hero of the day but ended up embarrassing himself. ¡°Hmph! Terrence was helping you, and you¡¯re here making sarcasticments. Are you even human?¡± Florence demanded furiously. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯m not. If you are, why don¡¯t you go ahead and save him?¡± Dustin gestured in Terrence¡¯s direction. ¡°You-¡± Florence was rendered speechless. She would never dare to save Terrence because she feared that she would be implicated. ¡°Dustin, you fight well, Hurry! Go help him out!¡± Dahlia¡¯s brow was lurrowed. Terrence had meant to help them, so she could not just stand there and watch him being assaulted without doing anything about it. ¡°Alright.¡± Since Dahlia was the one who asked, Dustin finally got up and gave several of the henchmen kicks that sent them flying. ¡°You¡¯ve had your fun, and your anger should have subsided. That¡¯s enough,¡± he said Óà Chester +75 nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re in deep shit yourself! How dare you concem yourself with other people¡¯s business?¡± Duncan spat spitefully. ¡°Come straight at me if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re displeased about. Do you even call yourself a man if you bully the weak?¡± Dustin said calmly. Terrence, who was cowering on the ground, looked insulted when he heard. Dustin calling him weak. He had meant to flex his muscles and show off how powerful he was, but these thugs had no regard for his status whatsoever! And because of that, not only did he get beaten up, Dustin ended up walking away with the credit that was supposed to be his. This was humiliation unlike any other! ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t attack him. I¡¯ll attack you instead!¡± Duncan smiled viciously and beckoned for his men to go forward with a wave. ¡°Mess him up! And go all out while you¡¯re at it! I¡¯ll bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The group of henchmen answered and charged up toward Dustin all at once. At the sight of that. Dustinposedly picked up a handful of cutleries from the table and threw them straight ahead. As the whooshing sound halted, everyone saw that the forks and knives were half¨Cburied in the henchmen¡¯s thighs. Chapter 476 ¡°Ah!¡± There were a series of loud cries as the henchmen were caught off¨Cguard, falling to the floor one after another and rolling around in pain. In a blink of an eye, the floor was littered with people. Everyone had a fork or a knife lodged so deeply in their thighs that they couldn¡¯t even pull it out. ¡°What?¡± Duncan couldn¡¯t help but be startled by the sight. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He had carefully handpicked these henchmen. All of them had gone through extensive training and were highly skilled. Typically speaking, a ten¨Cagainst¨Cone battle would have ended in an overwhelming but predictable victory on one side. Yet, never in his dreams would he have expected that all of his men would have fallen just like that. Were cutleries supposed to be this deadly? ¡°What? That bastard is this strong?¡± Victoria couldn¡¯t help but be shell¨Cshocked by how nonchnt Dustin looked. In her mind, Dustin was just an insignificant small fry. How was he capable of that? ¡°Fuck! Turns out he¡¯s had some training. Why didn¡¯t he act sooner?¡± Terrence gritted his teeth, feeling the soreness throughout his body. If Dustin hade to his rescue sooner, he wouldn¡¯t have had to get beat up for nothing! Undoubtedly, that bastard just wanted to embarrass him! ¡°Rhys seems to be getting better and better at fighting.¡± Florence and the rest were secretly stunned. Although they knew that Dustin was a decent fighter, seeing him end a battle in a single second like that was shocking enough. ¡°You want to take revenge on me, but you only brought so few people? That may be a tall order.¡± Dustin stared into Duncan¡¯s eyes and continued indifferently. ¡°If you break one of your arms and promise never to appear in front of me again, I may consider letting you off this time.¡± ¡°Letting me off?¡± After a brief moment of surprise, Duncan burst into menacingughter. ¡°Punk, I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯ve got something in you, and just any henchman is no match for you. However, if you think that victory is in your hands, then you¡¯re majorly mistaken!¡± ¡°Hmm, are you saying you have another trick up your sleeve?¡± A shadow of a smile crossed Dustin¡¯s face. ¡°Of course!¡± Duncan said with confidence. ¡°After all, I¡¯m here for revenge, so of course I made preparations. You¡¯re a good fighter, aren¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯ll bring out someone who is an even better fighter than you now!¡± With that, he pped his hands twice. Suddenly, two men in tracksuits walked in. One was in his forties, while the other was in his early twenties. From the looks of it, they had to be father and son. Not only did their faces resemble each other¡¯s, but they also had simr builds; both of them had burly figures sculpted from solid muscles, and veins popped through their skin like earthworms. They looked terrifying. ¡°Punk, do you know who they are?¡± Duncan said gleefully. ¡°They¡¯re the famous Sander father¨Cson duo of the martial world, Cobalt and Flint Sander!¡± ¡°The Sander father¨Cson duo?¡± When Terrence heard this, his expression immediately changed. Others might not know it, but he knew very well how strong the Sanders were. The son, Flint, was already ranked thirteenth on the Hundred Immortals. Meanwhile, the father, Cobalt, was ranked second! What did being ranked second entail? He was already far past the capabilities of the average person. He could smash rocks with his hands and feet. Rumor had it that when Cobalt was at his peak, he had challenged 27 dojos in Millsburg in a row. Not to mention, he won every single time! That alone was a testament to his immense power! Chapter 477 Secing Cobalt and Flint stride in, shivers ran down Terrence¡¯s spine. ¡°Just who is this bastard? How did he manage to get the Sander father¨Cson duo here?!¡± These two were renowned top dogs in the martial world. Either one of them could take on a hundred opponents at once. They rarely showed up for anyone; it was definitely no easy feat to have invited these two to a light. ¡°Terrence, who is the Sander father¨Cson duo? Are they very powerful?¡± Julie asked from the side. ¡°Powerful? To the average person, these two are monsters! Especially the one named Cobalt¨Che¡¯s an absolutely terrifying freak. He kills like it¡¯s nothing. Countless people have died by their hands!¡± Terence said solemnly. As one of the backbone members of the Brooks Corporation, he naturally knew a thing or two about the martial world. ¡°What? They¡¯re that scary?!¡± Julie shrunk behind Terrence. Although Florence and the others didn¡¯t say anything, they maintained their distance, afraid that they might end up as coteral damage. They had no understanding of the world of martial arts, but from the aura that the Sanders radiated, they were clearly not good people. They couldn¡¯t get on the bad side of people like them, no matter what! ¡°Punk, if you cross the Sander father¨Cson duo, you¡¯re done for!¡± After the shock wore off. Terrence couldn¡¯t help butugh at Dustin¡¯s fate. Because of Dustin, he got beaten up for nothing, so he was mad. Not to mention, Dustin had stolen his thunder, which caused resentment to build within him. Now that Dustin was down on his luck, he almost couldn¡¯t stop himself from pping and cheering. ¡°You bastard, no matter how good you are at fighting, you¡¯re nothing in front of the Sander father¨Cson duo.¡± Duncan said mockingly. ¡°Are they very strong?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°What? You¡¯ve never heard of the Sander father¨Cson duo?¡± Duncan lifted a brow and added, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you a grand introduction today. You¡¯re going to lose so badly that you have no choice but to admit their superiority! The younger one is Flint, ranked thirteen on the Hundred Immortals. His father, Cobalt, is even more impressive. He¡¯s now ranked second on the Hundred Immortals! Do you know what that means? Unless a divine¨Clevel martial arts expert appears, he¡¯s unmatched! No matter how strong you are, you¡¯re nothing in front of number two of the Hundred Immortals. You won¡¯t evenst a second!¡± After listening to all that, Dustan remained unaffected. He grunted nomittally and asked, ¡°And?¡± ¡°And?¡± Duncan sneered. ¡°Punk, you¡¯re truly fearless! It¡¯s expected for a small¨Ctown bumpkin to be so ignorant. But no worries. You¡¯ll learn in a moment how strong the Sander father¨Cson duo is!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Dustin smiled lightly. ¡°I do want to broaden my horizons.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Very well! I¡¯ll grant you your wish!¡± Duncan regarded Dustin like he was on his deathbed. Then, he said to Cobalt, ¡°Master Sander, I¡¯ll leave this bastard in your hands. Don¡¯t kill him yet; leave him alive for me to y with.¡± ¡°Flint, go and meet him.¡± Cobalt wore a cool expression, standing there with his hands behind his back. He had no intention of moving a muscle. Naturally, the second¨Cranked of the Hundred Immortals had a matching ego. If he fought anyone and everyone. then he¡¯d be devaluing himself. In truth, he had zero interest in joining a battle of this level. However, he owed the Doyle family a favor, so he had to show up. ¡°I can solve any problem as long as I¡¯m paid. Don¡¯t me me when I cripple youter,¡± Flint said, slowly approaching Dustin with zing eyes. His muscr body was absolutely threatening. ¡°And I¡¯ll say the same thing to you,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Great! I hope you¡¯ll still be so mouthyter!¡± Flint smiled coldly. He tapped his foot lightly, and his entire figure shot into the air like an arrow leaving the bow. As he got closer to Dustin, he drew his fist back before aiming it toward his abdomen. This punch carried a few tons of force: even a cow would be blown to smithereens, much less a human being. Dustin didn¡¯t attempt to dodge this blow. Instead, he answered it with his own list. Chapter 478 However,paratively, Dustin¡¯s fist was much smaller than Flint¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re asking for it!¡± Flint snorted coldly. He exerted more force in his arm, his internal energy surging out from his body. There was a loud explosion as the two men¡¯s fists collided with each other. Dustin stood there without budging an inch. Cracks began forming beneath his feet. On the other hand, the moment their fists crashed into each other, Flint let out a grunt. He flew backward, mming against the wall heavily, leaving a crater in his wake. The arm that he used to throw the punch was dripping with blood, and his bones were shattered. He couldn¡¯t move anymore. After two seconds, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body began to crumple slowly, sliding down the wall like wet mud. ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Duncan was stunned by what happened. Although Flint wasn¡¯t as strong as Cobalt, he was still ranked thirteen on the Hundred Immortals. However, a figure as powerful as that had been sent flying from a single punch by Dustin. Was that punk that strong? ¡°Hmm?¡± Seeing the severely injured Flint, Cobalt couldn¡¯t help but frown. He thought his appearance would merely be a formality; he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d encounter a skilled fighter. If he could defeat his son with one punch, then that man was not any weaker than him. He had to take this seriously now. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re quite skilled. May I ask who your teacher is?¡± To have such power at such a young age, he must be from a famous guild in the martial arts world. If this man were someone he couldn¡¯t afford to piss off, then he¡¯d be in trouble, so he¡¯d better ask first. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I do not belong to any guild,¡± Dustin answered indifferently. ¡°You don¡¯t belong to any guild?¡± Cobalt¡¯s eyes widened. If that was the case, then it was very scary. ¡°Young man, I think you¡¯re a talent. I don¡¯t want to ughter you, so if you apologize to Duncan today, I¡¯ll let things go. How does that sound?¡± Cobalt said lightly. As a veteran in the world of martial arts, he naturally had his own life philosophy. If he didn¡¯t know his opponent¡¯s background, he¡¯d better not let things get ugly if he could avoid it. ¡°Master Sander, what are you saying? I want you to break his legs, not ask him for a simple apology!¡± Duncan frowned, upset. ¡°Are you telling me what to do?¡± Coball¡¯s face turned icy. ¡°Just because I owe you a small favor, I have to give my life for you?¡± Duncan wore a dark expression, but he didn¡¯t dare retort. Cobalt turned back to Duncan. ¡°Young man, what do you say?¡± ¡°An apology is no problem, of course. However, he owes me an apology, not the other way around,¡± Dustin said with a slight smile. ¡°Huh?¡± Cobalt¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled. ¡°Young man, I¡¯m already making a concession. Don¡¯t take an inch and ask for a mile. You maye from an extraordinary background, but I¡¯m no average Joe either. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the Hill family, one of the Tremendous Three. I was formerly their family¡¯s fighter!¡± ¡°The Hill family?¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t disguise his surprise when he heard this. ¡°It seems like you know the power of the Hill family. In that case, let both parties take a step back and remain cordial. Or else, this serves no one any good,¡± Cobalt said. ¡°Since you were the Hill family¡¯s fighter, I¡¯m sure you recognize this,¡± Dustin said, taking out an emerald badge. ¡°The Consultant Badge?!¡® The moment Cobalt saw the badge, his expression changed. Then, under the shocked gazes of everyone, he fell to one knee, kneeling on the floor with a thud. Chapter 479 ¡°Lord Consultant, greetings! I am fighter Cobalt Sander!¡± Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Cobalt got on one knee and saluted Dustin with a face full of respect. He was the Hill family¡¯s fighter, in other words, he was a high¨Cranking guard. Meanwhile, a consultant waspletely different¨Ca consultant was second only to the master! Everyone, no matter who, referred to him with the respectful address of ¡°sir¡± or ¡°lord.¡± One could count on one hand the number of Consultant Badges the Hill family had given out. There were merely a handful of consultants, but each and every one of them was all¨Cpowerful figures! If Dustin was able to get a Consultant Badge, then that was sufficient proof of his power and worth! ¡°Er Everyone was shocked when Cobalt suddenly got on one knee. They werepletely dumbstruck, their faces full of disbelief. That was none other than the famous Master Sander, the second¨Cranked on the Hundred Immortals! People everywhere worshiped the ground he walked on. Yet, a person of that caliber had actually knelt for Dustin. What the fuck was going on?! Terrence and Duncan were dumbfounded. Julie and the others looked at each other, shocked. They had never expected that just by taking out a badge, Dustin could have scared someone into falling to their knees. In truth, even Dustin hadn¡¯t expected Cobalt to react this way. It seemed like the Hill family¡¯s Consultant Badge was truly exceptional. ¡°M¨CMaster Sander, what are you doing?¡± Duncan asked in shock. He even lookedpletely at a loss. He¡¯d invited Cobalt to fight for him, not kneel for his enemy. Ignoring Duncan¡¯s words, Cobalt remained on one knee on the floor as he uttered a sincere apology. ¡°My lord, forgive me for not recognizing you. I have offended you greatly earlier, but please do not take it to heart.¡± At some point, sweat began to bead on his forehead. The Hill family¡¯s Consultant Badge didn¡¯t just represent power but also a significant status. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that with just one word from a consultant, he could be made to disappear. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were just doing someone a favor. Since things didn¡¯t sour further, then let¡¯s just treat it as a misunderstanding.¡± Dustin said without a hint of aggressiveness. Cobalt¡¯s behavior earlier had at least earned some of his respect. ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± Cobalt said, looking overjoyed. After expressing his gratitude, without any hesitation, he carried his son on his back and left. Although being ranked second on the Hundred Immortals seemed like an amazing feat, it actually didn¡¯t count for nothing in front of a true master. After all, in a ce like Millsburg, there were many hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and divine¨Clevel martial artists were a dime a dozen. Seeing Cobalt flee, Duncan instantly panicked. ¡°Master Sander? What¡¯s going to happen to me if you leave?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen? You¡¯re on your own!¡± Cobalt said, throwing a nce over his shoulder as though he was looking at a dead man. Even the Doyle family couldn¡¯t afford to cross the Hill family¡¯s consultant. ¡°What?¡± Duncan was bbergasted. He was on his own? What the fuck was he going to do? Seeing that the tables had turned, Duncan spat fiercely, ¡°Punk, this is not over! Just you wait!¡± and attempted to slink away. ¡°Hold right there. Did I say you could go?¡± Dustin said indifferently. ¡°Youe and go as you please. What do you take me for?¡± ¡°Punk, I¡¯ve already let you off the hook. What more do you want?¡± Duncan shouted, putting up a fierce front. ¡°Of course, I want to give you a lesson. As I said earlier, I want to break your arm. I can¡¯t just eat my words.¡± Dustin picked up a fork and flung it casually. Chapter 480 The fork whizzed through the air like an arrow leaving the bow and went straight through Duncan¡¯s arm. ¡°Ah!¡± he screamed, cold sweat pouring down his face. ¡°Remember, if this happens again, I won¡¯t stop at just an arm,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°You ¡ª you¡¯re ballsy!¡± Duncan pressed his arm that was bleeding profusely, and ran for his life¨Chis former moments of glory had now turned into a humiliating spectacle. ¡°Dustin, what was that thing you took out earlier? Why did that guy get on his knee immediately when he saw it?¡± Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously once Duncan was gone. The others didn¡¯t utter a word, but they were also bewildered. ¡°Oh, two days ago, I saved a patient, and his family gave me a badge. They told me that if I ever got into trouble, this could save my life. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d actually have to use it,¡± Dustin said with augh. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s unbelievably lucky,¡± Dahlia said, slightly surprised. She had almost thought that he was going to end up in deep shit. ¡°Hmph, how impressive can that be? In the end, he was still riding on someone¡¯s coattails!¡± Terrence said cynically. Dustin¡¯s actions had made him feel ashamed. ¡°You got all the glory because of that little badge. I¡¯m tall, rich, and handsome, but why do I have to be shown up by you?¡± he thought bitterly. ¡°Dustin, to forge iron, you still need a strong hammer. A favor can only be used once, so don¡¯t be too pleased with yourself. Next time, you won¡¯t be this lucky again!¡± Julie said indignantly. Her man was the best man in the world. What was a barefoot doctor inparison? ¡°Really? I guess,¡± Dustin said with a light smile. He was toozy to defend himself. There were always bound to be green¨Ceyed monsters who couldn¡¯t see the glory of others. ¡°Dustin, this badge of yours is really pretty. Can I borrow it for a few days?¡± Florence¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she stared at the Consultant Badge in Dustin¡¯s hand. If she could get her hands on the badge that could make people kneel, then of course she¡¯d want to take it for a spin. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°This badge already has an owner. Even if I gave it to you, you can¡¯t use it. You might even get into trouble,¡± Dustin said, shaking his head. Considering Florence¡¯s personality, if she got a hold of this, she could turn the whole world upside down. ¡°Hmph, what kind of trouble? I think you¡¯re just selfish!¡± Florence¡¯s face turned frigid. ¡°Mom, what do you want to do with Dustin¡¯s badge?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°I just thought it was pretty and wanted to take a closer look. Who would¡¯ve thought that that bastard would be so petty? Whatever, I don¡¯t want it anymore! It¡¯s just a shitty badge; what¡¯s so special about it? You can hold onto it until it rots! Let¡¯s go!¡± Florence blew her top. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat anymore; thus she straight up asked them to leave. ¡°Even at her ripe old age, she still throws tantrums like a child,¡± Dahlia said helplessly, shaking her head. ¡°After so many years. I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡± Dustin thought nothing of it and changed the subject. ¡°By the way. didn¡¯t youe looking for me to discuss something? What was it?¡± ¡°It was nothing. I just wanted to refer you for a job,¡± Dahlia said, forcing a smile. ¡°A job? What kind of job?¡± Dustin was taken aback. ¡°To be the Chief Security Officer of the Nicholson Corp. What do you think?¡± Dahlia arched her brow. ¡°Chief Security Officer? What gave you that idea?¡± Dustin was puzzled. ¡°This is my first time in Millsburg, and I¡¯m not familiar with the people or the ce. Taking on a multibillion- dor corporation, there will surely be many hardships. I need someone to help me,¡± Dahlia exined straightforwardly. ¡°The corporation¡¯s security department is in charge of safety and security. Any sign of trouble has to be taken care of in time. There are many positions in thepany that carry a lot of weight, and this is a role I can¡¯t give to an outsider; I have to keep it within my circle. After giving it a lot of thought, I think you¡¯re the best guy for the role!¡± She¡¯d appointed him Chief Security Officer, half because she trusted him and half because she wished he¡¯d stay by her side. After all, she¡¯d be the closest person to him. If he took on that position, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Natasha stealing him from the shadows. By then, with time, feelings would develop. Well, then things would be up to her, wouldn¡¯t they? Chapter 481 Dustin was in a dilemma. ¡°Dahlia, you know I¡¯m only average at martial arts. I¡¯ve never been a Chief Security Officer before. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m not suited for that post?¡± He was good at fighting and treating illnesses, but he had no experience holding an executive position in apany. It just didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°You just need to be good at fighting.¡± Dahlia smiled at him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. You just need to oversee safety matters and, at the same time, protect me from harm.¡± ¡°Dustin didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Hmph! If you don¡¯t want to do it, fine.¡± She pulled a long face. ¡°I¡¯ll just die a quick death if someone wants to harm me. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not that serious.¡± His eyes twitched. Dahlia responded, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not that serious. Nicholson Corp. has tens of billions in assets. Of course, I don¡¯t need any protection as the newly appointed chairman. It¡¯s not like anyone is after their shares. Please. just remember to collect my body when I¡¯m assassinated.¡± ¡°Stop speaking like that. Alright, I¡¯ll do it, okay?¡± He smiled bitterly. This woman had started learning some tricks. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself. I don¡¯t want you to regret your decision.¡± Dahlia said. Dustin shook his head continuously I¡¯m not forcing myself. And I won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Alright! You¡¯re the one who said it; I didn¡¯t force you.¡± She immediately shed a beautiful smile. He was helpless. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve fallen into your trap.¡± ¡°You should be grateful. There are people waiting for the opportunity to be trapped.¡± She looked up at him proudly. ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯ll treat you well. I didn¡¯t prepare any gifts today, so I¡¯ll give you a small reward first.¡± She stood up on her tiptoes and swiftlynded a peck on his cheek. As she drew back, a waft of a light fragrance followed. Dustin froze and looked at her funny. ¡°Dahlia, you seem to have turned into a delinquent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t guys like delinquent girls?¡± Dahlia retorted wittily. However, her face turned bright red. In the end, she wasn¡¯t able to act freely without restraint like Natasha could. Dustin was thinking of a response when his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Patrick. ¡°Hello, Dustin? Sorry for bothering you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Is there anything I can help you with, Patrick?¡± Dustin¡¯s tone was pleasant. ¡°Well, the thing is, even though my grandfather¡¯s condition has stabilized, he¡¯s been coughing nonstop these past few days, and he doesn¡¯t seem to be in good spirits either. I recalled that you mentioned he needs to take some medicinal wine?¡± ¡°Medicinal wine?¡± Dustin was confused for a moment before it hit him. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve been so busy these past two days that I¡¯ve forgotten about it. But no worries; I¡¯ve had it brewed beforehand. I¡¯ll get someone to deliver it to you immediately.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I see. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Patrick breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. It¡¯s an oversight on my part.¡± Dustin felt embarrassed. Because of the Harmons¡® annual family gathering, he¡¯d forgotten about the Hill family. After he hung up, he made a call to Edmund. ¡°Hello, Mr. Robinson. Can you help me check if the medicinal wine I left in the kitchen is still there?¡± Very soon, Edmund responded, ¡°It¡¯s here. What should I do with it, Mr. Rhys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m unable to leave at the moment. Could you please help me deliver the medicinal wine to Patrick Hill at the Hill family residence?¡± Edmund agreed immediately. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll go right away!¡± 30 minutester, a Mazda came to a slow stop in front of the gates of the Hill family residence. The car door opened, and Edmund got off carefully while carrying the medicinal wine in his arms. ¡°Hey! What are you here for?¡± The guard by the gates yelled. Edmund smiled apologetically. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m here to deliver wine to Sir Patrick Hill on Mr. Rhys¡® orders.¡± For an affluent family like the Hills, even the guards thought that they were above others. ¡°Mr. Rhys? Which Rhys?¡± the guard questioned. Chapter 482 ¡°Mr. Dustin Rhys.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Dustin Rhys? I¡¯ve never heard of him. Get lost, and don¡¯t be an eyesore!¡± The guardmbasted. Every day, many people sent gifts to the Hill family. It had already be a regr urrence for them. ¡°But Mr. Rhys instructed me to deliver this to Sir Patrick personally.¡± Edmund was in a hard spot. ¡°Hey, do you not understand what I said? I told you to get lost!¡± The guard was getting impatient. Edmund was nervous and shrank back in slight fear. ¡°Could you kindly deliver the message at least?¡± ¡°Who are you to ask me to deliver a message? Get lost before I lose my cool!¡± The guard¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°What¡¯s the noise about?¡± At that moment, a tall, well¨Cbuilt man walked out. The previously upset guard immediately greeted him with a smile. ¡°Mr. Torben, it¡¯s nothing. A beggar is being rowdy and wants to pass a gift to Mr. Patrick. I¡¯ll get him to leave immediately.¡± ¡°Hold up.¡± Torben raised his hand to stop him and turned his attention toward Edmund. ¡°You know Patrick?¡± ¡°No.¡± Edmund shook his head, his expression filled with fear. ¡°Mr. Rhys asked me to pass a bottle of medicinal wine to Sir Patrick. Could you kindly pass on the message?¡± ¡°Dustin?¡± A cold glint shed through his eyes. ¡°So you were sent by him.¡± ¡°It seems like you are acquainted with Mr. Rhys. Thank God.¡± Edmund was relieved, thinking he had met a savior. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mmhm, thank God.¡± He sneered. ¡°You mentioned a bottle of medicinal wine. It¡¯s for Patrick?¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not poisoned, is it?¡± Torben narrowed his eyes. ¡°Poisoned?¡± Edmund was taken aback and waved his hands in panic. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. This is a medicinal wine to treat the sick. How could it contain poison?¡± ¡°Really? Why don¡¯t you try it then?¡± He smiled mockingly. Edmund smiled apologetically. ¡°This is medicinal wine for Sir Patrick. A person of my status can¡¯t drink it.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not going to listen to me?¡± Torben¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°You not drinking just proves that the medicinal wine is suspicious. Someone, take him away!¡± ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯ll drink!¡± Edmund panicked and opened up the bottle in a hurry before taking a sip. ¡°That¡¯s too little. Finish the whole bottle!¡± Torben ordered. ¡°What?¡± Edmund was shocked and at a loss. He would most probably copse if he finished the whole bottle. ¡°Not going to drink? Let me help you out personally!¡± Torben grinned, then grabbed a fistful of Edmund¡¯s hair Chapter 492. and pulled his head down so his mouth was facing upward. At the same time, he grabbed the medicinal wine and forced it down his throat. As the wine went down his pipes, Edmund coughed and choked uncontrobly until his face flushed red. He appeared extremely tormented. Torben bellowed inughter. ¡°Drink up! Finish it all, buddy!¡± The sounds of hisughter never stopped as he continued forcing the remaining wine down his throat. He appeared exhrated, as if tormenting others was a fun activity. Torben didn¡¯t seem satisfied even after he emptied the bottle. He snapped his fingers as he ordered, ¡°This person is suspicious and added poison to the wine. Take him away immediately to be served his punishment!¡± ¡°I ¡­ I didn¡¯t poison the wine.¡± Edmundid on the floor, barely clinging to life. ¡°Bastard, you¡¯re still talking back?¡± Torben stepped on his face and sneered. ¡°Trash like you at the bottom of the food chain are just our toys. Your life is in my hands! I¡¯m in a bad mood today, so I¡¯m going to make sure you wish for death!¡± Chapter 483 When Dustin returned to Enchanting Vi, it was already dusk, but Edmund was nowhere to be found. Dustin found it suspicious. Typically, Edmund would already have dinner prepared by this time. With how considerate he was, he would even inform Dustin in advance when he had to leave the house. Just as he was wondering about the situation, his phone rang. It was from Abigail. ¡°Dustin! Things are bad. Something happened to my dad!¡± Dustin could tell she was anxious as soon as she spoke. ¡°What happened?¡± Dustin turned serious. ¡°The hospital just called. They said my dad was beaten up so badly he almost died,¡± Abigail replied. Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Edmund treats everyone with kindness. Why would he suddenly be beaten up?¡± Edmund was always cautious and reserved, and he interacted with people with an apologetic smile on his face. Logically speaking, he wasn¡¯t the type to engage in conflicts or make enemies. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details. I¡¯m on the way to the hospital.¡± ¡°Which hospital?¡± ¡®Pinevale Hospital.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Dustin left the house right after he hung up. Within 20 minutes, he had arrived at the hospital. In one of the wards, Edmund appeared lifeless. He was covered in bandages, leaving only his face exposed. Abigail was pacing in the ward, at a loss. After all, she was only a 17¨Cyear¨Cold high school student. She had never encountered a situation of such magnitude. It was inevitable for her to panic when her only rtive was left in such a state. ¡°Abigail, how¡¯s Mr. Robinson?¡± Dustin suddenly stormed into the ward. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Dustin, You¡¯re finally here!¡± It felt like she had found her pir of support. She said in a rush, ¡°The doctor said my dad has multiple fractures and damaged organs. His whole body is also covered in all kinds of wounds. It¡¯s suspected that my dad was tortured.¡± ¡°Tortured?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°Have you guys offended anyone before?¡± ¡°No!¡± Abigail shook her head immediately. ¡°My dad is an honest though timid man. He¡¯s never offended anyone.¡± Dustin was silent. He approached Edmund and took a seat before feeling for his pulse. The next second, his expression darkened. Although Edmund¡¯s injuries were not life¨Cthreatening, the perpetrator had used extremely cruel means. They had deliberately avoided striking vital points, ensuring that their victim would endure excruciating pain. Someone who could perform such an act was either harboring a deep grudge or just purely sadistic. ¡°Mr. Robinson, can you hear me?¡± Dustin asked softly. Edmund¡¯s eyes fluttered before opening slowly. His voice was hoarse and weak. ¡°Mr¡­ Rhys.¡± ¡°Mr. Robinson, don¡¯t worry. I will make sure you get better.¡± His expression turned solemn. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions. You need to answer me honestly.¡± ¡°Okay Edmund nodded as much as he could. ¡°Who made you like this?¡± Dustin went straight to the point. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I went to the Hill family residence today to deliver the medicinal wine. But someone deliberately made things difficult for me and made me go through hell.¡± Edmund spoke with difficulty. A glint of fear shed through his eyes. ¡°Medicinal wine?¡± Chapter 484 Dustin frowned. ¡°That meant it was the Hills that did this?¡± He had been kind enough to have Edmund deliver them the medicinal wine to treat Paul. Instead of being grateful, they attacked Edmund. No matter the reason, he was not going to let them go easily. Dustin felt guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Robinson. I put you into this mess. You wouldn¡¯t have endured such suffering if I didn¡¯t send you there.¡± Edmund forced out a smile. ¡°No, it has nothing to do with you. I was just unlucky.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Robinson. I will get revenge for you. It doesn¡¯t matter who did this to you. I will make them pay!¡± Dustin vowed. ¡°Mr. Rhys, the Hills are a powerful and influential family that we can¡¯t afford to offend. Please don¡¯t act impulsively.¡± Edmund grew agitated. It was one thing for him to be beaten, but if he was the reason Dustin was harmed, he would never forgive himself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You just need to make sure you get better. I¡¯ll deal with this matter.¡± He took out a pill and fed it to Edmund before standing up to leave. ¡°Dustin, where are you going?¡± Abigail felt inexplicably uneasy. ¡°To get revenge.¡± He patted her shoulders. ¡°Take care of your dad. Call me anytime if something happens.¡± He left as soon as he said that. Half an hourter, Dustin arrived at the front gates of the Hill family residence. Taking in the luxurious vi, Dustin walked up to it with deliberate steps, his expression dark. ¡°Stand right there! Who are you?¡± The guard yelled after noticing him. Dustin asked coldly, ¡°Are you the ones who have been standing guard the whole day?¡± ¡°So what if we are?¡± He cocked his head up. He wasn¡¯t afraid of offending Dustin purely because of the clothes he was wearing. It was obvious Dustin wasn¡¯t from a prestigious family. ¡°Very well. Did you guys beat up a man who delivered some medicinal wine today?¡± Dustin asked again. Realization dawned on his face. ¡°Oh, you mean that old man? It just so happened that he ran into Young Mr. Hill, so he got roughed up.¡± ¡°You mean Torben Hill?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. The guard red at him fiercely. ¡°Hey! Who are you to call Young Mr. Hill by his full name? That¡¯s Sir Hill to you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Reason?¡± The guard was puzzled for a moment before bursting intoughter. ¡°Are you fucking joking? Does Young Mr. Hill need a reason to beat someone up? Peasants like you are even below his pet dogs. He can just kill you without reason, not to mention beat you up!¡± ¡°Is this how the Hill family operates? Disregarding human life for no reason?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression grew colder. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± The guard sized him up. ¡°You aren¡¯t that old man¡¯s son, are you? What? Are you hereN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. for revenge? Open up your fucking eyes, and look at where you are!¡± ¡°Punk, this is not a ce for you to act so recklessly. Scram! Otherwise, your father will be thest of his bloodline!¡± The rest of the guardsughed mockingly, with Dustin looking like a clown to them. They had gotten used to their tyrannical bullying and wouldn¡¯t care about mere peasants. ¡°Last question. Did you join in the beating?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression was calm, but his eyes were frosty. ¡°So what if we did? Get the fuck out of here before we make you a crippled man!¡± The guard yelled. ¡°It¡¯s good that you admitted to it.¡± Dustin nodded determinedly at his words, and without another word, helnded a forceful punch on the guard¡¯s abdomen. The impact resembled a truck collision, and a thunderous explosion sounded as the guard flew backward. He crashed heavily into the gate, with the sturdy metal gates denting under the force. The guard was stuck to the gate, every bone in his body was shattered as blood gushed out from his mouth and nose. He died on the spot. Chapter 485 ¡°What?¡± The rest of the guards froze at the sight of their buddy, who died with just a punch. They never imagined Dustin would be so vicious. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t have any respect for the Hills if he would kill someone over a disagreement. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°The audacity!¡± ¡°You must be tired of living! To actually kill someone from the Hill family!¡± After a momentary daze, the few remaining guards brandished their knives and yelled angrily at Dustin. Dustin stood calmly in ce. His cold gaze scanning them left and right, he asked, ¡°Did you guys also beat Mr. Robinson up?¡± ¡°What?¡± Their pupils constricted as they unconsciously took a few steps back. It felt like they had been marked by a predator. However, they soon realized the absurdity of it. They were at the Hill family residence! What was there to be afraid of when they were only up against a single person? This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You punk! If you don¡¯t want to die, surrender immediately, or don¡¯t me us for being merciless!¡± The guard on the left took two steps forward, his expression hostile. A resounding bang rang out. With a kick, Dustin propelled him back into the wall. As blood sprayed out of his mouth, his lifeless body copsed onto the ground. The guard on the right was bewildered. ¡°You fucking-¡± He was about to attack when another kick left him stuck on the wall. In the span of a few breaths, only one guard was left standing among the four of them. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t try anything! I didn¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s none of my business!¡± Taking in the sight of his dead and crippled buddies, his face lost all color, and his legs trembled from the shock. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. Get Torben out here!¡± Dustin demanded coldly. ¡°Okay! Just wait!¡± The remaining guard didn¡¯t hesitate and rushed inside immediately. Not long after, nearly hundreds of people stormed out of the manor. ¡°Who dared cause chaos in our residence? Torben led the way in front with his head held high. Following closely behind him was their head of security and arge group of elite guards. ¡°Young Mr. Hill, that¡¯s the punk!¡± The guard who escaped earlier pointed at Dustin. ¡°He not only spoke ill of you, he even killed my good buddies just now!¡± ¡°What?¡± After taking a closer look, Torben let out an audible scoff. ¡°So it¡¯s you. What¡¯s the matter? I heard you¡¯re here to seek revenge.¡± ¡°Are you the one who beat up Mr. Robinson?¡® Dustin asked coldly. ¡°Mr. Robinson?¡± Torben raised an eyebrow and smiled teasingly. ¡°Oh you mean that old thing? That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the one who did it. What about it?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dustin questioned. ¡°Why?¡± Torben let out a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± He shed Dustin a devious smile. ¡°I have always acted without reason. It depends on my preferences. Simply speaking. I do whatever I want. Understand?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem to speak reason, I have nothing else to say to you. Today, I will make you a crippled man and drag you in front of Mr. Robinson for an apology.¡± ¡°Make me a crippled man?¡± While Torben was initially taken by surprise, he soon chortled inughter. ¡°Hey punk, you¡¯re quite the wild person! Do you know you¡¯re in the Hill family residence? This is an extremely dangerous ce. What makes you think you can show off here shamelessly?¡± With a calm demeanor, Dustin responded, ¡°My two fists right here.¡± ¡°Bravo, bravo!¡± Torben grinned. ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem to value your life, you can¡¯t me me for what I¡¯m about to do. Kill him!¡± ¡°Charge!¡± After receiving the order, the hundreds of elite guards brandished their knives. They charged at Dustin at the same time with the overwhelming urge to kill. Dustin didn¡¯t back down and walked forward with a stoic expression, every step leaving a deep imprint on the ground. Chapter 486 With the distance closing in and only a few meters left between both parties, Dustin¡¯s knees bent slightly before he stepped forcefully onto the ground. He propelled forward like a rocket, following an explosion¨Clike noise that left a crater in its wake. What was left behind in his path were groans and sttered blood. Protected by his energy sphere, the elite guards were sent flying before they could even touch him. Some suffered broken limbs, while others died instantly. No one could put up a fight against him. Dustin was like a fierce tiger preying upon a flock of sheep¨Cunstoppable and invincible. Within a few minutes, half of the hundreds of elite guards had copsed to the ground. ¡°Damn it, this punk has skills!¡± Torben frowned as he watched Dustin go on his rampage. The Hill family¡¯s elite guards were the cream of the crop. It was a sight to see them fall one after the other. ¡°Young Mr. Hill, if my observation serves me right, that guy should be a divine¨Clevel martial artist.¡± The head of security, d in a ck outfit, suddenlymented. ¡°Divine¨Clevel martial artist? Aren¡¯t you one as well? How confident are you?¡± Torben responded. To be head of security for the Hill family, one had to be at least a divine¨Clevel martial artist. He was confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Mr. Hill. Dealing with this guy will be a piece of cake.¡± ¡°Very well. Don¡¯t kill himter, just make him crippled. I want to enjoy ying with himter!¡± Torben sneered. He smirked. ¡°No problem!¡± While they were talking, the fight in front of them wasing to an end. Hundreds of guards were sprawled on the ground as anguished moans and groans filled the air from the wounded and the crippled. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. The head of security pped as he walked up front. With a smile, he said, ¡°I have to admit, kid, you¡¯re skilled. It¡¯s a pity you have encountered me today.¡± Dustin spat out two words. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Hah! You have quite the temper for your age.¡± His expression darkened. ¡°Today, let me show you how big the world is. You aren¡¯t the only skilled one out there!¡± As soon as he said that, he jumped on his toes and propelled forward like a bullet. The next second, a loud bang rang out. The head of security had just flown forward when he rebounded more than 20 meters from the impact. It was as if he had been hit by a train, his head and torso buried into the ground, leaving only his two feet hanging outside that still twitched asionally. ¡°What?¡± Torben was shocked by the turn of events. The Hill family¡¯s head of security was a divine¨Clevel martial artist, but he was defeated with just one move. How the fuck was it possible? ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡± Dustin turned his attention toward Torben and approached him slowly. ¡°Rhys! I¡¯m warning you¨Cdon¡¯t try anything! I am a direct descendant of the Hill family. If you touch me, I¡¯ll make sure you die a cruel death!¡± Torben yelled cowardly. ¡°The Hill family name is not your immunity card. It might work on someone else, but not me!¡± In a sh, Dustin was already in front of Torben and threw a forceful punch to his abdomen. Torben screamed in anguish before he was lifted up high. Dustin mmed him to the ground, crushing his knees in the process, and he spurted blood all over. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Suddenly, a huge number of armed soldiers swarmed out of allers. The key members of the Hill family hade after hearing the news. ¡°Insolent bastard! Who gave you the courage to act like this on our family grounds!¡± ¡°Release him! Otherwise, there will be nothing left of you!¡± ¡°Surround him! If he moves, kill him immediately.!¡± A wave of discontented admonishment rang out. In the blink of an eye, Dustin waspletely surrounded. Chapter 487 Dustin looked around him and found himselfpletely surrounded. What greeted him was a dense crowd of the Hill family¡¯s elite. He noticed a few familiar faces among the crowd, including Autumn and Patrick, who stood out especially. ¡°Dustin?¡± Upon arriving at the scene, Patrick was stunned, appearing greatly astonished. He had first thought it was someone who didn¡¯t know any better when he heard the news. He didn¡¯t expect that person to be Dustin. Autumn¡¯s expression turned dark when he recognized the person. ¡°You brat! So it¡¯s you! That¡¯s some courage you¡¯ve got! How dare you hurt my son? Release him immediately!¡± ¡°Release him!¡± ¡®Release him now!¡± The elite members of the Hill family began moring, each one of them glowering with a murderous look on their faces. When he saw reinforcements arriving, the previously flustered Torben straightened his posture and arrogantly dered, ¡°Hey, punk, weren¡¯t you being arrogant earlier? Why are you silent now? You aren¡¯t frightened, are you? ¡°Let me tell you the truth: the power you are seeing before you is just the tip of the iceberg of what the Hill family is capable of. I know you have some skills, but so what? The Hill family has numerous experts and highly¨Cskilled individuals. Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance now. Kneel before me, and lick my shoes clean. And I might spare your life!¡± After he said that, Torben spat out a mouthful of phlegm stained with blood on his shoe. ¡°Are y you seeking death?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow in response. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hah! Do you dare touch me? Open up your eyes! You¡¯re surrounded by my people. If you act rashly, you¡¯ll die for sure!¡± Torben sneered, looking smug. ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t realized the gravity of the situation. It¡¯s alright, let me show you how karma works.¡± With that, Dustin stomped on Torben¡¯s knee, bending it 90 degrees into an unnatural position. A gush of blood sttered out in all directions as his bone pierced his flesh. Torben was stunned before letting out a high¨Cpitched, anguished scream. The pain was so intense that he rolled on the ground. ¡°Dustin. Let¡¯s talk it out. Don¡¯t be rash!¡± Patrick was shocked. If Dustin only injured their guards, he could still get away with it considering his previous merit. But it would be a different situation altogether if he attacked Torben. ¡°Bastard! How dare you continue your assault! You must be tired of living!¡± Autumn was enraged and shot a menacing re in Dustin¡¯s direction when he saw his son¡¯s leg getting crushed. Dustin ignored him and stomped heavily on Torben¡¯s other leg, leading him to let out another anguished scream. His face contorted in pain as tears streamed down his cheeks, losing all of his previous arrogance. Autumn¡¯s anger reached a tipping point as he screeched, ¡°You bastard! You¡¯re dead meat! Your whole family is dead meat!¡± It was as if Dustin didn¡¯t hear him as he lifted his feet two more times, breaking both of Torben¡¯s arms. In a short amount of time. Torben had lost the use of all four limbs and was suffering from excruciating pain. ¡°Be patient; this is just the start. I¡¯ll return the pain and suffering you put Mr. Robinson through twofold.¡± Dustin grinned, looking like the devil. He took out a silver needle and, with extreme speed, pierced it into Torben¡¯s governor vessel on his back. It prated into his body, disappearing instantly. On the surface, there didn¡¯t seem to be any traces of the needle left. Chapter 488 Torben¡¯s pain increased immensely, and he let out miserable screams. ¡°You despicable bastard! There is no animosity between us. Why did you stoop to such heinous acts!¡± After screaming. Autumn gradually regained hisposure. However, the murderous look in his eyes only intensified. ¡°No animosity? Why don¡¯t you ask your son what he¡¯s done?¡± Dustin finally looked up. ¡°No matter what my son did, that¡¯s not an excuse for you to assault someone here!¡± Autumn dered fiercely. ¡°All of you truly have the same corrupt principles. Since you can¡¯t be reasoned with, don¡¯t me me for resorting to violence.¡± Dustin impassively dered. ¡°I¡¯m giving you three days to prepare. In three days, I want to see your son apologize to the victim. Otherwise, you¡¯ll bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Kid, did you think you could leave safely after injuring someone here? Do you think we are at a public yground?¡± Autumn¡¯s rage was boiling. ¡°If I want to stay, nobody can make me leave. If I want to leave, nobody can make me stay either.¡± With that, he kicked Torben away, then turned around to leave. ¡°Kill him!¡± Torben was seeing red as he yelled. The group of elite Hill family members charged at him. If it weren¡¯t for Torben being held hostage previously. they would have acted much earlier. Without the person in his hands, they could finally attack. Nobody had ever walked out alive after daring to cause trouble at the Hill family residence. Not even God! However, ten minutester, the final guard fell to the ground with a loud thud. Autumn and the remaining onlookers were bewildered. Taking in the figure standing in a pool of blood in the distance, their faces were filled with horror, as if they were staring at a monster. They had mobilized a good two to three hundred lighters, yet the resulting oue was everyone lying in a pool of blood within ten minutes. It didn¡¯t matter if they were low¨Clevel martial artists or divine¨Clevel martial artists; no one could stand against him. The Hill family, established for over a hundred years, had never encountered such a formidable opponent. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say Dustin had single¨Chandedly destroyed the Hill family¡¯s array of highly¨Cskilled fighters, dismantling their legacy as a martial arts family. In the end, Dustin left. Nobody could make him stay, and no one dared make him stay either. Silence engulfed the entire Hill family courtyard. ¡°W¨Cwhat monster is that punk!¡± Autumn swallowed with difficulty, his back drenched in sweat. He never would have thought the Hill family elites would face such a crushing defeat by one man. ¡°Uncle Autumn, you seem to have offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Patrick wiped the sweat off his forehead, trying his best to calm himself down. It finally dawned on him that Dustin didn¡¯t stop Paul¡¯s punch that day by some miraculous coincidence. It was pure talent! N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. From his actions earlier, Dustin must be at least a fully developed divine¨Clevel martial artist. That meant, other than being a grandmaster, he had nopetition. The problem was that Dustin was only in his early twenties. His talent in martial arts was simply astounding if he managed to achieve such a feat at his age. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t joke with me!¡± Autumn¡¯s expression grew menacing after he calmed down. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that kid is skilled. But don¡¯t forget, we still have our shadow guards!¡± Patrick frowned. ¡°Uncle Autumn, the shadow guards are the Hill family¡¯s hidden trump card. We can only deploy them when pushed to the brink of death. We¡¯ll also need Grandpa¡¯s permission. We can¡¯t just use them at will.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Autumn¡¯s face was contorted in rage. ¡°I won¡¯t ept this treatment! I¡¯m going to kill that kid!¡± Chapter 489 Three resounding tolls of bells echoed throughout the Hill family residence. This prompted arge number of key family members to swiftly gather at the meeting hall. The Hill family had a clear rule that if warning bells were sounded, it meant a major incident had urred within the family. No matter where they were or what they were up to, they were required to head immediately to the meeting hall. ¡°Autumn, what the hell are you doing? Who permitted you to ring the bell?¡± Spring had arrived with a few of his aides and strode into the meeting hall. He noticed that most of the key family members were already gathered. The family members were drawn to the meeting hall by the sound of the bell, not yet knowing what had transpired. Since the Hill family residence was enormous, surrounding an entire mountain, those residing behind the mountains didn¡¯t hear themotion at the front gates. Autumn¡¯s expression was gloomy. ¡°Spring! Someone had gone on a killing rampage at our residence. If I hadn¡¯t rung the bell our family¡¯s legacy would soon be reduced to ruins!¡± ¡°Oh? Who has such courage to start trouble with our family?¡± Spring was instantly agitated. ¡°It¡¯s that Dustin kid!¡± Autumn gritted his teeth. ¡°That kid is audacious and arrogant. He openly disrespects our family just because he thinks he¡¯s got some skills. He not only injured two to three hundred of our elite members, but he also crippled my son!¡± ¡°Dustin? How could it be him?¡± Spring furrowed his brows, slightly surprised. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t get the wrong person?¡± ¡°How would I get the wrong person? Even if that kid was burned to ashes. I would still recognize him!¡± Autumn¡¯s expression was one of pure resentment. ¡°Everything must have a reason. Why would he do such a thing?¡± Spring questioned. ¡°No reason could ever justify his heinous acts!¡± Autumn insisted indignantly. *Spring, just look at my son. Look at how badly he was beaten up!¡± He waved his hand, and soon, Torben was carried in carefully on a stretcher. He was covered in blood and had severed limbs, and his face was contorted in pain as he wailed incessantly. The horrifying sight caused an uproar among the family members. Torben was a direct descendant of the family. He was also someone the family nurtured with great care. Naturally, witnessing him reduced to such a battered state caused a significantmotion. ¡°Dustin has gone too far! We must make him pay for his actions!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We must capture him so that it can serve as a warning to others!¡± Everyone present spoke fervently with righteous indignation. ¡°Everyone, please quiet down. I have something to say.¡± At that moment, Patrick walked up and said calmly.¡± Uncle Spring, after investigating, I found that Torben was the one who started this fiasco.¡± Spring raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Why?¡± ¡°Dustin had asked someone to deliver a bottle of medicinal wine today to treat Grandpa¡¯s illness. However, things were intentionally made difficult for the person at the front gates. Not only did Torben smash the bottle, he almost killed him. That was why Dustin came to take revenge.¡± Patrick exined the situation in detail. ¡°What?! Is that true, Autumn?¡± Spring turned his attention to Autumn. ¡°So what? He¡¯s just a servant. What¡¯s the big deal about beating him up? Is he worth beingpared to my son?¡± Autumn confidently justified his actions. ¡°A servant is indeed not worth mentioning. But what about Grandpa¡¯s medicinal wine?¡± Patrick rebuked him,¡± Torben is taking Grandpa¡¯s health as a joke. Don¡¯t you think that is disgraceful behavior?¡± ¡°You cut the crap!¡± Autumn¡¯s expression shifted slightly. ¡°Who knows if the medicinal wine was poisoned? My son might have stopped him because he had a good eye and realized the wine was tampered with!¡± ¡°That is just your one¨Csided opinion,¡± Patrick said impassively. ¡°Shut up!¡± Autumn red at him. ¡°Are you suspecting me? How dare you point fingers at someone with a This is from N?velDrama.Org. higher standing than yours?¡± Since he couldn¡¯t argue against him, Autumn pulled rank. But that made him more suspicious. ¡°Enough! Stop arguing!¡± Spring mmed his hand on the table to stop their dispute. ¡°Autumn, I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Go and get Torben treated.¡± ¡°Investigate what? My son has been battered to such a state! No matter what, I will get my revenge!¡± Autumn spat out in anger. ¡®That¡¯s right! It doesn¡¯t matter why. The Hill family will not be bullied!¡± Chapter 490 At that moment, many of them agreed. On a normal day, no one would dare cause a scene with them, as they were usually the bullies. Even if they were in the wrong, it didn¡¯t matter to them. Whoever was the better fighter would be the superior party. ¡°What do you n on doing?¡± Spring narrowed his eyes, seemingly upset. ¡°I want to deploy the shadow guards and turn that kid into minced meat!¡± Autumn was seething in anger. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Spring shot up as he mmed the table. ¡°The shadow guards are the foundation of our family. How can you just mobilize them like that? ¡°I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m getting revenge! If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯m asking Father!¡± Autumn was stubborn. ¡°Who¡¯s looking for me?¡± At that moment, an elderly man with a white beard and white brows slowly walked out. His hands were behind his back, and he looked calm. Even though he didn¡¯t give off a powerful air, his every step and move exuded a subtle sense of authority. ¡°Sir Paul!¡± Paul¡¯s appearance had everyone on their feet as they paid their respects. Even Autumn, who was defiant earlier, turned submissive. Paul sat confidently at the head of the table, his expression indifferent. ¡°Who said they wanted to deploy the shadow guards?¡± Everyone else, including Spring, could only obediently stand and remain quiet. ¡°It¡¯s me, Dad.¡± Autumn stepped out determinedly. ¡°And your reason?¡± Paul picked up a cup of tea and took a sip, not even sparing him a nce. ¡°Someone crippled my son and injured at least two hundred of our elites. A threat like that must be dealt with!¡± Autumnined with indignation. Paul responded calmly, ¡°So, what you mean to say is, your son was beaten up into a pulp because he¡¯s useless, and now you want the entire family to pay for your antics? ¡°What?¡± Autumn was taken aback. He couldn¡¯tprehend what Paul said. He never expected his father to respond that way. ¡°Dad! It¡¯s your grandson who was battered! Don¡¯t you feel bad for him?¡± Autumn decided to use emotional persuasion. ¡°He deserved it for being a bad fighter. If he has the ability, get him to fight back himself. He¡¯s a weakling if he needs to hide behind the family¡¯s strength.¡± Paul was expressionless. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try your nonsense with me!¡± Autumn tried to exin but was stopped by Paul, who had raised a hand. ¡°The Hill family was built on martial prowess. Every generation has gone through battles and conquests. But your generation is pampered and N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. weak. You havepletely forgotten about our ancestral teachings and the dignity thates with being a martial artist. Did you think martial artists were born intovish feasts and beautiful women? ¡°A martial artist sweats, bleeds, fights valiantly, faces death and emerges victorious, and crawls out of piles of corpses and pools of blood! Look at you. How many of you have experienced near¨Cdeath experiences? And how many of you have truly set foot on the battlefield? Today, even a youngd can mess around with all of you, and yet you have the audacity toin to me? All of you are a bunch of useless trash!¡± With his final insult, the entire room fell silent. Not only Autumn, but every Hill family member present broke out in cold sweats. They understood that Paul was furious not because they had caused trouble, but because of their ipetence. ¡°Today¡¯s incident will serve as a wake¨Cup call for all of you.¡± Paul stood up and dusted off his clothes. ¡°Autumn, bring your son to apologize to Dustin. Thatd¡¯s future is bright, and he¡¯s not someone we should be enemies with. At the very least, he¡¯s not someone you bunch of losers can afford to offend.¡± ¡°Dad¡± ¡°If you refuse, I will kick you out of the family.¡± With that, Paul left without another word, leaving the remaining family members looking at each other in fear and regret. Chapter 491 The next morning, in a ward at Pinevale Hospital, Edmund¡¯s serious condition finally turned for the better. Helid on the hospital bed, sleeping peacefully, with Abigail keeping watch beside him. Even though the father- daughter duo didn¡¯t get along well on a typical day. Abigail cared for him the most when a serious matter arose. She had been busy the entire night and hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep. ¡°Kid, eat something.¡± At that moment, Dustin walked in with breakfast. ¡°Your father¡¯s condition has stabilized, and he¡¯ll get better soon. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dustin.¡± Abigail forced out a smile. She took a few bites but didn¡¯t have the appetite to continue and pushed the food aside. ¡°Abigail, we¡¯re here.¡± Suddenly, a group of youngsters walked through the door. They were Abigail¡¯s ssmates, and they all brought something with them. Some of them had flowers, some had fruits, and others brought drinks. Among the gifts, the one most eye¨Ccatching was Mike¡¯s panax root. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Abigail, I heard your dad has fallen sick, so I bought this wild panax root. It can greatly replenish your dad¡¯s health.¡± Mike smiled, passing the delicately wrapped panax root to Abigail with both hands. ¡°Thank you, but this is too valuable. You should take it back.¡± Abigail declined his kind gesture. She had heard that the value of wild panax root was akin to gold. ¡°How can I take back a present? Not to mention, it doesn¡¯t cost much.¡± Mike pouted. ¡°Abigail, this is a sincere gesture from Mike. Just ept it. Since your dad is injured and hospitalized, he could make good use of it.¡± Nina urged her gently ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Since they¡¯d put it that way. Abigail had no other reason to refuse. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Mike smiled and asked, ¡°Right, Abigail, I heard your father was hospitalized after getting beaten up. Who dared do such a thing?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Abigail didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t wish for her father¡¯s situation to be spread outside. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid. Just tell me what happened. It doesn¡¯t matter who did it. I¡¯ll make sure he pays!¡± Mike patted his chest with confidence. Nina chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right! With Mike here, no one would bully you. He¡¯ll deal with any problems you have easily.¡± ¡°Abigail, there¡¯s no need to feel bad. We¡¯re ssmates, and we¡¯ll solve every problem together.¡± The group of youngsters spoke fervently in righteous indignation. Abigail nced at Dustin, not sure if she should tell them. ¡°Abigail, why are you looking at him? He¡¯s not the one who did it, is he?¡± Nina said suspiciously. ¡°No, no, no. Of course not.¡± Abigail shook her head immediately. ¡°Then what happened?¡± Nina asked again. ally spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the matter. All of you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Dustin finally ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think we¡¯re not going to worry about it just because you said so?¡± Mike looked irritated. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can look down on people just because you have some money. Let me tell you, connections are far more important than wealth!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The most important thing in Millsburg is connections. What can you do with money?¡± Nina pursed her lips in disdain. ¡°I said that for your own good. You guys can¡¯t afford to offend the perpetrator.¡± ¡°What a joke!¡± Mike scoffed loudly. ¡°Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is? And you¡¯re saying I can¡¯t afford to offend that person? What a bold statement.¡± ¡°Hey! I advise you not to underestimate others. You¡¯ll never be able topare with Mike¡¯s background,¡± Nina said condescendingly. Mike continued to be insistent and cocked his head up, acting all high and mighty. ¡°Why are you silent? I¡¯m curious to know who exactly it is that I can¡¯t afford to offend, Chapter 492 ¡°It was Torben from the Hill family.¡± Dustin spat out the words casually. ¡°Torben Hill?¡± Instantly, Mike felt like he was struck by lightning at the revtion and turned pale. The rest of them also had a look of horror on their faces, as if they had seen a ghost. Torben Hill was the infamous vile demon of Millsburg, a scion of an affluent family standing at the pinnacle of power! He was known to be arrogant and tyrannical,mitting all sorts of atrocities. However, with his powerful background, nobody dared provoke him. To them, an influential figure like Torben had the power to do whatever he wanted with them. Even if they were to encounter him on the street, they wouldn¡¯t dare look up, not to mention provoke him. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Y¨Cyou must be joking. Torben is the perpetrator?¡± After he fully digested the fact, his voice started trembling. Dustin had a stoic expression. ¡°What? It seems like you¡¯re terrified.¡± ¡°T¨Cterrified? No way!¡± Mike calmed himself down and rebuked stubbornly, ¡°I grew up not knowing what terrified means. It¡¯s just Torben Hill. I better not see him on the streets; otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely give him two ps to the face!¡± With so manydies watching, he couldn¡¯t afford to show any weaknesses. It didn¡¯t cost anything to put on an act anyway. He would think about the consequences afterward. ¡°Really? I guess you¡¯re truly amazing.¡± Dustin only found it hrious. He could clearly see him breaking out in a cold sweat, yet he was still being obstinate. ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s not just all talk. Even an imprudent brat like Torben would need to address me formally!¡± Mike pointed his thumb at himself. ¡°You talk big for your age.¡± Suddenly, they heard a booming voice resonating from the door. Following closely behind, a group of Hill family members strode in. Leading the group was none other than Spring Hill, with Autumn and Patrick behind him. Even the injured Torben was carried in. ¡°Who was that? Who¡¯s talking?¡± Mike was irritated and turned around, his expression clearly disying his annoyance. He was in the midst of showing off! Who was so rude to interrupt him? ¡°What?¡± Before he turned around, he still had an arrogant look on his face. Once he noticed that the people who walked in were the backbones of the Hill family, he froze on the spot, clearly astonished. He didn¡¯t recognize all of them, but there were a few familiar faces he had the privilege of meeting during upscale social gatherings. However, their once majestic presence appeared quite ordinary as they stood with more prominent members of the Hill family. ¡°Were you the one who spoke earlier?¡± Patrick gave him a once over and smiled. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Patrick Hill. I heard you mention you would p Torben if you met him, and I couldn¡¯t agree more. He¡¯s right here. Please go ahead and don¡¯t hold back.¡± Patrick gestured with one hand as if inviting him to go ahead. ¡°What?¡± Mike was shocked as he remained rooted in ce,pletely at a loss. He was just putting on an act. Who would¡¯ve thought he would encounter the actual person himself! Chapter 493 In the face of the Hill family members¡® menacing gazes, Mike¡¯s legs gave way as he finally sumbed to the pressure and fell to his knees with a thud. ¡ª ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s It¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± Mike couldn¡¯t stop shaking and broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°I was just joking. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, everyone.¡± Patrick still had a smile stered on his face. ¡°You mean you¡¯re not going to p him?¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Mike waved his hands. ¡°I have a cheap mouth and just like to brag. Please forgive me for my insolence, and don¡¯t find fault with me.¡± Mike even pped himself a few times to prove his sincerity. At that moment, Nina, who was still quite young, was also shocked into silence and was trembling slightly. The Hill family was such a powerful family that she wasn¡¯t even worthy of looking at them. Every one of them had the right to take her life away. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have the guts to touch him, go stand at one side.¡± Patrick¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. ¡°Yes, yes. Right away. Mike nodded like an obedient chick, shrinking back into a corner with the rest of his ssmates. As his heart beat rapidly, he wondered why the prominent members of the Hill family had arrived at such a ce. He also wondered who beat Torben up to such a state. ¡°Dustin. I hope you have been well.¡± Patrick turned toward Dustin and greeted him. ¡°Patrick, why have youe today?¡± Dustin responded nonchntly. ¡°The thing is-¡± ¡°Let me talk to him!¡± Patrick was just about to exin when Autumn interrupted rudely. ¡°Kid, you should be punished for hurting my son. But since the Hill family has always been kind and generous, today, I have decided to give you a chance to live!¡± While Patrick frowned at his words, Spring was quietly looking down, seemingly an outsider to the current situation. Mike and the rest of the ssmates, on the other hand, were greatly shocked by his revtion. They nced at Dustin as if he was a monster. He had nerves of steel to be the one to cripple Torben. ¡°A chance?¡± With a smile, Dustin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m curious, what kind of ¡°chance¡® are you giving me?¡± ¡°First, heal my son. Second, deliver us another bottle of medicinal wine. As long as you fulfill these two requirements. I won¡¯t hold a grudge against your previous misdeeds,¡± Autumn said with a serious expression. *Autumn Hill, I guess you haven¡¯t gotten the situation straight.¡± Dustin walked up to him slowly, his gaze growing increasingly dark. ¡°The ball is in my court now. Whatever I say goes. It¡¯s not up to you to decide.¡± ¡°What?¡± Autumn frowned. ¡°Are you going to fight us to the end, kid?¡± ¡°I can if you want me to. Your son and father don¡¯t have many days left to live anyway.¡± Autumn¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± Dustin didn¡¯t back down. ¡°If you want to fight, I¡¯m always ready. But if you¡¯re here to ask for forgiveness, you should have the attitude of someone asking for forgiveness! My demand remains the same. When your son kneels in front of Mr. Robinson and apologizes, I¡¯ll let him live. Otherwise, scram!¡± His words ignited a frenzy among the crowd. It was a great disgrace to have a direct descendant of the Hill family kneel before amoner. ¡°God damn! Is this punk insane? How dare he ask Torben to get on his knees?¡± ¡°What an idiot. He must be seeking death to act that wild in front of them!¡± Dustin¡¯s bold words had made Mike and the other ssmates whisper among themselves. In their eyes, what he did was just akin to suicide. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re stepping out of line, kid!¡± Autumn erupted in rage. Chapter 494 ¡°Are you done? If that¡¯s all you¡¯re here to say, then get lost. Don¡¯t be an eyesore.¡± Dustin waved his hand in annoyance, clearly showing no respect for them at all. ¡°You-¡± Autumn was about tounch into a new tirade when Spring raised his hand and interjected. ¡°Enough! Torben started this and is the one at fault. It¡¯s only fair for him to apologize.¡± ¡°Spring!¡± Autumn¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. ¡°What? Have you forgotten what Dad said?¡± Spring gave him the side eye, slightly upset. ¡°I ¡­¡± Autumn gritted his teeth but remained silent in the end. Spring gave a nod. ¡°Torben, apologize to the person you beat up and bring this matter to an end.¡± ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry.¡± Torben gritted out the words with difficulty as heid on the stretcher. Since the odds were against him, he did as ordered. This was more important before he could rest and recover properly. ¡°Are you satisfied now, kid?¡± Autumn¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°No.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no sincerity. I want him to kneel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push your fucking luck!¡± Autumn spat out. They¡¯d humiliated themselves already by apologizing in public. Getting them to kneel was going too far. ¡°Kneel!¡± Spring suddenly raised his voice. Autumn¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Spring?¡± ¡°Someone help Torben get on his knees.¡± Autumn gestured, wanting to get things over with quickly. Soon, a few people carried Torben off the stretcher and dropped him on the ground, getting him on his knees. It aggravated his wounds, and his face contorted in agony as he howled in pain. Autumn could only re fiercely at Dustin, unable to utter a word even though he was enraged. Spring asked calmly, ¡°Dustin, would that do it?¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°What would that be?¡± Spring responded. Instead of responding to him, Dustin turned to Abigail and said, ¡°Kid, this is the guy that beat your dad up into that state. He¡¯s right in front of you now. It¡¯s time to get your revenge.¡± Abigail was silent, but she gave Torben a death re, her eyes burning with rage. Dustinforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. Take the anger you are feeling now out on him.¡± Abigail¡¯s hand slowly formed into a fist. Traces of internal energy were welling up within her. After a while, she rxed her fingers. ¡°Hmph, at least you know your ce.¡± Autumn smiled proudly at the sight. ¡°Not anyone dares touch the Hill family. If you dare touch a hair on my boy, then- Before he finished his sentence, a clear, loud p resonated through the room. Abigail hadnded a heavy p on Torben¡¯s face. She had put all her strength into that p, causing Toben to lose his bnce and fall head¨Cfirst to the ground. Autumn was stunned. Patrick was stunned. Mike was stunned. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Nina was also stunned. Everyone at the scene was frozen to their spots, their faces etched with disbelief. Nobody expected Abigail to actually raise a hand against Torben. Not only that, she had given him a solid p in public. That brat must not want to l Chapter 495 ¡°H¨Chow dare you hit my son?!¡± Autumn red at Abigail. He couldn¡¯t believe that amoner had the guts to p his son in public. ¡°If he can hit my dad, why can¡¯t I do the same to him?¡± Abigail kicked Torben hard, sending him flying a good ten feet away. The sight made Autumn¡¯s blood boil. He seethed. ¡°Y¨Cyou You brat!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Hearing Autumn¡¯s shouts, a couple of martial arts experts from the Hill Family came forward. ¡°Why? Is that all it takes to piss you off?¡± Dustin snickered. ¡°Torben¡¯s actions were way worse than what she did to him. She¡¯s only making him pay a fraction of it.¡± ¡°Leave, all of you!¡± Spring spun around and cast a frightening re that shut everyone up. ¡°Kid, keep going. You have nothing to worry about.¡± Dustin nudged her calmly. ¡°Sure!¡± Abigail readily agreed to it. She immediately started kicking and punching the crippled Torben. She had been stewing for a while after seeing her father brutally tortured and naturally would not miss the opportunity for revenge. She wasn¡¯t worried about offending anyone at all. ¡°Is Abigail crazy? She¡¯s hitting Torben Hill!¡± ¡°She¡¯s done for! If the Hills were to take revenge, her entire family would be done for!¡± ¡°How rash of her to do that!¡± Mike and the rest of his group were staring at her outburst in fear and shock. The mighty Hill Family was not an entity that an average citizen could take on. Abigail was skating on thin ice. Autumn¡¯s face was stiff with a grim expression. He wouldn¡¯t have quietly endured the humiliation as he watched his son beaten to a pulp if it weren¡¯t for the orders from his father. The atmosphere in the room was tense, to say the least, as people watched Abigail beat up Torben with all her might. The heavy beating further added to the grave injuries that he sustained. Finally, she came to a stop when he was at death¡¯s door. ¡°Are you done?¡± Dustin asked. Panting heavily, she replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± To carry out the revenge, she used up all the internal energy she had previously conserved. ¡°Great.¡± He nodded, and his gaze swept past the faces of the Hill Family members. ¡°We¡¯re even now. However, if you want revenge, you can alwayse at me.¡± ¡°Dustin, that¡¯s a ridiculous idea! The Hills are known for our good moral character. Since Torben was in the wrong, he should pay for his mistakes. We only ask that you spare his life.¡± Spring shed a regretful smile at Dustin. Instead of replying, Dustin punched Torben in the stomach, and thetter let out a scream as a blood¨C stained silver needle pierced out of his back and hit the wall hard. ¡°Thank you, Dustin!¡± Spring bowed to Dustin. Dustin replied, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The patient needs rest. Gentlemen, you should leave.¡± ¡°Sure. We shall not disturb him further.¡± After exchanging some small talk, Spring and his people left soon. During the entire visit, he did not show anyints or dissatisfaction. Mike and his group were left staring agape at the Hill Family members who filed out of the room. At first, they thought that the Hills had dropped by to demand justice, and they believed that Dustin was dead meat when he insulted the family. It turned out that the entourage showed up to beg for leniency instead of going for the kill. None of them uttered a word, even when Torben was beaten up. Chapter 496 After all, that was Torben Hill, the famed devil incarnate of Millsburg and the son of an elite family. It was absurd to see him beaten up into a pulp like that. They wouldn¡¯t have believed that the Hill Family had a weak spot if they had not witnessed the scene with their own eyes. The fact that Dustin was the man behind the Hill Family¡¯s forced submission. They wondered about his origins and viewed him in a new light. Some were shocked; some were curious; a few were fearful; and more than everything, they admired him, for not many in Millsburg had the power to force the Hills into submission. That went to show how remarkable Dustin was. Mike and Nina, who had been looking down on Dustin, were now quiet. At the end of the day, they found out they were the naive ones. At that moment, Dustin¡¯s phone started to ring. He picked up the call from Dahlia. ¡°Where are you? Didn¡¯t you promise toe with me on my first day at Nicholson Corp. Are you standing me up?¡± ¡°No, of course not. I was held back by something. Be there soon,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll go pick you up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at Pinevale Hospital¡± After hanging up, he immediately turned around and said to Abigail ¡°Take good care of Mr. Robinson. If anything happens, just give me a call. I have to leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir, please be careful!¡± She reminded him. He smiled at her before leaving. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. The Hills won¡¯t do anything to me.¡± 20 minutester, a blue Maserati pulled up to the hospital entrance. The car window rolled down to reveal an attractive woman. ¡°Why are you standing there? Hop on now.¡± She jutted her chin out. ¡°Right away.¡± He sat in the driver¡¯s seat and beamed. ¡°Chairman Nicholson, I see you¡¯ve been doing pretty well, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ve got a new car!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Cut that out!¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I need to talk to you about work. I might run into problems at the board meetingter. You should prepare yourself for that.¡± ¡°Problems? You¡¯re the chairman of the group. Who would have the guts to give you problems?¡± He sounded curious. ¡°I¡¯m an outsider who joined and became a chairman, and I don¡¯t have a group of people loyal to me there. It¡¯s hard to take control.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Plus, many are eyeing my position. The greatest threat right now is from this guy called Hank Hoffman.¡± ¡°Hank Hoffman. Who is he?¡± Dustin pressed on. ¡®He¡¯s the vice chairman of Nicholson Corp. and a man loyal to Madam Alma, Regulus¡® first wife, because she has supported his career. He¡¯s more advanced than me in terms of his seniority and his connections. Hank has the respect of the wholepany.¡± ¡°But his reputation still can¡¯t rival that of your patriarch, am I right? Regulus Nicholson personally appointed you as the chairman. I bet they have to listen to him,¡± Dustin reassured her. She nodded and muttered, ¡°I hope so.¡± They chatted during the drive and soon arrived at the Nicholson Corp. building. Thepany, worth tens of billions, was well¨Cknown and reputable in Millsburg. The Nicholson Corp. building was located in the bustling and wealthy prime area downtown. When Dahlia and Dustin entered the office, they made their way to the meeting room. There, they found that the meeting room was packed with senior executives and shareholders. The middle¨Caged man sitting at the head of the table had a beer belly and a mole at the corner of his lips. His nose was as red as Rudolph¡¯s, and his eyes were mousey. Overall, his freckled face could only be described as unappealing. The man was Hank Hoffman, the vice chairman of Nicholson Corp. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯rete. The board meeting has started. Get yourself a seat.¡± Hank sat in the chairman¡¯s seat leisurely, not showing any sign of vacating it for her. He indirectly provoked her with that disrespectful move. Chapter 497 Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but frown when she stared at the unbothered faces of the people around her as they chatted away merrily. She made sure to arrive earlier for the board meeting, so Hank¡¯s usation of tardiness was absolutely baseless. From the moment she entered the room, the attendees remained seated. No one stood up to greet her¨Cnot even saving a seat for her. Clearly, they did not take her seriously. ¡°Hank, what¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡± She whispered while keeping herposure. She knew that Hank wasying down thew from day one. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hank lit himself a cigar and crossed his legs on the table, seemingly treating the meeting room as his own office. ¡°I am sure you have received the news from the family¡¯s patriarch. I¡¯m the new chairman of Nicholson Corp. as of today.¡± Her voice wasced with warning. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And?¡± He gave her a mocking smirk. ¡°You are in my seat. You¡¯ve crossed a line here.¡± She rapped her knuckles on the table. ¡°Your seat? Do you have evidence of that?¡± He shrugged and acted unreasonably. ¡°Everyone here knows that this has been my seat forever. It was you who entered the room and immediately demanded my seat. What right do you have?¡± ¡°Yeah! What right do you have?¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman is the person in charge of thepany! How dare a neer wrestle that seat from him? What a joke!¡± The meeting attendees started to make a scene. As they were in the same boat as Hank, they would never allow the youngdy to be inmand. *Please get your facts straight. I am thergest shareholder in this room and the chairman of the company. Here¡¯s my notice of appointment. If anyone here is dissatisfied, you may check with Regulus Nicholson!¡± With a hardened expression, she pped a document on the table. She hade prepared, but the situation seemed more dire than she had expected. ¡°A notice of appointment? Haha! Who are you fooling with this?¡± A disdainful Hank added. ¡°Even a general on the battlefield, as the primary decision¨Cmaker, might disregard the King¡¯smand! We¡¯re not in Glenstead. Your tricks don¡¯t work here!¡± ¡°Are you rebelling against me now?¡± She mmed a hand on her table, unable to contain the rage in her. ¡°No, we won¡¯t rebel, but we are against your appointment.¡± Hank was straightforward with his dislike for her. ¡°That¡¯s right! We do not acknowledge It!¡± ¡°You have neither connections in the field nor personal rtionships with prominent figures. And you arecking in capability. Why should you be our chairman?¡± ¡°Hmph! As long¨Ctimers in thepany, we despise those who get in through the back door!¡® The animated attendees tried to get a word in, and they were harsh in their criticisms. ¡°First, this is Regulus Nicholson¡¯s decision, Like it or not, you have to ept it.¡± She put on an icy look. ¡°By the way, you were asking why I should be the chairman. I will go into detail on that topic. After looking into thepany¡¯s financial statements, I found out that thepany is crumbling on the inside despite its morous facade. Corruption is rife¨Cusingpany funds for personal matters, lining your pockets through contracts and deals, and even sellingpany secrets¨Cthese aremonce.¡± She finally added, ¡°Regulus Nicholson sent me here to execute a quick shakeup. If you¡¯re unhappy with the decision, you may turn in your resignation letter!¡± The most senior executives instantly mmed their hands on the table upon hearing her words. ¡°Who are you trying to threaten? We can always leave!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I, for one, would love to know how thepany operates if we resign collectively!¡± ¡°What goes aroundes around! There will be a time when you need to beg us for help!¡± Whileining, the group of senior executives headed toward the exit. Given their positions in the company, they knew that a collective resignation would lead to a halt inpany operations and, even worse, bankruptcy. That was the reason for their confidence. Chapter 498 ¡°You may resign if you wish, but that doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be held ountable for your dishonest practices in the past.¡± Dahlia proceeded coldly. ¡°Mr. Levin, if I recall correctly, you dipped your hands into 20 million worth of company funds, and you have not paid it back yet. For this, you will need to serve out a long sentence in prison.¡± Hearing that, a man with a bald spot who stood as the head of the group leaving instantly froze and sweated profusely. He wondered how Dahlia learned about his action when he made sure he carried out the crime seamlessly. She ignored his question and continued, ¡°Ms. Wagner, as the Director of Finance, you are in the greatest trouble. Thepany makes profits annually, but after you took charge, the books showed that we were making losses. Not only that, you have been asking the headquarters for money for your personal use. Your greed knows no bounds!¡± ¡°Y¨Cyou! That¡¯s nonsense!¡± A woman dressed luxuriously suddenly screamed at Dahlia, resembling a cat who had its tail stepped on. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Have a look for yourself.¡± Dahlia didn¡¯t bother to exin further and threw a few files containing the results of her investigation onto the table. ¡°What?¡± The woman took a good look at the files and instantly appeared ashenced as a chill ran up her spine. That was not the end of it yet. Dahlia scanned the room, and for each person sheid her eyes on, she¡¯d announce the misdeeds of that individual. ¡°Mr. Price, you are saddled with huge debts from gambling, right? If not, you wouldn¡¯t have sealed a deal worth 100 million for a mere 30 million! ¡°And you, Mr. Gillis, your son, wife, cousins, and other rtives are working in thepany. Do you think they can stay if you resign? ¡°Oh, one thing almost slipped my mind. Mr. Regan, you seem quite close to thedies from the human resources department. How would your wife react to that?¡± Then, she rattled off the tainted records of most of the senior executives. The attendees were dismayed to learn that she had essed all the information. She had obviouslye prepared! This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I will not stop you from resigning, but I will send the evidence I collected to Regulus Nicholson. Your fate will be in his hands, be it bankruptcy or jail time. However, you have another choice, which is to stay and work under me. If so, I will not hold you responsible for your dirty deeds in the past. Now, it¡¯s your choice to stay or leave.¡± With that, Dahlia finished her speech and stood at the side. The senior executives exchanged sheepish looks, each one trembling in dread. It was at that moment that they realized the fearful character of the new chairman. Any hint of disdain from earlier was reced by fear. After moments of hesitation, the group of executives who staged a walkout quietly returned to their seats, their heads hung low, and their arrogance was wiped away. ¡°Amazing.¡± Dustin secretly admired Dahlia¡¯s strategy of utilizing both the carrot and the stick to subjugate most of the protesting staff. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, do you have anything more to add?¡± She turned her attention back to Hank, knowing that the only way to be inplete control was to bring Hank Hoffman to his knees. ¡°That¡¯s very impressive indeed.¡± Laughing, he pped his hands. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson, I have to admit that you¡¯re quite something. But you need more than a few tricks.¡± Chapter 499 ¡°Oh? Mr. Hoffman, what brilliant ideas do you have now?¡± Dahlia asked. She had collected evidence against most of the senior executives except for him. That did not mean Hank Hoffman was innocent. Instead, he covered his tracks very well to the point that his misdeeds couldn¡¯t be traced back to him. ¡°On the topic of brilliant ideas, I do have some advice for you.¡± With a cigar in his mouth, he went on, ¡°To be our chairman, you need to build your reputation and capability. In short, you¡¯ll need to make profits. That way, we will approve of you.¡± The executives all nodded upon hearing that. Money makes the world go round. Their ultimate goal was to profit more. ¡°I have enough confidence in myself to take up the role of the chairman,¡± she answered nonchntly. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you much, but now that I¡¯m the chairman, all the senior executives here will see a sry increase of 50% and a 20% increase in their annual bonuses. How does that sound?¡± The people started murmuring among themselves after hearing her proposal, A 50% increase in pay and a 20% increase in bonus would be considered generous. ¡°Dahlia, we¡¯re practical people who do not like empty promises. Anyone can make promises.¡± Hank shrugged again. Dahlia asked, ¡°So, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Thepany is facing three huge challenges now. If you resolve all three, we will ept you as our new chairman. If not, you shall vacate the position for a more suitable candidate.¡± Hank started giving her trouble. She raised a brow at his words. ¡°What are the three? Tell me.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Firstly, you need to get the me Dragon Gang to pay their 70 million dors worth of debt within seven days, Hank dered with a smirk. ¡°The me Dragon Gang?¡± She was pensive. A gang that owed the Nicholson Corp. that amount of money must be difficult to handle. ¡°Why? Are you scared? You can turn it down if you¡¯re scared,¡± Hank challenged her. However, Dahlia ignored his taunts and went straight to the point. ¡°Tell me about the second challenge.¡± ¡°Secondly, you have to secure the Brooks Corporation¡¯s project, which is worth 500 million dors.¡± ¡°What about the third challenge?¡± ¡°Hah! I¡¯ll tell you after youplete the two challenges. It would be useless otherwise.¡± He chortled. ¡°Sure. I will not shy away from challenges that involve thepany. I hope that you make good on your promise.¡± Dahlia reminded him. ¡°I am a man who keeps his word. I will approve of you if you¡¯re capable ofpleting all the challenges.¡± He tossed his head back. ¡°Great. We shall see.¡± She scanned the room for onest time and left, knowing that she had to show Hank what she was capable of to win him over. Otherwise, the bunch of old senior executives would never listen to her. ¡®Ladies and gentlemen, do you think that little girl can do it?¡± The people in the meeting room started gossiping. ¡°No way! We failed to get the 70 million back from the me Dragon Gang. How could she do it in seven days? ¡°Right? Everyone knows that the me Dragon Gang is brutal. They¡¯ll tear her limb to limb if she knocks on their door for the money!¡± ¡°The first challenge is daunting enough for her. On top of that, she has to deal with that stubborn Brooks Corporation.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, your idea of killing with a borrowed knife is pure genius!¡± Hank merely smiled with the cigar between his lips in the face of the discussion in the room. He believed that a member of a Nicholson Family branch was no match for him. Meanwhile, just as Dahlia and Dustin took their seats in the chairman¡¯s office, a good¨Clooking woman in uniform wandered into the office, her heels clicking as she walked. Chapter 500 When they took a better look, they realized that it was Julie Amberson. ¡°Dustin, why are you here?¡± Julie was surprised when she spotted him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? I¡¯m the Chief Security Officer.¡± Dustin grabbed an apple and munched on it. ¡°Chief Security Officer? Dahlia, are you serious? I¡¯m just a secretary, but you appointed him as chief officer. Why?¡± Julie was aghast. ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin my decisions to you.¡± Dahlia snapped at her with a stern look. ¡°By the way. I¡¯m surprised that you can still call yourself a secretary. You were 32 minuteste on your first day at the job. How unprofessional of you!¡± She gave Julie a chance to grow and improve her skills after being pestered by Florence and her aunt on the matter, but she was disappointed by Julie¡¯s attitude. ¡°I was stuck in traffic just now. I had no choice! Anyway, I was onlyte for half an hour. That¡¯s not a big deal, is it?¡± Julie did not take it seriously. ¡°Did I not ask you to wait in the meeting room with the materials half an hour before the meeting? Look at you now. You were nowhere to be seen even after the meeting ended. How dare you say that it¡¯s not a problem?¡± Dahlia mmed her hands on the table in anger. ¡°What? Is the meeting over?¡± Julie went nk. ¡°Thankfully, I memorized the details before the meeting. I would have to keep waiting if I had relied on you.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Dahlia was irked. Her first day as chairman was crucial, but her secretary was not concerned at all. ¡°Dahlia, it¡¯s my fault. I will be careful in the future.¡± Julie¡¯s cheeks reddened in shame. ¡°I¡¯ll let this slip, but you¡¯d better not repeat your mistake!¡± She warned Julie, who nodded furiously. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. Go do research on the me Dragon Gang for me.¡± ¡°The me Dragon Gang?¡± Julie¡¯s pupils wavered at the mention of the gang. ¡°Dahlia, how did you get involved with them? They¡¯re merciless bastards!¡± ¡°Why? Have you heard of them?¡± Dahlia raised a brow in curiosity. ¡°Of course! The me Dragon Gang is famous for being evil in this region. Whoever gets on their bad side will suffer a horrific death!¡± Julie exined with a grave expression. ¡°They sound powerful.¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°Dahlia, what was the debt thing you mentioned just now?¡± Julie prodded cautiously, and Dahlia summarized everything that happened during the board meeting. After the brief exnation, Julie¡¯s face fell. ¡°D¨CDahlia, are you kidding me? Are you asking the me Dragon Gang to pay their debt?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only fair to pay your debts,¡± Dahlia responded with a serious face. ¡°Oh, Dahlia, it¡¯s always the me Dragon Gang that chases after their debtors. No one has done it the other way around!¡± Julie was gripped by fear. ¡°A billionaire once reported the me Dragon Gang because he was angered by theirwless behavior. Guess what happened to that guy? His family of eight vanished overnight, and their bodies have not been found until now! Hank Hoffman is clearly sending you to your death by asking you to demand that the gang settle its debts! You can¡¯t fall for it!¡± ¡°I have promised to settle this issue. I need to see this to the end,¡± Dahlia said somberly. ¡°Dahlia, is money or life more important to you? You¡¯re putting yourself at risk by asking the gang for debt payments!¡± Julie panicked in the face of Dahlia¡¯s naive determination. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop fighting.¡± Dustin, who had finished his apple, dusted his hands and stood up. ¡°The me Dragon Gang isn¡¯t a big deal at all. I¡¯ll get them to pay the 70 million in debt. I promise that you¡¯ll get back every single cent thepany has been owed!¡± ¡°You?¡± Julie froze before sneering. ¡°Who do you think you are? You have some balls to ask the me Dragon Gang for money!¡± He smiled at her. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m the leader of the me Dragon Gang.¡± Chapter 501 Julie was taken aback before she collected herself and stared at Dustin like he was an idiot. ¡°Are you, now? Dustin, can you stop bluffing? Who do you think you are? The audacity to im that you¡¯re the leader of the gang!¡± ¡°Dustin quit it. You need to behave.¡± Dahlia red at him. She didn¡¯t look convinced either. After all, Dustin had only arrived in Millsburg a few days ago. It was impossible to im the leadership position within that time frame. ¡°Why would I lie to you about this? If you don¡¯t trust me, just go with me to the me Dragon Gang. I¡¯ll get your money back for you,¡± Dustin swore. ¡°Hmph! Do you take us as fools? We¡¯ll die if we ask the gang for our money back!¡± Julie told him off. ¡°Whatever. How about I go to the me Dragon Gang headquarters alone without the two of you?¡± He couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with thedies, and he thought they were overreacting to a small issue. ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Dahlia sprang up when she noticed that Dustin was leaving. ¡°Dahlia, are you crazy? Are you seriously going to follow this dude and meet with the me Dragon Gang?¡± Julie was frightened and wondered if Dahlia ever listened to her warnings. ¡°No matter what, we need to give it a try.¡± Dahlia had a serious look on her face. ¡°In the best¨Ccase scenario, we get them to pay their debts. If we can¡¯t, well, we¡¯lle up with a n B.¡± ¡°But ¡°No buts. If you¡¯re scared, you don¡¯t have to go together.¡± Dahlia held up a hand to stop Julie from talking them out of it. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m scared, but I can¡¯t let you face danger alone!¡± Julie let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll have to reach out to some of my contacts for your safety.¡± While speaking, she made a call to someone. ¡°Hey, darling. I need you to do me a small favor¡­! Three minutester, Julie hung up with a calmer demeanor. ¡°Julie, I called up Terrence. He promised to help you out. He can¡¯t guarantee that you¡¯ll get the debts paid, but he can assure your safety.¡± ¡°Great. Thanks for going through the trouble for me. We¡¯ll leave now. True to her word, Dahlia left with Dustin soon after. At noon, Nelson and Hank were enjoying a casual tea break at the office of me Dragon Properties. A sexily- d secretary was tending to the men with great attention. ¡°Lord Horst, this is a limited¨Cedition Rolex for a sessful man like you. Check it out. Do you like it?¡± Hank handed Nelson a gift box, which carried a watch gilded with gold. ¡°Not bad, Mr. Hoffman. That¡¯s thoughtful of you.¡± Nelson beamed in satisfaction and asked, ¡°What brings you here? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re just here to send me the watch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that ourpany is doing well. It¡¯s only fair to get you a gift.¡± Hank suddenly changed. the topic of the conversation. ¡°But I ran into some trouble recently, and I¡¯ll need your help.¡± ¡°Oh? What trouble? I¡¯m all ears.¡± Nelson downed the drink in his cup. ¡°Well, the headquarters sent a new chairman to keep us in check. The new chairman is pretty slick. To defeat her, I issued her a challenge to get you to pay the 70 million in debt. If she fails, she¡¯ll have to vacate the position.¡± Hank offered a loaded description of the problem. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I got it.¡± Nelson caught up fast. ¡°You want me to teach her a lesson. Is that it?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Hank nodded with a grin. ¡°Do whatever you like to her, as long as you keep her alive!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the background of that new chairman?¡± Nelson demanded more information before he agreed to it. Although the me Dragon Gang was notorious in the region, they could not afford to offend certain entities- for example, the branch families of the Fabulous Five or the disciples of the Tremendous Three. ¡°Lord Horst, I have looked into her. She¡¯s nothing.¡± Hank was confident. Chapter 502 Dahlia might have the backing of Regulus Nicholson, but the patriarch in Glenstead was too far away from Balerno to pose any threat. ¡°Oh, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if she¡¯s nothing special.¡± Nelson chuckled. ¡°She¡¯d better not show up! If she ever does, I¡¯ll make it tough on her!¡± It was simply ridiculous for a person who wasn¡¯t rich or powerful to demand money from him. ¡°Lord Horst, I¡¯ll have to trouble you for this. When it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll send you a gift.¡± Hank bowed to Nelson. ¡°Haha! Not a problem. We¡¯re brothers. Take it easy.¡± A wide smile appeared on Nelson¡¯s face. Based on his past experiences, the mention of a ¡°gift¡± would imply at least a million dors in mary reward. ¡°Lord Horst ¡­¡± One of Nelson¡¯s men knocked on the door during the conversation. Nelson raised his brows unhappily. ¡°What? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m in a business meeting with my client?¡± ¡°A few visitors demanded to see you. They would like you to pay your debts,¡± the man reported the situation. ¡°Oh, they sure act fast! Speak of the devil!¡± Nelson rubbed his chin. Hank cracked a smile. ¡°Lord Horst, I shall be the audience for your show.¡± ¡°Open your eyes wide and see how I teach her a lesson!¡± With a p on the table, Nelson rose and marched out of the room. At the same time, Hank went to the window and watched the situation unfold from the gap between the curtains. Meanwhile, Dahlia was standing at the entrance to the me Dragon Properties with Dustin to her left and Julie to her right. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dahlia, should we call it off? Look at the men in there! They are scowling and ring at us. It¡¯s so terrifying!¡± Julie cowered behind them and swallowed hard in fear. The me Dragon Gang was known for its ruthlessness, and she was gravely concerned that the gang might sexually assault her after she entered their nest. ¡°We¡¯re already at the entrance. We can¡¯t give up at thest minute, right?¡± Dahlia, however, was calm and ¡°Dahlia, the gang is violent! What if Julie stammered because, at that moment, she saw Nelson emerging with a bunch of men in tow, ready to fight. She was shaking at the sight of his contracted brows and his deathlike stare. ¡°Who¡¯s the daredevil who asks me to pay up?¡± Nelson marched forward fearlessly. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Dahlia took a step forward and announced in a shrill voice, ¡°Lord Horst, it¡¯s only fair to pay your debts. It¡¯s time for you to pay the 70 million you owe to mypany.¡± ¡°Haha! You¡¯re quite bold!¡± Cackling, Nelson gestured at the men. ¡°Someone get me my saber!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The men replied and immediately hauled out a brass ring saber for him. ¡°Crap! We¡¯re done for!¡± Looking pale, Julie seemed ready to faint. Simrly, Dahlia was nervous about Nelson¡¯s Chaucer SIZ actions. ¡°Hmph! They overestimated themselves!¡± A gleeful smile spread on Hank¡¯s face as he stared down from the windows above. ¡°Nelson Horst, are you seriously going to sh people when you¡¯re in the wrong for not paying your debts?¡± Dustin suddenly emerged from behind Dahlia. ¡°Hmm?¡± When Nelson saw Dustin, he appeared to be struck by lightning and dropped the brass ring saber onto the ground. Realizing the gravity of their situation, he turned around and pped one of his men on the face as he yelled, ¡°Why the fuck did you even bring that saber to me? Quick! Get me a check!¡± Chapter 503 ¡°What?¡± The man was in a state of confusion after being pped. He held his cheek, looking lost. The other men exchanged looks of shock. No one had expected that outburst from Nelson, who one second ago was screaming about shing the visitors. And the next second, Nelson appeared frightened, as though he saw ghosts. What was going on? ¡°What are you doing there? Hurry up and get me the check!¡± Nelson gave the frozen man a nervous kick. ¡°Okay¡­¡± The man hurriedly stumbled his way back to the office. He had no clue about the situation, but one thing was for sure¨CLord Horst was fearful. During the wait, Nelson went up to Dustin and squeezed an apologetic smile. ¡°Sir Rhys, when did you arrive? You should have informed me earlier, so I could send someone to pick you up.¡± ¡°Sir Rhys?¡± Dahlia and Julie were stunned by Nelson¡¯s obsequious behavior. They looked at each other in disbelief. Why would the cruel Lord Horst of the me Dragon Gang act in such a humble manner after meeting Dustin? ¡°Nelson Horst, it¡¯s only fair that you pay off the debts of the me Dragon Gang. Understood?¡± Dustin scolded Nelson. Thetter nodded fervently as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Right, Sir Rhys, you¡¯re right. I was acting without thinking just now. I promise I won¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°That¡¯d better be the case. By the way, you were a hooligan just now. You should apologize to the debtor.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Dustin warned him. ¡°Chairman Nicholson, I¡¯m very sorry. I was rude to you just now, and I can only hope that you show me grace and forgive me this time.¡± Nelson stered a smile on his face as he continuously bowed and apologized. However, his behavior came unexpectedly for Dahlia. She had mentally prepared herself to fight a gangster, but never had she expected the fierce¨Clooking Lord Horst to turn into a tame animal this soon. She wasn¡¯t the only one who received a great shock. To be honest, Julie was at a loss for words as well. She questioned if Nelson Horst was still the same man as the notorious and formidable Lord Horst she knew. ¡°Lord Horst, I¡¯m only here to collect the debts. Please forgive me if I offended you in any way.¡± Dahlia politely responded to him. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! It¡¯s all my fault for owing you the payments in the first ce.¡± Nelson was rather surprised and moved by her manners. Anyone could tell that Dustin and Dahlia shared an unusual rtionship. Nelson revered and feared his new leader at the same time. ¡°Lord Horst, the money¡¯s here.¡± The man returned in a hurry, carrying a check in his hand. Nelson wiped the sweat off his forehead and carefully handed Dahlia the check. He said with much respect, ¡°Chairman Nicholson, this is the amount I owed you. Please take a look.¡± ¡°80 million?¡± When she checked the figures, she was slightly surprised at the extra money. ¡°Lord Horst, did you identally pay me more?¡± ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve owed you the money for a while now. Just see it as interest payments.¡± Nelson smiled at her. Dahlia was speechless; this was just perplexing and troubling. She was grateful and lucky enough to have recovered the 70 million in debt, but now, she received 10 million more. ¡°Dahlia, since it¡¯s for the interest payment, you should ept it,¡± Dustin chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right. Chairman Nicholson, please ept the check, so I can sleep well tonight.¡± Nelson had at pleading look on his face. ¡°Well, okay then. Thank you, Lord Horst, for your generosity and help.¡± No longer insisting, Dahlia pocketed the check. She could tell that Dustin was the sole reason behind Nelson¡¯s humble attitude, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Dustin was telling the truth earlier today. ¡°Nelson Horst, keep in mind what you said today.¡± After warning Nelson once again, Dustin left with Dahlia and Julie. Chapter 504 ¡°Have a good day, Sir Rhys!¡± Nelson bowed deeply to the trio as they left. ¡°Have a good day. Sir Rhys!¡± The members of the me Dragon Gang mimicked Nelson and chanted loudly. Hank had run down to the first floor from his viewing point when he figured that something was off. He confronted Nelson. ¡°Lord Horst, what¡¯s wrong? Why did you pay her back?¡± Nelson had promised to teach Dahlia a lesson, but upon the meeting. Nelson obediently paid the debts without a word of protest. Since when were the me Dragon Gang such losers? ¡°Oh, ¡®why¡® you fucking ask?¡± Nelson turned around and glowered as he hissed, ¡°Did you know who¡¯s the guy beside thatdy just now?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he just a bodyguard? What¡¯s so special about that?¡± Hank frowned, confused by Nelson¡¯s reaction. ¡°Just a bodyguard?!¡± After the initial shock, Nelson smacked Hank hard on the back of his head and rebuked, ¡± You blind fuckwit! That¡¯s our new gang leader!¡± ¡°What? Your new gang leader?¡± Hank was stunned. ¡°Son of a bitch! I almost died because of you. Don¡¯t you ever show up in front of me. Now, get lost!¡± Incandescent with rage, Nelson flung the Rolex watch in Hank¡¯s face. Hank was simmering with anger but dared not talk back. So, he left with his tail between his legs. Never had he expected Dahlia to be acquainted with a powerful figure like Dustin. ¡°Dustin, are you really the new leader of the me Dragon Gang?¡± Unable to suppress her curiosity, Dahlia blurted out the question. She was still in disbelief, but she figured out that something was not quite right judging from Nelson¡¯s behavior. ¡°You saw it with your own eyes just now. How could that be fake?¡± Dustin shrugged his shoulders. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I mean, how did you be the leader?¡± She gave him a funny look. ¡°I was acknowledged for my outstanding moral integrity. Did you seriously think I fought my way to the position?¡± He asked her with a straight face. ¡°Is that true?¡± She shot him a doubtful nce. He gave her a half¨Csmile. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care how you ended up as the leader, but I only have one thing to ask of you¨Cdo not stir trouble!¡± She stared at him with a serious face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hurt others as long as they don¡¯t hurt me. From now on, the me Dragon Gang will not ¡°That¡¯s good to hear that.¡± She let out a relieved sigh. Before this, she was genuinely worried that Dustin had been led astray andmitted crimes like murder or robbery. ¡°Dustin Rhys, I couldn¡¯t tell that you were rted to the me Dragon Gang!¡± Julie suddenly spoke up. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t get ahead of yourself. The gang isn¡¯t made up of good guys, and they will get themselves into trouble sooner orter. I advise you to get back on the right path before you get arrested and jailed for some crime.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Just take care of yourself,¡± he replied ndly. ¡°Hmph! You little ingrate!¡± Julie pouted. Even though she held Dustin in higher regard, he was still far behind Terrence. ¡°Alright now. Stop the bickering. We have settled the first challenge, but that still leaves us with the second challenge¨Cthe business deal with Brooks Corporation.¡± Dahlia steered the conversation. ¡°Dahlia, I can¡¯t promise to be of help in most cases, but I can totally help you out on this one!¡± Julie patted her chest confidently. ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± Dahlia was curious to know. ¡°Have you forgotten that my Terrence is a manager at the Brooks Corporation? If he¡¯s willing to speak up for us, there¡¯s no deal we can¡¯t seal!¡± Julie sounded proud. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes lit up with joy. ¡°Of course!¡± Julie put on a smug smile. ¡°Given Terrence¡¯s connections, he¡¯ll only need to put in a good word, and it¡¯s a done deal!¡± Hearing that, Dustin smiled wryly and gave them a shake of the head. ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Julie. Terrence can¡¯t even save his own ass in thatpany. How is he going to help Dahlia?¡± Chapter 505 ¡°What? What do you mean he can¡¯t save his own ass?! What nonsense is that?¡± Julie red at him crossly. She was annoyed with the way Dustin had poured cold water on her suggestion. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong. Terrence Stone will be fired by the Brooks Corporation today,¡± Dustin proimed breezily. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Julie was irked by his prediction. ¡°Our Terrence is good at his job. Why would he get fired?¡± ¡°Whether you believe it or not, it¡¯s all up to you. Anyway. Terrence Stone can¡¯t help us on the second challenge. ¡°Dustin shrugged. ¡°If he can¡¯t help, are you saying that you can do it? What a joke! Julie stared at him icily, thinking that he was only a reckless man who shouldn¡¯t be bragging around. ¡°Sorry to tell you, but I can do what Terrence Stone can¡¯t.¡± Dustin grinned at her. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting cocky now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Julie was burning with rage. ¡°Dustin Rhys, I wanted to respect you, but if you¡¯re such an arrogant twat, I¡¯ll prove you wrong!¡± Then, she immediately made a call to Terrence and told him the situation, albeit embellished with dramatic elements. ¡°What? Is he saying that I¡¯d get fired? That¡¯s hrious! I¡¯m in a position of authority in thepany. No one can touch me here!¡± Terrence scoffed with arrogance. ¡°Terrence, this brat is looking down on you. Why don¡¯t you show him the power of your professional connections today?¡± Julie fanned the fire. ¡°No problem! It¡¯s just a business contract, right? I¡¯ll make a call to Mr. Suzman, the manager of the Sales Department, and I¡¯ll get him to settle it for you. Juste to the office and sign the contract!¡± Terrence was bursting with confidence. *Terrence, thank you for your help!¡± Delighted, Julie hung up and tossed her hair. ¡°Weren¡¯t you acting all smug just now? Do you want to go with me to the Brooks Corporation office?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± Dustin was nonchnt. ¡°Great! I will show you the difference between you and Terrence today.¡± Julie sneered at him. Brook Corporation, with hundreds of billions worth of assets, was the most prominentpany in Millsburg. Even the notorious me Dragon Gang was nothingpared to Brooks Corporation. Terrence was not only the manager at thepany¨Che had strong backing from some higher¨Cups there. Openly challenging Terrence was a futile and humiliating attempt. 30 minutester, the elevator doors at the entrance of the Brooks Corporation Sales Department slid open with a chime, and the trio emerged from the elevator. ¡°Dahlia, this is the ce. Terrence has given them a heads¨Cup. I¡¯m sure everything will go fine.¡± Feeling confident, Julie went to the front desk and rapped her knuckles on the tabletop in a conceited manner. ¡°Hey Get Mr. Suzman for us! Just tell him that his guests have arrived.¡± 1 ¡°Excuse me. Do you have an appointment?¡± The front desk staff inquired politely. ¡°Only regr visitors need appointments. We don¡¯t.¡± Julie argued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Our manager has informed us not to let any visitors in unless they have made an appointment.¡± The secretary shook her head. ¡°You need to be more sensible! Do you know who I am? Or who my darling is? How dare you speak to me like that?¡± Julie red at the secretary. At that moment, a slightly overweight middle¨Caged man walked out of the office. Dressed in a suit, he appeared distant and authoritative. ¡°What¡¯s with themotion?¡± ¡°Mr. Suzman, you have a few visitors who insisted on meeting you despite not having an appointment,¡± the secretary hurriedly exined. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you before? I¡¯m not seeing anyone without an appointment! Get them out of here!¡± The man waved his hand impatiently. He would have no time left if he were to entertain every single visitor who didn¡¯t have an appointment. ¡°Sir, madam, please leave, or I¡¯ll have to call security.¡± The secretary urged them to leave. Chapter 506 ¡°Wait!¡± Julie ran up to the middle¨Caged man just as he was about to leave. ¡°Mr. Suzman, you might not know me, but you must know Terrence Stone.¡± *Terrence Stone?¡± The man lifted an eyebrow. ¡°What do you three have to do with him?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. *Terrence is my boyfriend!¡± Julie beamed proudly. ¡°Mr. Suzman, I believe that he has already given you a heads -up. Now, can we go to your office?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± The man put on a frosty look. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat: you have to make an appointment to meet with me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Julie was slightly taken aback by his attitude. ¡°Mr. Suzman, did you not hear me? I¡¯m Terrence¡¯s girlfriend, and I¡¯m here to talk business.¡± ¡°So what?¡± The man snickered. ¡°Even if it were Terrence who came to see me, he¡¯d have to make an appointment too!¡± ¡°You-¡± Julie choked on anger and refused to believe that Mr. Suzman would shut her out. He wouldn¡¯t even budge at the mention of Terrence. ¡°Julie, it looks like name¨Cdropping won¡¯t work around here.¡± Dustin shed her a half¨Csmile. Her eyes twitched, and her expression crumbled. She showed up confidently, only to be let down. Still she nced at the man. ¡°Mr. Suzman, you¡¯re colleagues with Terrence. Do you want to get on bad terms with him?¡± ¡°So what? Get lost now, or else!¡± The man bellowed at them. Julie¡¯s cheeks burned in shame as she huffed and puffed. ¡°You¡¯re a bully!¡± ¡°Cole Suzman! Acting like you¡¯re something, aren¡¯t you?¡± Terrence snorted and marched toward the group. Julie was overjoyed to see her boyfriend and instantly went up to him and startedining. ¡°Terrence, you came at the right time! I was bullied by that guy just now!¡± ¡°Yes, I saw everything. Let me handle this from here.¡± He nodded and cast a sharp look at the middle¨C aged man. ¡°Cole Suzman, you¡¯re getting bolder these days. I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days, and now, you don¡¯t even show me respect.¡± ¡°And who are you? Why do you deserve my respect?¡± Cole Suzman wore an indifferent expression, ¡°Hah, you¡¯re acting like you don¡¯t have a clue.¡± Terrence sneered at him. ¡°Suzman, apologize to my girlfriend now, or I¡¯ll make you regret it! Don¡¯t me me for not giving you a chance!* ¡°Hmph! Did you hear him? Apologize to me now! Julie grinned gleefully. Although both men were managers. Terrence had stronger support from upper management. Getting on top of Cole Suzman was a piece of cake for him. ¡°Terrence Stone, are you dumb or what? Do you think you deserve an apology from me? Who do you think you are, the human resources manager?¡± Cole merely smirked at the ridiculous demand. ¡°What?!¡± Frowning, Terrence questioned, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Ah, it looks like you¡¯re still in the dark. Thepany issued a notice this morning to fire you and put you under investigation immediately. You are no longer a manager now.¡± Cole informed him. ¡°What did you say? Fired and put under investigation? How could that be?!¡± Terrence¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t trust me? Just check your phone. They should have sent the notice of termination to you by now.¡± Cole snickered. Terrence quickly checked his phone, and he seemed to be struck by lightning. Sweating profusely, he realized that he had indeed been fired. Chapter 507 ¡°H¨Chow could that be? I¨Cimpossible!¡± Terrence¡¯s eyes were bulging with disbelief. Although he did not put much effort into the job, at least he didn¡¯t make any mistakes. On top of that, he was carefree during his time with thepany because he had the backing of the higher¨Cups. Given his social connections, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to get fired. He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the situation. ¡°Terrence, you¡¯re fired?¡± Julie was bug¨Ceyed when she noticed the change in Terrence¡¯s expression. He had promised her the business contract, but how did he end up losing his job instead? ¡°It looks like there¡¯s trouble.¡± Dahlia furrowed her brows and appeared pensive. She had pinned her hopes on Terrence, but he wouldn¡¯t be of any help anymore. ¡°Cole Suzman, be honest¨Cwere you ying dirty behind my back?¡± Terrence fixed his gaze on Cole. ¡°Why would I do so when there¡¯s nothing between us? Plus, even if I wanted, I wouldn¡¯t have the power to do that. You should look at yourself for the reason,¡± Cole said impassionately. He had long been frustrated by employees who were coasting at work, and he was more than pleased to see Terrence fired. ¡°Bullshit! No one else could have done that except for you! You must have ratted on me!¡± Terrence glowered at him. He had embezzled money when he was on the job, and Cole must have found the evidence. ¡°Well, if you insist on thinking so, I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Cole could not be bothered to exin himself. After all, he couldn¡¯t care less since Terrence was no longer an employee. ¡°You¡¯re wicked, Cole Suzman!¡± Terrence¡¯s features contorted into a threatening scowl. ¡°If you think you¡¯ve won, you¡¯re wrong! I¡¯ll let you know¨CI have backing within thepany. Even if I¡¯m fired today, I will get rehired tomorrow!¡± ¡°Oh, really? And who¡¯s that person backing you?¡± Cole questioned him. ¡°You might want to sit down for this. My uncle is the CEO of thepany!¡± Terrence announced proudly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°That exins why a guy like you would work your way into a managerial role. It¡¯s all thanks to your connection!¡± Cole¡¯s expression fell He heard about Terrence¡¯s jaw¨Cdropping social connections, but he never thought that Terrence was a rtive of the CEO. He worried that he might be in trouble. ¡°Are you afraid now?¡± Terrence sneered. ¡°Suzman, if you were the one who ratted me out, you made the dumbest mistake in your life. Apologize to me now, or you¡¯ll be the one who¡¯s kicked out tomorrow!¡± Given his uncle¡¯s authority in thepany, getting rid of a manager was an easy task. ¡°Terrence Stone, don¡¯t be smug. Do you think you can do as you wish just because you have connections?¡± Cole frowned disapprovingly. ¡°That¡¯s right! I can do anything I wish with the backing of my uncle. Why? Are you unhappy about it? What are you going to do?¡± Terrence threw his head back andughed, knowing that he¡¯d be fine in any crisis as long as his uncle was in thepany. ¡°Terrence, I didn¡¯t know your uncle was the CEO! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Julle gave him a look of adoration. A department manager was nothingpared to the CEO. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m doing well in thepany, it¡¯s all thanks to my connections!¡± Terrence held his head high. ¡°See that. Dahlia? That¡¯s how amazing Terrence¡¯s connections are! He can easily take care of a business contract for us!¡± Looking conceited, Julie turned her attention to Dustin. ¡°Dustin, do you have anything else to say? Are you convinced now?¡± Dustin just smiled back at her. At first, Terrence was the only one who got into trouble. After this commotion, Terrence unknowingly dragged his uncle down. He bet Terrence¡¯s uncle would cry at the thought of having Terrence as his nephew. ¡°Suzman, what are you standing there for? I said to apologize to me now! I can take everything from you by making just one call!¡± Terrence grew aggressive. ¡°You¡¯d better not go too far!¡± Cole shot him a stern look. ¡°So what if I do? I can afford to do that anyway!¡± Terrence snickered. Cole stammered at his audacity. ¡°Y¨Cyou-¡± Terrence wasn¡¯t wrong¨Che was able to do what he liked with the CEO¡¯s backing. ¡°You ran into a wall didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s all your fault for being cocky, and it¡¯s toote to regret your actions now!¡± Julie smirked gleefully. Chapter 508 For Terrence, it was an exciting moment for him to show off his authority in front of everyone. However, things changed when Cole received a text on his phone. Cole was momentarily caught off guard by the content and checked it a few times before breaking into a grin. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Terrence had a haughty look on his face. ¡°Terrence Stone, say goodbye to your good life. I just received apany¨Cwide notice stating that your uncle has been terminated as well. You¡¯re both on a sinking ship together. You¡¯re finished!¡± Cole dered boldly. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Terrence shot him a re. ¡°My uncle is the CEO. Who would have the guts to fire him?¡± ¡°Mr. Brooks did that, of course.¡± Cole said righteously. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Terrence refused to believe it. ¡°My uncle is one of Mr. Brooks¡® right¨Chand men. Why would he be fired for no good reason? You should stop spewing lies!¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you believe it or not.¡± Cole didn¡¯t want to waste time with Terrence anymore. Although he had no clue about what happened behind the scenes, it was clear that Terrence and his backing within thepany were both removed. ¡°Are you trying to trick me now? Great! I¡¯ll call my uncle now and get him to teach you a lesson.¡± While speaking. Terrence pulled out his phone, ready to tell on Cole, but he was stopped short when he heard a screaming from the entrance. ¡°Terrence Stone!¡± A man dressed in a suit with a bald spot on his head charged in. ¡°Uncle?¡± Terrence¡¯s eyes lit up in delight, and he cackled. ¡°Suzman, you¡¯re dead meat! My uncle¡¯s here. No one can save you now.¡± Then, he readily jogged toward the man. ¡°Uncle, you showed up at the right time! That Suzman guy is a two- faced snake. He¡¯s purposely shifting the me onto me. You¡¯ve got to stand up for me this time!¡± ¡°Stand up for you? How about you fuck off!¡± The man¡¯s nostrils red, and he pped Terrence across the cheeks, sending thetter tumbling onto the ground. One might think he had a vendetta against Terrence based on his furious expression. ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± Terrence pressed a hand on his cheek helplessly. Julie and the others quietly exchanged looks of confusion. ¡°Oh, if only I could tear you into pieces!¡± The man unleashed his wrath on Terrence. ¡°Who the fuck did you insult this time? I am in hot water because of you!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Terrence was utterly lost. ¡°How dare you fucking ask me?¡± The man was a ball of fire as he gave Terrence a second p. ¡°Mr. Brooks fired me all because of you! I have to clear my desk; worst of all, I¡¯m about to be investigated!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Terrence froze. How could his uncle, the pir of support for thepany, be kicked out all of a sudden? ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you did?¡± The man continued impatiently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call Mr. Brooks yesterday and insult him in various ways?¡± ¡°Yesterday?¡± After a slight pause, Terrence suddenly came to a realization. He recalled that he had chided a man named Big Bucks Brooks over Dustin¡¯s phone. Was that guy the real deal, not a scammer as he had believed? ¡°Oh, I¡¯m done for thought Terrence, who slumped onto the floor with a ghastly look on his face. Chapter 509 ¡°How could that happen?¡± Terrence slumped onto the ground as he grew despondent. He did not expect Roderick Brooks, his boss, to be the subject of his wrath yesterday. Not only was he fired, but he also dragged his uncle down with him as they got kicked out of thepany. ¡°You brat! What are you standing there for? Come with me to apologize to Mr. Brooks now! The man grabbed Terrence by the hair and violently dragged him out. The whole time, a cowering Terrence didn¡¯t utter even a single word of protest. ¡°What?¡± Julie¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground at the sight of it. It was hard to fathom how Terrence had fallen from a ce of authority and honor to one of shame. ¡°He totally deserved that! It was his fault for acting like a thug!¡± Cole scoffed and disappeared into his office. ¡°Your dear Terrence can¡¯t even save himself,¡± Dustin remarked with amusement. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you and your stupid predictions! He wouldn¡¯t have been fired if it weren¡¯t for you!¡± Julie started to lose it. ¡°How do you even pin that on me? You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± Dustin shook his head, thinking that Terrence deserved everything that had happened. One could see iting because of Terrence¡¯s impudence, which was fueled by his faith in his uncle¡¯s power and backing. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Can both of you shut up for a moment? Our top priority is to figure out a solution to that challenge!¡± Dahlia reminded them of the matter at hand. ¡°Dahlia, I think we have no choice but to get back and brainstorm. Terrence is fired, and Mr. Suzman isn¡¯t going to budge.¡± Sighing. Julie decided that this was her unlucky day, suffering one loss after another. ¡°What¡¯s the point of heading back when we¡¯ve already made our way here? Isn¡¯t it just a business deal? Leave it to me,¡± Dustin remarked. ¡°You?¡± Julie scanned him from head to toe with a disdainful look. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think you could do whatever Terrence failed to do? Stop kidding me!¡± ¡°He failed to help, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll fail too.¡± Dustin smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m acquainted with Roderick Brooks. This shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± ¡°You? How could you be a friend of Roderick Brooks? You¡¯re a fool.¡± Julie did not believe any words that came from him. Roderick Brooks was the top business magnate in Millsburg. A man of his wealth and power was godlike and out of reach for the average citizen. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯ll call him up.¡± Instead of exining further, Dustin immediately went into action. ¡°Hello? Mr. Brooks; I have a favor to ask of you. A friend of mine wanted to coborate with Brooks Corporation. I hope you¡¯ll consider her proposal.¡± ¡°Mr. Rhys, don¡¯t mention It! A business deal is just a small matter! I can even hand thepany over to you if that makes you happy. Where are you? I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡± Roderick sounded very friendly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m at the Sales Department of Brooks Corporation. Just send a word and get Mr. Suzman to assist me.¡± Dustin replied, ¡°No problem! On it!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± After exchanging some formalities, Dustin hung up and turned around. ¡°It¡¯s done. We can sign the business contract soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some good acting. Do you really think that someone will agree on a 500 million dor megadeal over a phone call? Stop daydreaming!¡± Julie smirked. ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s head home now. We¡¯ll talk about the business deal tomorrow.¡± Dahlia gave Julle a soft shake of the head. They were at the center of attention at that moment, and with each second they stayed there, they¡¯d only humiliate themselves more. She did not take Dustin¡¯s words seriously, thinking that he was only putting on the act for his ego. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? We¡¯ll get it done if we wait for a little while.¡± Dustin reassured them. ¡°Are you telling me to wait here?¡± Julie snickered. ¡°Even if you kneel here for a day, you will not get the attention of Mr. Suzman.¡± Chapter 510 Right after that, they heard a click as the door to the manager¡¯s office flung open. Then, Cole ran out in a great hurry and almost stumbled over. ¡°Who¡¯s Dustin Rhys? Is there a Mr. Rhys here?¡± He searched high and low with an anxious look. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Dustin took a few steps forward. ¡°Mr. Rhys, I¡¯m so sorry for not recognizing you just now. I didn¡¯t properly greet and receive you and your guests. Please forgive me.¡± Cole jogged up, his previous arrogance wiped off as he bowed deeply at Dustin. His respectful demeanor came as a surprise for Julie and Dahlia. A while ago, Cole was acting all righteous and refused to show Terrence leniency. Why did he suddenly grovel at Dustin? They were left scratching their heads at the reason behind his abrupt change. ¡°Mr. Suzman, that wasn¡¯t necessary. Let¡¯s talk business.¡± Dustin went straight to the point. ¡°Right, rightCole nodded furiously and stered a smile on his face. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this way. please.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Ladies first.¡± Beaming, Dustin led a confused¨Clooking Dahlia into the manager¡¯s office. Cole immediately served tea and ordered his secretary to print out the contract. He was extremely attentive, as he was told they were VIP guests of Mr. Brooks. Ten minutester, they had a deal following a smooth discussion. When Dahlia wandered out of the office with the signed contract in her hand, she felt like she was deep in a daze. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected the deal to proceed this smoothly. Without unnecessary exchanges, the staff from Brooks Corporation merely asked for her signature on that 500 million deal. In fact, it was so ridiculous that she would question the veracity of the process if she had not witnessed it. ¡°Dustin, how did you pull that off?¡± Dahlia nced at the hero of the day with a bewildered expression. ¡°I told you I am acquainted with Roderick Brooks, and he¡¯d probably do me a favor,¡± Dustin was cool about it. ¡°A¨Cand how did you get to know him?¡± Julle blurted out. It was unbelievable that Dustin would be acquainted with Roderick Brooks. ¡°I treated his illness, which I mentioned to you yesterday, but you didn¡¯t believe me.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You treated him? That¡¯s some dumb luck!¡± Julie shot him a funny look. ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t look down on people.¡± Dustin casually reminded her. ¡°What¡¯s so great about that?¡± Julie rolled her eyes in disdain. ¡°You treated Big Bucks Brooks¡® illness thanks to some dumb luck! Sure, he repaid your help by doing you a favor, but it won¡¯t be easy to ask him for help the second time!¡± Roderick Brooks had returned the favor to Dustin, andmon sense dictated that it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to keep asking for favors after that. Dustin might have yed the hero on that day, but that might not happen again the next time. ¡°No matter what, we have to thank Dustin for his help today.¡± A smile lightened Dahlia¡¯s face. ¡®Tell me your wish, and I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill it.¡± ¡°My wish?¡± That suggestion caught him off guard. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of any. I¡¯ll let you know when something pops up.¡± ¡°Sure. I owe you one.¡± She chuckled. While they were chatting. Dustin¡¯s phone started ringing. When he picked up, he heard Natasha¡¯s voice from the other end. ¡°Dustin! This is bad! Our family¡¯s in trouble!¡± Chapter 511 It was afternoon when Dustin arrived at the Harmon estate in a hurry after getting the news. He was greeted by the sight of armed soldiers surrounding thepound. Hundreds of armed men from the elite forces of the Harmon Family guarded the entrance in what appeared to be a standoff, and both sides weren¡¯t about to back. down. ¡°Harmons, I will make myself clear¨Chand over the suspect, or we¡¯ll subject everyone to the same punishment! ¡°Themander¨Cin¨Ccharge bellowed, his full voice echoing through thepound. Behind him, the soldiers stood stiffly while holding their guns. Once themander gave his orders, these soldiers would shoot mercilessly. ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± Dustin frowned at the violent confrontation. He wondered how the Harmons got involved with the military. ¡°Sir, what calls for the mobilization of these forces?¡± Dustin went up to him and questioned. ¡°I was ordered to capture the suspect. Unrted personnel please leave the grounds right now!¡± The commander barked in his face. ¡°Mr. Rhys, you¡¯re here! Please,e on in!¡± Jack, the butler, immediately spotted Dustin and asked that the elite forces make way for Dustin to enter. The crowd parted before swiftly closing up the path again after Dustin made his way into the building. ¡°Listen up, people in there! I¡¯ll give you half an hour. If you refuse to hand the suspect over, do not me us for forcing our way in there!¡± Themander gave his final warning, but the elite forces did not budge at all, evenThis is from N?velDrama.Org. if they had to risk death. ¡°Mr. Rhys, Ms. Harmon is in the meeting room. Pleasee with me.¡± Jack ignored themander¡¯s threats and led the way. A perplexed Dustin followed closely behind him. The meeting room of the Harmon estate was filled to the brim. The core members of the family convened at the venue. They were whispering to each other. Meanwhile, Trent Harmon sighed with a troubled expression while Jacob Harmon paced the room. apprehensively. Natasha and a few others stayed by the side of an unconscious Hector Harmon. ¡°Natasha, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Dustin showed up in the room with a solemn look. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯ve arrived at the right time! Please check on my dad!¡± Natasha¡¯s face lit up, and she frantically pulled Dustin over to a pale and sweaty Hector, who had blood stains on his outfit. Without further ado, Dustin performed a detailed checkup on Hector and announced, ¡°Your dad is weak because he has recently recovered from a grave illness. To top that off, he was drinking like a fish, and that¡¯s why he fainted. He should be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± A relieved sigh escaped from Jessica¡¯s lips. ¡°Can you wake him up?¡± Natasha asked. ¡°Yes, but I wouldn¡¯t rmend that. It would be best to just let him rest,¡± Dustin replied. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time! We need to wake him up, or else the family will be doomed!¡± Natasha did not look like she was joking. ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Eyes twitching, he immediately took three needles and inserted them into Hector¡¯s pressure points between the brows, near the front hairline, and right under his nose. Soon after, Hector¡¯s eyes fluttered open. ¡°Dad! Do you recall what happenedst night?¡± Natasha immediately asked. ¡°Last night?¡± Hector rubbed his head and said groggily. ¡°Last night, it was the birthday event of the regional deputy chief, Sir Moran. I was drinking at his ce. Why?¡± Chapter 512 ¡°Dad, did you do anything else than drink?¡± Natasha pressed on. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He was puzzled by her questions. ¡°Dad, think carefully! You can¡¯t make a mistake here!¡± She was dead serious. ¡°I think I cked out from drinking. I can¡¯t remember a thing. What happened?¡± Hector frowned softly. Natasha finally dropped the bomb. ¡°Dad, Sir Moran¡¯s daughter was dead!¡± ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡± He was stunned by the news. ¡°How did that happen?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We don¡¯t have the details yet, but rumors had it that you were the murderer!¡± Natasha informed him. ¡°Did they say I was the murderer?¡± He waspletely lost. Eyes bulging, he shook his head vehemently. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! No matter how drunk I am, I would not kill someone!¡± He might be a lightweight, but he was a well¨Cbehaved drunk. Normally, he¡¯d be dead asleep after he was drunk and never made a scene. ¡°I don¡¯t believe them either, but witnesses imed they saw you murder her. Sir Moran¡¯s forces are at our door, and they will force their way in at any time! Think carefully! Did you do it or not?¡± Natasha growled. The regional deputy chief was the third¨Cinmand in Millsburg, and he had the power to ruin the Harmons with amand. ¡°I¨CI really can¡¯t recall a thing, but I believe that I would never do that.¡± Hector furrowed his brows. ¡°Gosh, Hector, what¡¯s that good for? Sir Moran doesn¡¯t believe that!¡± Trent shook his head slowly. ¡°Yeah, Trent, how could you ck out from drinking at someone¡¯s birthday event? You do not have self¨Ccontrol at all!¡± Jacob seemed disappointed and furious at his sibling. The family had enough on their te, and the new usation added insult to injury. ¡°Uncle Hector, turn yourself in if you were the culprit. Don¡¯t drag your family into it.¡± At that moment, a slender and alluring beauty emerged from the crowd. She was Trent¡¯s eldest daughter, Kate. Trent had a son and daughter, but after Quentin¡¯s death, Kate immediately came to her father¡¯s side from Stonia. *Kate Harmon, stop spewing nonsense! My dad is not a murderer!¡± Ruth red at her cousin. ¡°Better not get ahead of yourself. It¡¯s not umon for drunk people tomit crimes identally. If Uncle Hector is innocent, why would Sir Moran send his men to arrest him?¡± Kate remarked as if stating the obvious. Ruth was dumbfounded, ¡°You-¡± The usation might be hard to believe, but there was always a dreadful possibility that it might be true. The problem was that Hector could not recall any memories from that night. ¡°Could someone have pinned the murder on him?¡± Dustin blurted out. Natasha, deep in her thoughts, said, ¡°The possibility has crossed my mind, but I don¡¯t have evidence for now. We need a detailed investigation,¡± It was too much of a coincidence for the murder to happen at that point. She had reason to suspect foul y. ¡°I heard that Sir Moran¡¯s daughter was murdered after being sexually assaulted. Uncle Hector, did you get horny after you were drunk and took advantage of her?¡± Kate dropped another odd spection. ¡°Bullshit! My dad is not a rapist!¡± Ruth instantly jumped up and down with anger. Natasha and Jessica, though quiet, both frowned at the allegation, Kate was an impertinent youngdy. ¡°Kate, stop that nonsense!¡± Trent berated his daughter. ¡°Your Uncle Hector is a good man. He¡¯ll never do anything like that. Someone must have framed him!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never know what a man¡¯s like behind the back. Who knows?¡± Kate¡¯s reply was loaded. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Are you going to add to the mess that this family is already in?¡± Natasha finally chastised Kate. Kate merely sneered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be yelling at me. Start worrying about cleaning up your dad¡¯s mess.¡± ¡°You¡± Natasha was on the verge of an outburst when Jack ran in with urgency. ¡°Ms. Harmon, things are bad! The soldiers out there have barged in!¡± Chapter 513 ¡°They barged in?¡± Natasha¡¯s expression dropped. ¡°Quick! Get Deone to stop them!¡± Before the truth prevailed, she would never allow them to arrest her dad. ¡°Stop!¡± Suddenly. Hector yelled at Jack, ¡°Let them in. No one shall stand in their way!¡± ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡± Natasha frowned. ¡°The truth will speak for itself. I have nothing to fear if I didn¡¯tmit the crime.¡± Hector dered loud and clear. ¡°But ¡°Have you ever given it some thought? If I make a move now, I¡¯ll never clear my name.¡± Hector wore a somber expression on his face. Fighting against Sir Moran¡¯s forces could be perceived as resisting arrest, or, worse, staging a revolt. The Harmons could not afford to be used of this grave crime. ¡°Hector¡¯s right. We can¡¯t butt heads with them. Tell all the Harmon disciples to stand aside!¡± Jacob yelled. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jack helplessly took the orders. Natasha and the rest were worried, but they were aware of the N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. importance of not adding fuel to the fire. Otherwise, the confrontation might spiral out of control ¡°Where¡¯s Hector Harmon?¡± Themander, dressed in uniform, marched up to the doors of the meeting room with arge number of armed soldiers behind him. These were troopers who were in service, and their murderous air sent chills down one¡¯s spine. ¡°I am Hector Harmon. Sir, what are you here for?¡± Hector calmly greeted themander and his men. ¡°You sullied Sir Moran¡¯s daughter and brutally murdered her! We are under orders to arrest you for trial!¡± The ¡°Nonsense! My dad never killed a soul. You must have gotten it wrong!¡± Ruth instantly protested. ¡°Sir, my husband has been a morally upright man. He couldn¡¯t havemitted such a huge sin. He must have been framed!¡± Jessica fought for her husband. ¡°That¡¯s right! Our patriarch must have been framed!¡± The family members immediately voiced their support for Hector Harmon, who was known for his honorable character. No one else in the family could im to be more virtuous than Hector. ¡°Framed him? That¡¯s a joke!¡± Themander¡¯s face was taut. ¡°We have solid evidence that clears all the doubts. Those who are not involved, please leave the scene now!¡± ¡°Sir, you imed that my dad is guilty. But where¡¯s the evidence? You need a reason to arrest him, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Natasha questioned themander. He bellowed, ¡°The witness ount is clear evidence of Hector Harmon murdering the youngdy when he was drunk!¡± ¡°A witness can be bought. With money, one can forge a witness statement. It¡¯s prettymon,¡± Natasha argued. She was displeased by how they wanted to charge Hector over the words of a few witnesses. ¡°Is a witness¡® ount unreliable? Alright, then! I¡¯ll show you some physical evidence!¡± Themander yed a video on his phone. The angle of the footage resembled that of a surveince camera. In the video, one could see a stocky man assaulting a youngdy in her prime. First, he sullied her, followed by suffocating her to death. His actions were inhumane and would incur wrath from anyone. After choking thedy to death, the man turned around and showed his face. It was Hector Harmon. ¡°H¨Chow is that possible?¡± Everyone looked horrified when they saw Hector in the lootage. They never expected that he was the real criminal after all! One could buy off witnesses, but it was hard to create physical evidence out of thin air! Still, the revtion was too shocking, and everyone struggled to process it. ¡°T¨Cthat¡¯s impossible! My dad would never kill someone!¡± Ruth shook her head forcefully as the color drained from her face. ¡°How did it turn out this way?¡± Jessica¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Chapter 514 Jessica had always believed her husband, but the result at the moment had left herpletely stunned. ¡°Hector, look at what you have done!¡± Trent was exasperated. ¡°Y¨Cyou son of a bitch! You¡¯re not worthy to be the patriarch!¡± Flying into a rage, Jacob threw a punch at Hector¡¯s face. Such a scandal was going to bring extreme humiliation to the entire family. ¡°Dad, you¡­¡± Knitting her brows. Natasha wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. At first, she firmly believed that her father had been framed. However, looking at the pieces of irrefutable evidence now, she was at a loss as to how to defend him. Even Hector was inexplicably shocked. It was indeed his face that appeared in the video. On top of that, the way that person dressed up was also just like his. ¡°Did I really kill someone after getting drunk?¡± Hector muttered inwardly. At the thought of that, Hector coughed up a mouthful of blood, not able to withstand the shock. His face was ashen white. ¡°Dad!¡± Natasha wanted to support him subconsciously but was stopped by him. ¡°Natasha, I¡¯m sorry for dragging you all into this mess. Now that I¡¯ve done something like this, how can I continue to live with myself?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he snatched the gun from the commander and pointed it at his own head. He pulled the trigger, attempting to use his death to make up for his mistake. ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Patriarch!¡± Everyone at the scene was taken aback by that. They wanted to stop him, but it was toote. As the loud gunshot pierced the air, the bullet missed its target and brushed past Hector¡¯s forehead by a hair¡¯s breadth, leaving a streak of red on his skin. It was Dustin. He had seized the gun in Hector¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Hector, we haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom of the situation yet. There¡¯s no need to go to this extreme.¡± Dustin frowned. He did not expect Hector to be so cruel to himself. Hector directly sought to end his life because of a crime that had not been confirmed. If Dustin hadn¡¯t been fast enough, Hector would¡¯ve been dead by now. ¡°It¡¯s normal to be punished for making a mistake. Only by paying it with my life can I make up for my sin.¡± Hector had been upright throughout his entire life. How could he carry on with his life when something like this had happened? ¡°Mr. Hector, there¡¯s something fishy about this matter. Don¡¯t act recklessly. Let¡¯s wait until we get the ins and outs of it,¡± Dustin said solemnly.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re not going to solve anything by dying. As the patriarch of the Harmon family, how could you seek death to escape your responsibilities?¡± Natasha reproached. ¡°I¡­¡± Hector was at a loss for words. He had only wanted to save his family¡¯s reputation, so he didn¡¯t think about it too much. ¡°Dad, give us some time. I believe we can bring the truth to light,¡± Natasha said. She felt that something was amiss about this matter. Right then, themander uttered coldly. ¡°Alright, I have no spare time to see how affectionate your father- daughter rtionship is. Hector, you¡¯vemitted murder, and the evidence is indisputable. Now you need toe with us to assist in our further investigation.¡± Then, themander waved his hand. Two soldiers stepped up at once and cuffed Hector. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s easier to die than live. Take care of yourself. We will definitely save you!¡± Natasha was serious. Hector nodded, not saying anything more. ¡°Take him away!¡± With that, themander led the rest of his people and left the ce. ¡°Sis, what should we do now?¡± Ruth was in a fit of panic. ¡°This is a serious crime. If we don¡¯t save Dad in time, his life is probably going to be at stake,¡± she thought. ¡°Quick! Assemble all the resources we have and look into this matterprehensively! Don¡¯t miss out on any clues or details!¡± Natasha ordered. Hearing that, everyone immediately began to take action. This matter had caused chaos in the Harmon family. Chapter 515 The fact that Hector was arrested caused quite a stir among the members of the Harmon family. Everyone was rushed off their feet, using whatever connections they had to prove Hector innocent. Hector was the patriarch of the Harmons; he represented the family. If he was really charged with murder, not only would he be ruined, but the whole Harmon family would also be terribly criticized by the public. After giving out the order, Natasha called some of the trustworthy people to her room to discuss the countermeasures. Not everyone in the family stood on the same side. Trent and Jacob harbored their own thoughts. She naturally didn¡¯t trust them. ¡°What do you think about this matter?¡± Natasha asked, ncing around. ¡°Could it be that Dad got sloshed for real, so he¡­¡± Ruth trailed off. Before Ruth saw the video, she was sure that her father was not the kind of person who wouldmit such a crime. However, now that the evidence was right before her eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but doubt his innocence. ¡°Your dad is well aware of his alcohol tolerance level. But why did he drink so much this time that he couldn¡¯t even remember what he did after that?¡± Jessica¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good. ¡°Ms. Natasha, saving Mr. Harmon is what¡¯s most important right now,¡± Jack said worriedly. It was going to be hard for Hector to clear his name anytime soon. Hence, keeping him safe and sound for now was their top priority. ¡°Dustin, what do you think?¡± Natasha looked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence that this matter happens at this time. Your dad is probably being set up by others,¡± Dustin replied. Ruth furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s what we hope too, but all the evidence is directed at Dad. No one N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. will believe us.¡± ¡°Sometimes, what we see might not be the truth, so we mustn¡¯t just look on the surface,¡± Dustin said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a clue?¡± Natasha asked. ¡°Those who have been around will know that there¡¯s a special skill in this world, which is called Face¨C Changing Art. I suspect that someone has impersonated your dad andmitted the crime.¡± ¡°Face¨CChanging Art?¡± The rest of them exchanged nces with one another, shocked by Dustin¡¯s words. ¡°Remember the Dark Lord¡¯s disciple who showed up at the annual gathering that day? She had used Face¨CChanging Art to disguise herself as Celeste,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°That¡¯s right! When she escaped, I think she left behind a human face mask!¡± Ruth said. ¡°That is to say, Hector might be framed for real?¡± Jessica¡¯s eyes brightened. Although they knew nothing much about Face¨CChanging Art, this spection was their only hope at the moment. ¡°Are you saying that the Dark Lord is behind this?¡± Natasha¡¯s expression turned cold. This wasn¡¯t just about dirtying Hector¡¯s good name; it was also about ruining the reputation of the Harmons and bringing the family to the brink of copse. ¡°What a merciless move!¡± Natasha muttered inwardly. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but there¡¯s also someone who we mustn¡¯t leave out,¡± Dustin reminded. ¡°Who?¡± Natasha narrowed her eyes. ¡°Tyler.¡± Dustin¡¯s voice was t. ¡°He was rejected at the annual gathering. Judging from how the Grant family conducts themselves, it¡¯s impossible for them to gloss over the matter.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Ruth frowned in thought. ¡°The Grant family is one of the top three most prominent families. It¡¯s impossible for them to do something like this. Moreover, framing my father won¡¯t bring them any benefits. ¡°It¡¯s just my guess. If we want to catch the culprit, it¡¯d be best to investigate from here as a start,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Jack, get the shadow guards to look into these immediately!¡± Natasha gave the order directly. ¡°Noted!¡± Jack obeyed and left in a hurry. Right then, a glint of silver light surged from the window all of a sudden andnded fiercely on the wall. It wasn¡¯t until they had taken a closer look that they realized it was a silver hairpin with a piece of paper attached to it. ¡°Miracle doctor, I know who the culprit is. Come alone to Lilyrius Restaurant tonight at 8 pm. See you then.¡± The note was signed off by someone called Azalea. Chapter 516 ¡°Azalea?¡± Natasha arched her brow. ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°If I guessed it right, it was her who disguised herself as Celeste,¡± Dustin said. The fragrance lingering on the silver hairpin was exactly the same as that of the woman from that day. ¡°It¡¯s her?¡± Natasha frowned slightly. ¡°Could it be she¡¯s the one behind this?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know more about it after I meet up with her tonight.¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. Since that person had invited him out, it was clear that she must have known something. ¡°This woman is full of guile and good at using poison. Do you think this is a trap?¡± Natasha was worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if it¡¯s a lion¡¯s den, I¡¯ll be able toe out unscathed.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone. I¡¯ll send a group of shadow guards to protect you,¡± Natasha¡¯said with a solemn expression. The Dark Lord¡¯s disciple was nowhere near kind. Natasha didn¡¯t want Dustin to risk his life. With how insistent she was, Dustin didn¡¯t refuse her anymore. ¡°Okay.¡± As a retro¨Cstyle restaurant, Lilyrius Restaurant was usually lively. However, it seemed surprisingly deserted that night. After getting out of the car, Dustin entered the restaurant and looked around. There was no customer. He casually chose a seat next to the window and enjoyed his drink while waiting for Azalea to show up. ¡°Quick! Go and catch the person inside!¡± At that time, several SUVS roared and pulled up outside the restaurant. Equipped with weapons, a group of ck¨Cd, masked men got out of the cars and rushed into the ce fiercely. When the man in the lead saw Dustin, he took several steps forward and jammed his machete into the table. ¡°You¡¯re Dustin?¡± Steven Lewis asked maliciously. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve been following me for half an hour. You can¡¯t possibly still not know who I am, can you?¡± Dustin held his cup, looking calm. He had sensed that he was being watched the moment he stepped out of the Harmon residence. However, instead of alerting the other party, he kept quiet about it to see who was behind it. Steven smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve got some guts. I didn¡¯t expect you to be soposed.¡± ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do?¡± Dustin demanded. ¡°I heard that you have the flower of Crimson Gem. Hand it over, and I¡¯ll spare your life today,¡± Steven said. He had been keeping a close watch over the Harmon residence for two days to catch him. ¡°Flower of Crimson Gem? You¡¯re someone from the Grant family?¡± Dustin raised his eyebrow. Only a few people knew that he had the flower, and Ja was one of them. ¡°Hmph! Cut the crap! Are you giving or not?¡± Steven¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No.¡± Dustin gulped down his drink. ¡°Then, you¡¯re just asking for death!¡± Steven flew into a rage and was about tounch an attack on Dustin. Right then, a charming female voice floated across the air. ¡°Have you asked for my permission to make a scene at my ce?¡± When everyone looked over, they saw a veiled woman in skimpy clothes slowly descending the stairs. Although her face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, her body figure was extremely hot and seductive¨Cwell- developed breasts, curvy buttocks, and a slim waist. She looked like a masterpiece, especially when she walked with her hips wiggling, exuding her alluring charm. The group of men in ck were stunned. With their eyes lit up, they couldn¡¯t help but swallow their saliva repeatedly. Chapter 517 ¡°Whoa, I¡¯ve never seen such a hot body before!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to look at her face. Her fair and slender legs alone are enough to get me hooked for a year!¡± ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t take it anymore! She is f*cking seductive!¡± The moment the veiled woman showed up, all the ck¨Cd men had a hard time holding back their lusts. The s*xy curves of her figure were wless, especially her wonderfully¨Cproportioned legs. They were literally perfect for those with foot and leg fetishes. Rubbing his chin, Steven ogled at her. ¡°Hey, beauty. Are you the owner of this restaurant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What do you want to eat?¡± The woman wore a sweet smile and slowly walked up to them. ¡°What a nice smell!¡± The men kept sniffing, immersing themselves in her fragrance that was tickling them pink. ¡°Can I eat you?¡± Steven gave her ascivious grin. ¡°Me?¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a thorny person; I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to stomach me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There is no rose without a thorn,¡± he uttered, licking his lips. ¡°Really? Let¡¯s see if you can walk your talk.¡± She smiled mysteriously. Steven tugged at his clothes, looking like he was in dire need of devouring her whole. When the rest of the men saw that, they burst intoughter and began to tease her. ¡°You¡¯re lucky today, beauty! Steven is extremely good at this!¡± ¡°It looks like your man must¡¯ve failed to satisfy you. No worries, you have ourpany tonight!¡± As theyughed, they had already trapped the veiled woman in the middle. Smiling, she pointed to Dustin. ¡°Compared to you, I like the handsome man over there more.¡± ¡°Hmph! He is only pleasant to the eyes but of no use!¡± ¡°Exactly! Look at how thin he is!¡± The men scoffed at Dustin. ¡°Do you want to y with me, Mr. Handsome?¡± The veiled woman ignored the other men. ¡°No, thank you. Go ahead and y with them.¡± Dustin continued enjoying his drink,pletely unfazed ¡°Did you hear that? He doesn¡¯t have the guts!¡± With an evil grin, Steven reached out to grab her buttocks, but she easily dodged his touch. ¡°You¡¯d better keep your hands to yourselves, or else I¡¯ll get angry,¡± she warned. Hearing that, Steven got even more excited. ¡°Angry? Haha! Come on, show me how angry you can get!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The woman crinkled her mouth into a slight smile and gently blew into her palm. Right then, a puff of red smoke came through and permeated the air, enveloping everyone in it. ¡°What¡¯s this? It smells so good.¡± The men sniffed the scent subconsciously. However, in less than three seconds, they felt dizzy and were struggling for breath. ¡°This is bad! The smoke is poisoned!¡± Steven¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately covered his mouth and nose. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Unfortunately, it was toote. Those who had inhaled the smoke fell to the floor, their faces contorting in pain as blood oozed out from their mouths and noses. ¡°Bitch! How dare you poison us! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± At the sight of his subordinates flumping down one after another, Steven flew off the handle and drew his machete to attack her. However, as soon as he moved, he lost his bnce and tumbled to the floor. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that you wouldn¡¯t be able to put up with me.¡± The veiled woman smirked. Chapter 518 ¡°You-¡± Steven was seething. He spat out a mouthful of ck blood and died on the spot. In three minutes, all the ck¨Cd men copsed to the floor and kicked the bucket. ¡°Miracle doctor, I¡¯ve helped you get rid of all the nuisances. It¡¯s only two of us now.¡± The veiled woman came over with a charming smile and sat beside Dustin. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should thank me for solving your problem?¡± ¡°Well, they were not really a problem to me. Let¡¯s get down to business. What¡¯s your motive for calling me here?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°I¡¯m just a weakdy; what kind of motives can I have? Don¡¯t think of me so badly.¡± Azalea teased. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, tell me. Who framed Hector? And where is the killer?¡± Dustin cut right to the chase. ¡°Nothinges for free in this world. You¡¯ve got to pay a price if you want to know the answer to that.¡± Azalea stretched out her finger and stroked his chin intimately. ¡°What do you want?¡± Dustin pushed her hand away. ¡°Can I have you?¡± Azalea shot him an alluring smile. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± Dustin refused her, unfazed by her advances. ¡°You¡¯re indeed different. There aren¡¯t a lot of men who can resist my seduction.¡± She chuckled. Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Actually, I hope that you can cure my disease. I¡¯ve witnessed your medical skills. Needless to say, they are exceptional.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look ill.¡± Dustin sized her up. Judging from her overall well¨Cbeing, she seemed to be in the pink of health. ¡°To tell you the truth, my mentor has put a venomous curse on me. I will feel extremely terrible when it comes to the middle of the night. I hope that you can help me remove it.¡± Dustin was a little surprised. ¡°A mentor poisoning his disciple? It¡¯s my first time hearing something like this.¡± ¡°My mentor is a person who suspects everyone. He doesn¡¯t trust anyone but himself, so he uses the venom to control his disciples,¡± Azalea exined. ¡°I can neutralize the poison for you, but you have to first tell me who the murderer is,¡± Dustin said. ¡°No can do. What if you go back on your word after I¡¯ve told you the truth?¡± The world was full of danger. Azalea dared not trust anyone easily. After a moment¡¯s thought, Dustin agreed in the end. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll remove it for you first. You¡¯d better not come up with any tricks.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m just a weakdy. Do you think I¡¯m capable of doing that?¡± Azalea rolled her eyes. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± Dustin said, not intending to waste his time talking to her anymore. Azalea lifted her veil slightly, revealing her delicate lips. Dustin flicked a pill into her mouth with his fingers. Then, he took out a silver needle and poked it at her body a few times at lightning speed. Once the medicine began to take effect, he thrust his palm out all of a sudden and pped her back hard. Azalea coughed up a mouthful of ck blood. A centipede that was as thick as a pinky could be seen wriggling in the pool of blood. ¡°Miracle doctor, you¡¯re indeed amazing. I didn¡¯t expect it to be settled this fast.¡± Azalea was overjoyed; she had never felt so rxed before. She carefully put the centipede aside to keep it for future use. There was a subtle connection between the venomous curse and the person who nted it. Once the centipede died, her mentor would immediately know about it. ¡°I¡¯ve removed the venom. So tell me, who is the murderer?¡± Dustin asked calmly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Azalea acted like she didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°How dare you trick me?¡± Dustin frowned, exuding a malicious mien in an instant. ¡°Miracle doctor, hadn¡¯t anyone told you before that you shouldn¡¯t simply believe a woman¡¯s words, especially the beautiful ones?¡± Azalea smiled yfully. Dustin¡¯s expression darkened. All of a sudden, he reached out and grabbed Azalea by her neck, lifting her up from the floor. ¡°If you aren¡¯t telling me about it, then don¡¯t me me for being merciless.¡± Laughing in the middle of her cough, she said, ¡°Miracle doctor, I advise you not to act recklessly. If you get me killed, your lover, Natasha, is going to die too.¡± Chapter 519 ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Dustin tightened his grip around Azalea¡¯s neck, suffocating her so hard that her face flushed. Without feeling any ounce of fear, Azalea smiled and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°If I die, not only you won¡¯t be able to catch the murderer, but Natasha will also suffer. You¡¯d better think about it properly.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± When Dustin narrowed his eyes, a touch of murderous intent wasced in his gaze. ¡°I dare not. This is just my advice to you.¡± Azalea curled up the corners of her lips. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Dustin demanded coldly. Instead of saying anything, Azalea pointed at her neck. Her message was loud and clear. With a slight frown, Dustin still let go of her neck. Azalea slumped down on the floor in an instant and panted heavily. ¡°It hurts. Miracle doctor, I was just joking. Why did you have to be so rough?¡± ¡°I have no time to joke with you. You¡¯d better tell me everything that you know.¡± He shot her a piercing re. ¡°Fine. Since you want to know about it so badly, I¡¯ll just tell you the truth.¡± Patting her clothes, Azalea sat beside him and took a sip of his drink. ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it right. Hector is framed, and the one behind this is the Grant family.¡± ¡°The Grant family?¡± Dustin raised his brow. ¡°Where is the evidence? How am I supposed to know that you¡¯re not lying?¡± This woman in front of him was too unpredictable. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe her. ¡°What¡¯s the point of lying to you?¡± Azalea rolled her eyes. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you even need a reason to tell a lie?¡± Dustin¡¯s expression was frosty. ¡°You know me well!¡± She chuckled. ¡°But I¡¯m telling the truth this time, and I even have the murderer¡¯s location with me.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°A hidden safe house.¡± With a flick of her wrist, a piece of paper fell on the table. ¡°Here¡¯s the address.¡± Dustin took a look at it. ¡°Is this the real address?¡± ¡°You have my word. However, I can only guarantee you that the murderer will be there for an hour. After that, the murderer will move to a different ce,¡± Azalea said. Dustin nodded his head, his expression rxing as he lowered his guard slightly. Judging from Azalea¡¯s bodynguage, she didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. As long as he could catch the culprit, Hector would probably be safe. ¡°By the way, you said that Natasha was in danger. What do you mean by that?¡± Dustin suddenly asked. ¡°Do you want to know? Lift my veil, then.¡± Azalea smiled meaningfully. ¡°What¡¯s so hard about that?¡± He reached out and grabbed her veil, slowly pulling it upward. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that there is a rule in my family; whoever lifts up my veil will have to marry me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Startled, Dustin immediately withdrew his hand. Fortunately, he had only pulled it up halfway through, so he didn¡¯t manage to get a clear look at her face. ¡°Scared? What a boring man you are!¡± Azalea teased, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Childish!¡± Dustin snorted and turned around to leave. ¡°She¡¯s too good at ying with people¡¯s minds,¡± Dustin thought. ¡°Hold on,¡± Azalea called out to him. ¡°Miracle doctor, why are you in such a hurry? Actually, I have spies at the Grant residence. Not long ago, I received news that someone wanted to harm Natasha. Those who followed you earlier were just the beginning of their n. The Grant family¡¯s real target is Natasha.¡± When Dustin heard what she said, he stopped his steps all of a sudden and looked at her. ¡°The Harmon residence is heavily guarded now. It¡¯s not easy for the Grants to barge in.¡± ¡°True enough, but what about luring the target away?¡± Azalea quirked her lips. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°Well, if I¡¯m someone from the Grant family, I can simply find a reason to lure Natasha to leave the house.¡± Azalea shot him a half-smile. Right then, Dustin felt a wave of uneasiness. At the moment, the Harmon family was leaderless, and on top of that, it was in a mess. Chapter 520 Natasha would definitely do whatever she could to save Hector, and her concern for her father would only make her fall into traps easily. At the thought of that, Dustin immediately took out his phone and dialed Natasha¡¯s number. However, the line couldn¡¯t get through. ¡°She¡¯s not picking up? In that case, it seems like the Grant family has made their move,¡± Azalea remarked. ¡°Miracle doctor, time is tight. You have to choose whether to go to the safe house to catch the murderer or to save Natasha. You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too.¡± ¡°Only kids will choose. I want both!¡± As Dustin spoke, he made a hand gesture at the window. Soon, Isfrid hurriedly walked in with a few shadow guards. ¡°Mr. Rhys, we are at yourmand,¡± Isfrid said respectfully. Dustin handed the piece of paper with the safe house¡¯s address to Isfrid. ¡°This is where the murderer is hiding. Bring your men and head over there right now.¡± ¡°What about you, Mr. Rhys?¡± ¡°I have something else to do. Hurry up and go,¡± Dustin urged. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Isfrid dared not hesitate and immediately left the ce. Seeing that, Azalea fell silent with a smile on her face. Upon walking out of the restaurant, Dustin called Ruth. ¡°Ruth, is your sister at home?¡± ¡°She left with a group of shadow guards after receiving a call not long ago. What¡¯s the matter? ¡°Ruth replied. ¡°She left? Where did she go?¡± Dustin continued asking. ¡°I think she went to Basilisk Hall.¡± ¡°Your sister is in danger. Send help over immediately!¡± Then, Dustin hung up the phone and drove straight to Basilisk Hall. A masquerade party that was only open to the cream of society was going on in Basilisk Hall. Everyone was getting wild. After all, they were all unrecognizable with the masks on. Hence, they were seizing the chance to indulge themselves in debaucherous fun. With a cigarette in her mouth, Ja sat on the couch and watched the skimpy guests on the dance floor, who were getting amatory with one another. As a whole, the party looked like a dissipated one. Right then, a bodyguard walked up to her and reported in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Grant, Natasha is here.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fast. Bring her in.¡± Ja put on a yful smile. ¡°Yes.¡± The bodyguard obeyed and went away. Secondster, Natasha came in with the bodyguard. Looking at how wild the atmosphere of the party was, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°This is way too much. They don¡¯t have any self-restraint at all,¡± Natasha thought. Ja stood up with a ss of red wine in her hand. ¡°Natasha, I didn¡¯t expect you to have the guts to come over.¡± ¡°I came here only for the truth; who exactly framed my father?¡± Natasha demanded. Before this, Natasha received a call from Ja and was told that thetter had a way of saving Hector. Hence, Natasha immediately rushed over. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, get down on your knees if you want to know the answer,¡± Ja said with a mocking smile. ¡°Do you think this is fun?¡± Natasha furrowed her brows. ¡°You don¡¯t want to kneel? I thought you cared a lot about your father, but now it seems like I¡¯m wrong.¡± Ja sneered. ¡°Will you tell me the truth if I fall to my knees?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to negotiate with me. If you don¡¯t want your father to die in prison, do as I say!¡± Ja shouted. After hesitating for a while, Natasha finally kneeled on the floor. She knew Ja was humiliating her on purpose. However, for the sake of Hector, Natasha had no choice but to swallow her pride. ¡°What a good daughter!¡± Ja curled the corners of her lips into a nasty smirk. ¡°Now, take off your clothes.¡± Chapter 521 ¡°What did you say?¡± Natasha knitted her brows. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I said, take off your clothes!¡± Ja repeated with her voice raised. ¡°Don¡¯t you go overboard!¡± Natasha¡¯s expression was cold. How could she possibly remove her clothes in public? That was extremely humiliating for her! ¡°So what if I do?¡± Ja sneered. ¡°I hold something over you right now, and you got no choice but to listen to me!¡± This was the reason she sent Hector to jail-demeaning Natasha. Ja muttered inwardly, ¡°This is the price to pay for refusing to get married into the Grant family!¡± She needed to make Natasha suffer in order to vent her anger. ¡°Ja, you¡¯d better not overstep the line,¡± Natasha said in a deep voice. ¡°Natasha, haven¡¯t you figured out what the current situation is?¡± Jaughed wildly. ¡°You¡¯re in my territory. Whatever happens to you depends on me. Hurry up and take off your clothes!¡± ¡°Take off!¡± ¡°Take off!¡± The masked guests began to shout in excitement, and most of them were under the influence. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s nothing for us to discuss. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Natasha turned around to leave, not intending to waste her time anymore. Ja was obviously giving her a hard time on purpose. ¡°Stop right there! Did I say you could leave?¡± Ja shouted. Right then, two female bodyguards stepped forward and blocked Natasha¡¯s way. ¡°Do you think that I came alone?¡± Natasha turned around, her face darkened. Natasha knew there would be danger, so she brought a group of shadow guards with her when she left the house. ¡°Of course, I knew you came here prepared. But sadly, it¡¯s useless.¡± As Ja spoke, she pped her hands. Soon, a group of formidable masked guards walked in, dragging a few corpses with them. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. When Natasha took a closer look, her expression changed in an instant. They were her shadow guards! ¡°Are you surprised?¡± Jaughed mockingly. ¡°Your shadow guards are dead. You are on your own now, and I can do whatever I want to you!¡± ¡°Ja, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Having tantly killed the Harmons¡¯ shadow guards was no longer just a simple provocation, but a war deration. ¡°Stop making much ado about nothing. It¡¯s going to be your turn soon.¡± Ja shot her a cold smirk and gestured to the guards. ¡°Guards! Hold her down!¡± The two female bodyguards obeyed and immediately restrained Natasha from moving around. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t willing to strip off, let me help you, then.¡± Suddenly, Ja stretched out her hands and ripped Natasha¡¯s coat into pieces, exposing her ck bra. ¡°What huge breasts you have, bitch! No wonder so many men like you.¡± When Ja saw how busty Natasha was, a hint of jealousy shed across her eyes. Not only was Natasha beautiful, but her body figure was also sumptuous. ¡°She¡¯s indeed a temptress!¡± Ja thought. ¡°Ja, you¡¯d better not do anything absurd!¡± Natasha shouted. ¡°So what if I do? Haven¡¯t you been using your good looks to your advantage? Today I¡¯m going to destroy your face and see how you¡¯re going to live in the future!¡± With an evil smile, Ja took out a knife and scratched Natasha¡¯s fair and delicate face fiercely. Natasha groaned in pain, breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°Bitch, this is the consequence of rejecting the Grant family. Since you aren¡¯t willing to get married to Tyler, I¡¯m going to ruin you today!¡± Chapter 522 Clenching her teeth, Ja chewed Natasha up while scratching thetter¡¯s face mercilessly. ¡°Ahh!¡± With an ear-piercing wail, Natasha finally passed out due to extreme pain. Her beautiful face was now covered in fresh blood. It was a ghastly sight. ¡°That was fast, but I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet.¡± Ja smiled evilly. ¡°Strip off her clothes and hang her up!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two female bodyguards obeyed and immediately removed Natasha¡¯s clothes until she was only left with her underwear. Then, they hung her in the middle of the dance floor and poured a bucket of icy water down her head. Natasha shuddered, gradually regaining consciousness. ¡°Natasha, haven¡¯t you been acting noble and virtuous all the while? Today I¡¯m going to show you what it feels like to be humiliated!¡± Ja continued, ¡°See these people around? They¡¯ll be apanying you tonight. I¡¯m going to take a video of the whole process and send it to your boyfriend for him to enjoy.¡± ¡°Y-you monster!¡± Natasha gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening. ¡°Go ahead and curse me as much as you want.¡± Ja sneered and turned around to look at the masked men below the stage. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m sure you have heard of how pretty the daughter of the Harmon family is. Her face is disfigured now, but her body is still wless. Anyone here wants to take her back to be your servant?¡± ¡°Me!¡± ¡°No, me!¡± ¡°Damn it! She¡¯s mine! Don¡¯t you try to fight for her with me!¡± Overwhelmed by excitement, the men began to fight over Natasha. They, of course, knew what a beauty she was. Hence, how could they possibly give up on the chance of messing with their goddess, who was known to be out of their league? N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Well, since so many of you are interested, whoever pays the highest price will have the opportunity to have her as your servant.¡± Ja offered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go first! One million dors!¡± A man with a sheep-face mask raised his hand. ¡°One million only? I¡¯m giving five million!¡± said another man who had a cow-face mask on. ¡°Eight million dors from me!¡± ¡°Ten million!¡± The men shouted one after another, and the price kept getting higher and higher. They were all from wealthy families. What theycked wasn¡¯t money, but excitement in their lives. As long as they could buy excitement, they were willing to spend a fortune on it. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± Natasha was filled with resentment. The sheep-masked man suddenly shouted, ¡°50 million!¡± Right then, the crowd quieted down in an instant. 50 million dors wasn¡¯t a small amount. Since the man was willing to pay such a high price for something, he shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Pointing to the sheep-masked man, Ja said, ¡°Well, it looks like that¡¯s the highest price for now. In that case, you are going to be the first.¡± Then, she continued, ¡°As for the rest, queue up for your turns. As soon as she said that, the crowd erupted in cheers. ¡°Spending 50 million dors to make such a sumptuous woman my servant is simply worth it. ¡°The sheep-masked man walked up the stage and sized Natasha¡¯s sexy body up with hisscivious eyes. ¡°I¡¯m warning you; don¡¯t do anything nonsensical. Otherwise, the Harmons won¡¯t let you go!¡± Natasha squeezed out the words through her gritted teeth. ¡°Well, at least I won¡¯t leave the world with regrets. Moreover, you don¡¯t even know who I am, ¡°the man said. The ones under the stage egged the man on. Natasha fell into utter despair. She kept struggling to break free but to no avail. Other than watching the man get closer to her, there was nothing else that she could do. ¡°Here Ie, beauty!¡± The sheep-masked manughed loudly and pounced on Natasha. ¡°Stop!¡± Right then, a thunderous, angry shout rang out. Chapter 523 ¡°Stop!¡± A thunderous voice rang out, causing the crowd to fall into silence in an instant. Startled, everyone looked over at once and saw a tall figure walking in, exuding an overwhelming wave of murderous intent. Tension immediately ensued in the atmosphere, which was on fire just a moment ago. Those who were in revealing clothes couldn¡¯t help but shudder. ¡°Dustin?¡± When Natasha saw who it was,.a wave of joy flooded her, as if she had found a life savior. ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± Ja snorted upon taking a closer look at him. ¡°Why do you have to bring trouble on yourself when you can easily avoid it? Today I¡¯m going to let you watch your woman being humiliated!¡± ¡°All of you deserve death!¡± Seeing Natasha being hung up and covered in bloody scratches and wounds, Dustin clenched his fists hard, his expression darkening. A great sense of wrath flooded his soul so intensely that he almost lost his mind. ¡°Rhys, are you furious? But so what? Your woman is in my hands right now. I can do whatever I want to her.¡± Then, she turned to the sheep-masked man. ¡°Hey, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and enjoy your time with the beauty. You don¡¯t have to hold back. Serve her well in front of her man!¡± Ja cackled presumptuously. ¡°I¡¯m loving this!¡± The sheep-masked man was pumped up. As he rubbed his hands like he couldn¡¯t wait to devour her whole, his body began to tremble in excitement at the same time. ¡°If you dare toy a finger on her, I guarantee you that you will have a tragic end!¡± Dustin threatened. ¡°Haha! Not only do I want to touch her, but I also want to lick her all over. What can you do about that?¡± The sheep-masked man stuck out his tongue deliberately and licked Natasha¡¯s leg. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± Dustin¡¯s face fell, and he flicked his wrist abruptly. With a swish, a silver needle shot out in an instant and directly pierced the spot between the man¡¯s eyebrows. The sheep-masked man froze; the next second, he copsed to the floor, having breathed his N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. That was a bolt from the blue. The remaining guests were scared out of their wits and screamed in fear. ¡°How dare you kill someone in my territory? You must have gotten tired of living!¡± Flying A group of bodyguards obeyed at once and dashed over with their weapons drawn. ¡°Whoever stands in my way will die!¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes were red as he continued making advances instead of retreating. All the bodyguards who approached him had their heads severely injured by just one punch from Dustin. None of them survived, and blood was all over the floor. Clearly, Dustin wasn¡¯t showing them any mercy. Looking at Dustin, who was soaked in blood, the onlookers scattered away in fear of being the next target. After getting rid of the group of bodyguards, Dustin immediately ran up the stage and broke the chains tying Natasha up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± When Dustin saw her disfigured face, his heart bled for her. Taking off his coat in a hurry, he wrapped it around her petite body, which was shivering due to the cold. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long. Let¡¯s leave!¡± Natasha staggered to stand up. Since the Harmons¡¯ shadow guards had been killed so easily and without anyone knowing, there were obviously skilled fighters hiding in this ce. ¡°Do you think you can leave?¡± Ja snorted. ¡°Listen up, lupine guards! Kill this man for me!¡± Right then, ten ck-d figures suddenly walked out of the shadows. All of them were masked and had an intimidating aura. They were the ones who finished off the shadow guards earlier. ¡°Lupine guards are made up of the best elites. Each of them has fought in countless battles and possesses exceptional fighting skills. With them around, today is going to be the day of your death!¡± Chapter 524 ¡°He should feel honored for being able to die at the hands of the lupine guards!¡± When the Grants¡¯ highly skilled guards appeared, the rest of the guests became excited, as if they were watching a show. ¡°This is bad!¡± Natasha¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Dustin, you don¡¯t have to care about me. Hurry up and leave! Get help from the Harmon family!¡± She knew Dustin was strong, but lupine guards were experts when it came to fighting. She would just weigh Dustin down if they tried to escape together. ¡°What are you talking about? How can I possibly leave you alone here?¡± Dustin reached out and grabbed her hand. ¡°But it¡¯s going to be difficult to escape if you bring me along.¡± Natasha frowned. She didn¡¯t want Dustin to risk his life because of her. ¡°Who said that I was going to escape?¡± Dustin looked around with a piercing gaze. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill all of them tonight!¡± ¡°Stop being insolent! Do you even have the ability to do that?¡± Ja sneered. All the lupine guards were carefully selected by Tyler. Even the Harmons¡¯ shadow guards were not a match for them, let alone a country bumpkin. ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± Dustin provoked, his expression indifferent. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re so desperate to die, I don¡¯t mind making your wishe true.¡± With a wave of her hand, Ja ordered, ¡°Elton, kill him!¡± The leader of the lupine guards, Elton Pearson, obeyed and directly drew out his weapon, closing in on Dustin. Although the former wasn¡¯t making any sound, he was emanating a strong and overwhelming aura. As soon as Dustin was within his attack range, Elton immediately sped up and swung his machete to strike at him. ¡°Die!¡± It was a powerful charge. However, the moment Dustin threw a punch at him, Elton¡¯s attack fell apart at the seams in an instant. His simple and straightforward punch directly pierced Elton¡¯s chest before thetter could swing his weapon down for an attack. Elton widened his eyes in shock at the sight of Dustin¡¯s bloody fist that had prated his body. It had all happened too fast. Elton barely had time to react. Then, Dustin swung his arm and hurled Elton to the wall, leaving a patch of blood on it. Everyone was dumbfounded at the sight before them. Elton was an extremely formidable existence, but now he had been killed by Dustin in just one move. It was simply hard to believe! ¡°H-how is this even possible?¡± Looking at Elton¡¯s corpse, Ja was stunned. Her face was full of disbelief. ¡°That was the powerful leader of the lupine guards, and now he¡¯s dead?¡± she muttered inwardly. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How dare you kill our leader?¡± ¡°Today is going to be your death day!¡± After recovering from their shock, the remaining nine lupine guards flew off the handle and surged forward at him with their weapons drawn. Expressionless, Dustin stomped his foot all of a sudden. With a loud boom, the floor cracked the next second. A burst of violent true energy then presented itself in an instant and smashed fiercely onto the guards. As if they had been knocked down by a train, the lupine guards were sent flying across the air, blood gushing out of their mouths. All it took was a stomp, and every one of the lupine guards died before they could evennd on the floor. Chapter 525 Instantly, silence ensued. Looking at the lupine guards who had drawn theirst breath, everyone was so terrified that they were lost for words. They couldn¡¯t believe that all nine guards had lost their lives because of Dustin¡¯s stomp. When Ja came back to her senses, she blew up at once and shouted, ¡°How dare you kill my lupine guards!¡± Each and every one of the lupine guards had been carefully trained by the Grant family. Now that ten of them were dead, how could Ja possibly put up with it? ¡°It won¡¯t end with just their deaths; you are going to pay back for what you did!¡± With a cold expression on his face, Dustin slowly walked closer to Ja, his eyes darkening. ¡°W-what do you want to do? I¡¯m warning you; don¡¯t do anything absurd!¡± Ja took two steps back in fright. As if she felt that it was embarrassing to retreat, she stopped at once and held her head high, putting on an arrogant look. She was the daughter of the Grant family. Why was she afraid of someone like Dustin? ¡°You¡¯ve got to pay back twice the harm you¡¯ve inflicted on Natasha!¡± Dustin threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Ja shot daggers at him. ¡°I have the Grants behind me. If youy a finger on me, even a divine being can¡¯t save you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Suddenly, Dustin grabbed Ja by the neck and lifted her off the floor. Kicking her legs frantically, Ja began to cough violently. She struggled to break free from his grip but failed. It was getting difficult for her to breathe. Soon, the fear of death gradually flooded her mind. ¡°L-let me go! Or else, you¡¯re going to have a miserable death!¡± Ja shouted. ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t hurt her!¡± Right then, Natasha couldn¡¯t help but stop him. Although she hated Ja, thetter wasn¡¯t someone who could be easily provoked. If Ja was hurt, it would lead to the Grant family seeking revenge on them. ¡°She¡¯s too arrogant. She will only continue to overstep the mark if she is not taught a lesson.¡± Dustin tightened his grip around Ja¡¯s neck. Ja¡¯s face flushed; she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Stop!¡± A loud shout suddenly came from the door. Everyone was dumbfounded at the sight before them. Elton was an extremely formidable existence, but now he had been killed by Dustin in just one move. It was simply hard to believe! ¡°H-how is this even possible?¡± Looking at Elton¡¯s corpse, Ja was stunned. Her face was full of disbelief. ¡°That was the powerful leader of the lupine guards, and now he¡¯s dead?¡± she muttered inwardly. ¡°How dare you kill our leader?¡± ¡°Today is going to be your death day!¡± After recovering from their shock, the remaining nine lupine guards flew off the handle and surged forward at him with their weapons drawn. Expressionless, Dustin stomped his foot all of a sudden. With a loud boom, the floor cracked the next second. A burst of violent true energy then presented itself in an instant and smashed fiercely onto the guards. As if they had been knocked down by a train, the lupine guards were sent flying across the air, blood gushing out of their mouths. All it took was a stomp, and every one of the lupine guards died before they could evennd on the floor. Instantly, silence ensued. Looking at the lupine guards who had drawn theirst breath, everyone was so terrified that they were lost for words. They couldn¡¯t believe that all nine guards had lost their lives because of Dustin¡¯s stomp. When Ja came back to her senses, she blew up at once and shouted, ¡°How dare you kill my lupine guards!¡± Each and every one of the lupine guards had been carefully trained by the Grant family. Now that ten of them were dead, how could Ja possibly put up with it? N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°It won¡¯t end with just their deaths; you are going to pay back for what you did!¡± With a cold expression on his face, Dustin slowly walked closer to Ja, his eyes darkening. ¡°W-what do you want to do? I¡¯m warning you; don¡¯t do anything absurd!¡± Ja took two steps back in fright. As if she felt that it was embarrassing to retreat, she stopped at once and held her head high, putting on an arrogant look. She was the daughter of the Grant family. Why was she afraid of someone like Dustin? ¡°You¡¯ve got to pay back twice the harm you¡¯ve inflicted on Natasha!¡± Dustin threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Ja shot daggers at him. ¡°I have the Grants behind me. If youy a finger on me, even a divine being can¡¯t save you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Suddenly, Dustin grabbed Ja by the neck and lifted her off the floor. Kicking her legs frantically, Ja began to cough violently. She struggled to break free from his grip but failed. It was getting difficult for her to breathe. Soon, the fear of death gradually flooded her mind. ¡°L-let me go! Or else, you¡¯re going to have a miserable death!¡± Ja shouted. ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t hurt her!¡± Right then, Natasha couldn¡¯t help but stop him. Although she hated Ja, thetter wasn¡¯t someone who could be easily provoked. If Ja was hurt, it would lead to the Grant family seeking revenge on them. ¡°She¡¯s too arrogant. She will only continue to overstep the mark if she is not taught a lesson.¡± Dustin tightened his grip around Ja¡¯s neck. Ja¡¯s face flushed; she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Stop!¡± A loud shout suddenly came from the door. The next second, Jacob rushed in fiercely with a group of elites from the Harmon family. When he saw the lupine guards lying dead on the floor, his expression changed at once.¡± Dustin, let go of Ms. Grant immediately! Stop making mistakes!¡± ¡°She has disfigured Natasha¡¯s face, not to mention the barrage of insults. Today she has to be given a tit-for-tat,¡± Dustin said coldly. Shifting his gaze to Natasha, whose face was covered in blood, Jacob couldn¡¯t help frowning. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he bit the bullet and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worsen the situation, Dustin. first!¡± Let her go ¡°Let her go?¡± Dustin turned around. ¡°As an elder, aren¡¯t you supposed to protect Natasha? She has been severely injured, and now you¡¯re telling me to free the perpetrator?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t afford to offend Ms. Grant. Don¡¯t drag us down!¡± Jacob shouted. ¡°That¡¯s right! Let go of Ms. Grant now!¡± The rest of the Harmons echoed. Ja was Tyler¡¯s sister. If something bad were to happen to her here, the entire Harmon family was going to suffer the consequences. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to attack you!¡± Jacob¡¯s face fell. Most of the people with him slowly drew their weapons, their gazes filled with hostility. In an instant, Dustin ended up being their target. At the sight of that, Jaughedcently. ¡°Rhys, do you see this? Even the Harmons have no guts to offend me. Get your hands off of me right now! Who do you think you are to mess with me?¡± No matter how strong a fighter was, in front of the powerful Grant family, they would still have to bow down to them. ¡°Are you going to stand by and do nothing when your family member has been attacked? Is the Harmon family so weak?¡± Dustin nced around with a piercing gaze. Those who met his eyes couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty. Chapter 526 ¡°Rhys! An outsider like you is in no ce to boss us around!¡± Jacob was exasperated. ¡°Since none of you has the guts to stand up for Natasha, I¡¯ll do it, then! I don¡¯t mind offending the Grants!¡± Dustin opened his hand, and a steel knife slid into his palm. ¡°Today I¡¯m going to take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth! No intercession is allowed!¡± As soon as he finished saying that, he scratched Ja¡¯s face with the sharp de, leaving a deep, bloody mark. ¡°Ah!¡± Ja eximed shrilly in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°You son of a bitch! Stop right now!¡± Jacob and the rest of the members of the Harmon family shouted, their facial expressions changing drastically. However, Dustin didn¡¯t care about them at all. He drew another line across Ja¡¯s face, forming a huge ¡°X¡± on it. ¡°Rhys, do you know what you are doing? If you hurt Ms. Grant, even the Emperor won¡¯t be able to save you!¡± Jacob was furious. Dustin remained silent as he continued to wave his knife at Ja, destroying her looks. ¡°Ah! My face! Ahh!¡± Ja screamed in agony. It was not only physical pain but also mental torture. Every woman cared about her appearance. Now that her face was ruined, how was she going to live her life in the future? After making ten scratches on Ja¡¯s face, Dustin finally stopped. At the moment, Ja was already covered in blood, looking acutely harrowing. ¡°This guy is crazy!¡± ¡°Do you know how distinguished Ms. Grant is? You are going to be done for disfiguring her face!¡± Everyone was startled by Dustin¡¯s action. Although they were angry at the same time, they dared not step forward. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat, all of you! How dare you ruin my face! I¡¯m going to make your entire family pay for this!¡± Ja screamed, looking as ferocious as a devil. ¡°Ms. Grant, this has nothing to do with us! It¡¯s all on him!¡± Jacob hurriedly exined. ¡°I don¡¯t care! Unless you kill him for me, I¡¯m going to destroy the Harmons!¡± Ja yelled. Hearing that, Jacob and the rest were stunned. After recovering from their shock, they shifted their fierce gazes to Dustin. It seemed like they were going to do as Ja ordered. ¡°Move! Out of my way!¡± While Jacob and his people were dithering, a series of noises came from the door. Then, a butler of the Grant family rushed in with a group of elite guards. Seeing that, Jaughed wildly. ¡°My reinforcements have arrived. Today, all of you are going to die!¡± Jacob and his group were in a blue funk. If they hadn¡¯t hesitated earlier in taking Dustin down, the Harmons would¡¯ve been able to stay out of trouble. ¡°Rhys, weren¡¯t you arrogant earlier? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? Let me tell you, it¡¯s toote to be scared! I¡¯m going to make you pay me back a hundred times for what you did to me! It¡¯s over for you!¡± Ja roared maliciously. ¡°Your life is in my hands now, so you¡¯d better not push my buttons.¡± Dustin¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°So what if I do? Do you dare to take my life? Go ahead, then! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to kill you! Not only do I want you dead, but I also want you to witness how I would torture your woman! I will make her suffer!¡± Ja cackled like she would be having thestugh. ¡°Well, since you wish to die, I¡¯ll grant your wish, then.¡± Raising his weapon, Dustin directly shed her neck. Chapter 527 ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Mother fucker! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± When Dustin raised his weapon, everyone was shocked and immediately yelled to stop him. However, Dustin turned a deaf ear to their shouts and decisively struck at Ja. Ja¡¯s wildugh came to a stop in an instant. The next second, her head fell from her neck, rolling on the floor like a ball for a while before it stopped. Her widened eyes were filled with disbelief. As if she didn¡¯t expect Dustin to kill her for real in front of so many people. The power and status that she had been bragging about werepletely of no use at this moment. Everything was over for her. ¡°S-she died?¡± Looking at Ja¡¯s chopped-off head, everyone was scared out of their wits. That was the daughter of the Grant family, who was also Tyler¡¯s sister, and at the moment, she had gone the way of all flesh. ¡°This is bad!¡± Natasha paled. If Dustin had only killed the lupine guards, there were still chances to turn the situation around. However, he murdered Ja. This was a crime that nobody could afford to bear. ¡°This guy has really lost his mind!¡± ¡°Fuck! How can he kill Ms. Grant? He¡¯s daring alright!¡± A short moment of silenceter, the scene went into an uproar. Everyone had their eyes fixed on Dustin as if they were looking at a crazy man. After all, who else would have the guts to provoke the Grants other than someone who had gone insane? ¡°Scourge! He is a scourge!¡± Jacob was hot under the cor. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Dustin had alreadymitted a severe crime by disfiguring Ja, and now he even finished her off! It seemed like the Harmons were doomed to be in the soup this time. ¡°Bastard, how dare you kill Ms. Ja!¡± The butler of the Grant family roared. Now that Ja had died, those at the scene wouldn¡¯t be able to steer clear of the consequences. ¡°She wanted death; all I did was grant her wish,¡± Dustin said indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re still acting so arrogant when yourst hour hase?¡± With a wave of his hand, the butler ordered, ¡°Guards! Tear him limb from limb to avenge Ms. Ja¡¯s death!¡± ¡°Attack!¡± The group of elites immediately drew their weapons and charged forward. ¡°Let me see who has the guts to attack Sir Rhys!¡± Right then, Nelson led arge group of me Dragon Gang members and rushed in aggressively. ¡°Damn, how dare you attempt to attack Sir Rhys? You¡¯re courting death! Everyone, attack!¡± Nelson raised his weapon and dashed over upon seeing Dustin trapped in the middle. Right then, hundreds of me Dragon Gang members broke into a fight with the elites of the Grant family. Although thetter were well-trained fighters, the former had the strength in numbers. It didn¡¯t take long for the Grants¡¯ guards to be defeated. ¡°Where did these peoplee from?¡± Jacob exchanged confused nces with his men. ¡°Mr. Jacob, it seems like they are from the me Dragon Gang,¡± someone replied. ¡°me Dragon Gang? Why are they meddling in this?¡± Jacob found it a little strange. Although the me Dragon Gang was quite well-known in Millsburg, they weren¡¯t a match for the Grant family. After all, the Grants had the authority to mobilize the troops. Hence, how could the me Dragon Gang fight against them? Chapter 528 The brawl finally ended ten minutester. Although dozens of me Dragon Gang disciples were injured in the process, they managed to completely annihte the Grants¡¯ elite men. ¡°Sir, I did not fail you. I have eliminated all these pests!¡± Nelson and his men rushed toward Dustin eagerly. ¡°Well done. It must have been tiring.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s our honor to serve you!¡± Nelson responded with a grin. ¡°Clean this ce up. Don¡¯t leave any evidence behind.¡± Dustin ordered. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Boys, it¡¯s time to clean up!¡± Nelson hollered at his men, and they immediately got to work. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were the me Dragon Gang¡¯s leader.¡± Natasha¡¯s surprised expression quickly turned into a frown. ¡°Still, even with the gang¡¯s help, we can¡¯t win against the Grants. We¡¯re in real trouble this time.¡± ¡°The Grants might be powerful, but that doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t do whatever they please. There¡¯s always someone more powerful than them,¡± Dustin replied nonchntly. ¡°As if it¡¯d be that easy. In the Southern province, the only two families who have a chance of winning against the Grants are the Murray family and the Hill family.¡± Natasha sighed. ¡°You were too reckless this time, Dustin. Killing Ja was a terrible move!¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have let me live anyway, so I might as well get rid of them first.¡± Dustin seemed unbothered. Since they already had their eyes on him, he might as well make it worthwhile. ¡°But¡­¡± Natasha didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about this. We should focus more on your injury. Let¡¯s go and treat it.¡± Dustin gathered her into his arms and walked outside. His needle might have stopped the bleeding, but medication was necessary to prevent hercerations from scarring. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Jacob shouted. ¡°Do you think you can just leave after getting into such a huge mess?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take responsibility for my actions,¡± Dustin responded before walking out. ¡°Follow him. Don¡¯t let him escape.¡± Jacob ordered two of his men. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The two men answered in unison and went after Dustin and Natasha. There was no way the Grants would take this matter lightly. If Dustin were to run away now, the Grants might shift their target to the Harmon family instead, so they had to make sure to keep a close eye on him. ¡°Lord Horst, quite a few of our men died today. What a loss.¡± Nelson¡¯s men grumbled softly. ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t a loss! Men are supposed to be wild like this!¡± Nelson thumped his chest proudly. ¡°I¡¯m sure today¡¯s battle showed Sir Rhys just how strong we are and improved our image!¡± Just then, one of his men rushed over in panic. ¡°Bad news, Lord Horst! We¡¯re in trouble!¡± ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about? You act as though it¡¯s something I can¡¯t handle.¡± Nelson huffed, judging that his men must stillck experience given how easy it was to scare them. When will they ever grow up? ¡°Look at this, Sir!¡¯ The other man shakily held out a badge. ¡°It looks familiar.¡± Nelson was puzzled. ¡°Of course it is! It belongs to the Grants!¡± His subordinate wailed. ¡°The Grants? What do you mean?¡± Nelson was still confused. The subordinate delivered the shocking news. ¡°The men we just killed were the Grants¡¯ elites!¡± ¡°What?! The Grants?¡± Nelson eximed, wide-eyed. ¡°A-are you serious?¡± ¡°I would never joke about something like this. Just look at the badge!¡± His subordinate whimpered. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ll have to take care of this mess now.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Take care of it? Yeah, right. I¡¯m just dead meat now.¡± Nelson fell to the floor dejectedly. He would soon disappear from the face of the earth. Chapter 529 Meanwhile, at the Grants¡¯ mansion, Tyler Grant was practicing with a terrain model. As a gifted individual, he excelled in everything he did, including terrain model training. Since few could compete against him, he usually trained by himself. ¡°Something terrible has happened, Mr. Grant!¡± One of the butlers barged into his study anxiously. ¡°Get out,¡± Tyler ordered icily without looking at the butler. ¡°But- The butler swallowed the rest of his words when he received Tyler¡¯s menacing re and scuttled back to the door to wait patiently. It took a while for Tyler to finish his practice. When he was finished, he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sir, we just received news that Ms. Ja was killed!¡± The butler cried in despair. ¡°She was killed?¡± Tyler¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She wanted to take revenge for you, so she set up a trap for Natasha Harmon.¡± The butler quickly briefed Tyler on what happened. ¡°That idiot. How could she do something like that without permission?¡± Tyler humphed, indifferent to the news. ¡°What?¡± The butler was dismayed. Shouldn¡¯t Tyler be boiling with rage and start looking for the murderer right now? Why was he so calm? And how could he call his sister an idiot? He was being too cruel. ¡®Sir, Ms. La was killed because she wanted to get even at Natasha Harmon for breaking off the engagement with you.¡± The butler pressed. ¡°When did I ask her to meddle in my affairs?¡± Tyler retorted coldly, rendering the butler speechless. The butler couldn¡¯t help feeling that his master was bing more cold-hearted these days. ¡°Who killed her?¡± Tyler asked abruptly. ¡°An asshole named Dustin Rhys!¡± The butler told him. ¡°Dustin Rhys?¡± Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Natasha¡¯s little boy toy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s him!¡± The butler nodded his head. ¡°That reckless bastard dared to chop off Ms. La¡¯s head right before everyone¡¯s eyes!¡± ¡°Alright. You can leave now.¡± Tyler waved the butler away indifferently. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you n to avenge her at all?¡± The butler couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking. ¡°I have my ns. I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do. Get out.¡± Tyler responded calmly. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The butler left with his head lowered and without saying another word. He can¡¯t understand why Tyler was being so calm despite knowing who the murderer was. It was too peculiar. ¡°She may be an idiot, but she¡¯s still a Grant.¡± Tyler lifted his cup of tea and softly called out. Euria.¡± Instantly, a woman donning ck clothes and a raindrop-designed mask appeared. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Master, you called for me?¡± The woman responded, kneeling on one knee before him with her head bowed. ¡°Have some fun with this Dustin, but don¡¯t kill him so quickly,¡± Tyler ordered. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Euria answered before disappearing without a trace, like a ghost. Chapter 530 Back in the Harmon estate. ¡°There, all done. You¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± Dust in carefully applied medicine to Natasha¡¯s wound and bandaged it up nicely. Although the wound was shallow, it would still hurt. ¡°Will it leave a scar on my face?¡± Natasha picked up a mirror and examined her face worriedly. ¡°Why? Do you doubt my skills?¡± Dustin asked in mock displeasure. ¡°I¡¯m just worried I¡¯ll look ugly if I have a scar, and you won¡¯t like me anymore,¡± Natasha answered seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Dustin was amused. ¡°I promise you, your face won¡¯t scar. Besides, even if it does, you¡¯ll still be the prettiest person in the world to me!¡± ¡°Hmph! Such a sweet talker.¡± A small smile appeared on Natasha¡¯s face, and her worry eased. Although she wasn¡¯t as superficial as otherdies, she was also afraid of turning ugly. ¡°Dustin, get your ass over here!¡± Someone suddenly roared, sending the door flying with a powerful kick, and a group of people led by Trent instantly filled the room. ¡°What are you doing, Uncle Trent?¡± Natasha asked with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! We¡¯re here for him!¡± Trent pointed at Dustin and yelled. ¡°How dare you kill Ms. La! I¡¯m here to drag you to the Grants. You better apologize to them immediately!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But Dustin did that to save me!¡± Natasha argued. ¡°Why are you still defending him?¡± Trent seethed. ¡°Do you know that if we don¡¯t hand him over to the Grants, we¡¯ll have to face their wrath instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. All I know is that Dustin saved me, so I need to protect him. You want to get to him? Over my dead body!¡± Natasha stepped forward, her re menacing. ¡°Y-you¡¯re hopeless!¡± Trent eximed, livid. ¡°Natasha Harmon! Do you intend to ruin our entire family because of him?¡± Jacob yelled. ¡°He should pay for what he did. Since he was the one who caused this mess, we shouldn¡¯t have to bear the brunt of his mistakes!¡± ¡°Exactly! We must arrest him and hand him over to the Grant!¡± Members of the Harmon family continuously shouted out in anger and indignation. ¡°Shut up!¡± Natasha roared. Alright ve now. away irrerently. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you n to avenge her at all?¡± The butler couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking. ¡°I have my ns. I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do. Get out.¡± Tyler responded calmly. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The butler left with his head lowered and without saying another word. He can¡¯t understand why Tyler was being so calm despite knowing who the murderer was. It was too peculiar. ¡°She may be an idiot, but she¡¯s still a Grant.¡± Tyler lifted his cup of tea and softly called out.¡± Euria.¡± Instantly, a woman donning ck clothes and a raindrop-designed mask appeared. ¡°Master, you called for me?¡± The woman responded, kneeling on one knee before him with her head bowed. ¡°Have some fun with this Dustin, but don¡¯t kill him so quickly,¡± Tyler ordered. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Euria answered before disappearing without a trace, like a ghost. Back in the Harmon estate. ¡°There, all done. You¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± Dustin carefully applied medicine to Natasha¡¯s wound and bandaged it up nicely. Although the wound was shallow, it would still hurt. ¡°Will it leave a scar on my face?¡± Natasha picked up a mirror and examined her face worriedly. ¡°Why? Do you doubt my skills?¡± Dustin asked in mock displeasure. ¡°I¡¯m just worried I¡¯ll look ugly if I have a scar, and you won¡¯t like me anymore,¡± Natasha answered seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Dustin was amused. ¡°I promise you, your face won¡¯t scar. Besides, even if it does, you¡¯ll still be the prettiest person in the world to me!¡± ¡°Hmph! Such a sweet talker.¡± A small smile appeared on Natasha¡¯s face, and her worry eased. Although she wasn¡¯t as superficial as otherdies, she was also afraid of turning ugly. ¡°Dustin, get your ass over here!¡± Someone suddenly roared, sending the door flying with a powerful kick, and a group of people led by Trent instantly filled the room. ¡°What are you doing, Uncle Trent?¡± Natasha asked with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! We¡¯re here for him!¡± Trent pointed at Dustin and yelled. ¡°How dare you kill Ms. La! I¡¯m here to drag you to the Grants. You better apologize to them immediately!¡± ¡°But Dustin did that to save me!¡± Natasha argued. ¡°Why are you still defending him?¡± Trent seethed. ¡°Do you know that if we don¡¯t hand him over to the Grants, we¡¯ll have to face their wrath instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. All I know is that Dustin saved me, so I need to protect him. You want to get to him? Over my dead body!¡± Natasha stepped forward, her re menacing. ¡°Y-you¡¯re hopeless!¡± Trent eximed, livid. ¡°Natasha Harmon! Do you intend to ruin our entire family because of him?¡± Jacob yelled. ¡°He should pay for what he did. Since he was the one who caused this mess, we shouldn¡¯t have to bear the brunt of his mistakes!¡± ¡°Exactly! We must arrest him and hand him over to the Grant!¡± Members of the Harmon family continuously shouted out in anger and indignation. ¡°Shut up!¡± Natasha roared. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Dustin, all of you would have died during the family gathering! It¡¯s bad enough that you aren¡¯t helping him in times of need, but how could you guys add fuel to the fire instead?¡± Her words silenced the arrogant people. ¡°Forget about those righteous views of yours, Natasha. One must pay for their crimes. Dustin made a mistake, so he should be punished!¡± Kate sneered. ¡°She¡¯s right. We don¡¯t want to suffer just because of him!¡± The crowd echoed. They couldn¡¯t care less about Dustin¡¯s previous contributions and were willing to sacrifice him if it meant cating the Grants. ¡°A-are you guys going against me?¡± Natasha demanded agitatedly. ¡°Enough with the nonsense. For the sake of our family, we must arrest him today!¡± Jacob incited. ¡°Give themand, Trent!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hate me, Dustin. You have yourself to me for making such a huge mistake.¡± Trent gestured to the others andmanded. ¡°Tie him up!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares!¡± Suddenly, Natasha fished out a gun from the bedside and pointed it toward the group of people. ¡°You wretch! Are you trying to rebel against us?¡± Trent yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t force my hand, Uncle Trent!¡± Natasha warned. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t believe you have the guts to shoot us!¡± Jacob began to step forward confidently, and without hesitation, Natasha pulled the trigger. Chapter 531 There was an ear-splitting bang as the bullet embedded itself inches before Jacob¡¯s foot, making the man jump back in fear. ¡°H-how could you pull the trigger on me?¡± Jacob cried, outraged. He never expected Natasha to be the type to do something like that to her elder. If the bullet¡¯s trajectory had been slightly off the mark, he would¡¯ve lost his foot! ¡°You better not mess around, Uncle Jacob.¡± Natasha threatened frostily. ¡°How dare you!¡± Trent roared. ¡°Natasha Harmon, he is your uncle! You¡¯d be disgracing our family if you had hurt him just now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone, so you better not force me to,¡± Natasha responded unrelentingly. ¡°Y-you bastard! Do you intend to betray your family for that boy?¡± Trent was furious. The Harmon family had always lived by a rule-nothing mattered more than the family¡¯s interests, which meant that they could sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their family. Therefore, Natasha¡¯s contradictory actions were seen as a sign of disloyalty. ¡°All I care about right now is protecting Dustin.¡± Natasha stood her ground. ¡°How many bullets do you have, Natasha? Do you even have enough to kill all of us?¡± Kate taunted. ¡°You can try.¡± Natasha abruptly turned the gun toward Kate, making thetter pale and hide behind her father, worried that Natasha might actually do something outrageous and reckless out of love. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Natasha? We are your family!¡± Jessica could no longer remain silent. She was worried her daughter might impulsively hurt someone, making her the family¡¯s enemy. When Natasha didn¡¯t respond, Jessica turned to Dustin and snapped. ¡°Dustin, are you going to drag my daughter into the mess you created?¡± ¡°Natasha, put the gun down.¡± Dustin reached out and pressed the gun downward to lower it, before turning to face the rest of the people. ¡°I was the one who killed La, so the Grants will naturally look for me if they want revenge. Why are all of you so worked up?¡± ¡°Hmph! As if things are that simple. Who knows whether you¡¯ll drag our family down with you?¡± Kate snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not even close to your family, so why would I drag you down with me?¡± Dustin answered nonchntly. ¡°You guys being afraid of the Grants is none of my business, but if you¡¯re trying to capture me to get in their good graces, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡± for Bustin, all of you would have died during the family gathering! It¡¯s bad enough that you aren¡¯t helping him in times of need, but how could you guys add fuel to the fire instead?¡± Her words silenced the arrogant people. ¡°Forget about those righteous views of yours, Natasha. One must pay for their crimes. Dustin made a mistake, so he should be punished!¡± Kate sneered. ¡°She¡¯s right. We don¡¯t want to suffer just because of him!¡± The crowd echoed. They couldn¡¯t care less about Dustin¡¯s previous contributions and were willing to sacrifice him if it meant cating the Grants. ¡°A-are you guys going against me?¡± Natasha demanded agitatedly. ¡°Enough with the nonsense. For the sake of our family, we must arrest him today!¡± Jacob incited. ¡°Give themand, Trent!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hate me, Dustin. You have yourself to me for making such a huge mistake.¡± Trent gestured to the others andmanded. ¡°Tie him up!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares!¡± Suddenly, Natasha fished out a gun from the bedside and pointed it toward the group of people. ¡°You wretch! Are you trying to rebel against us?¡± Trent yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t force my hand, Uncle Trent!¡± Natasha warned. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t believe you have the guts to shoot us!¡± Jacob began to step forward confidently, and without hesitation, Natasha pulled the trigger. There was an ear-splitting bang as the bullet embedded itself inches before Jacob¡¯s foot, making the man jump back in fear. ¡°H-how could you pull the trigger on me?¡± Jacob cried, outraged. He never expected Natasha to be the type to do something like that to her elder. If the bullet¡¯s trajectory had been slightly off the mark, he would¡¯ve lost his foot! ¡°You better not mess around, Uncle Jacob.¡± Natasha threatened frostily. ¡°How dare you!¡± Trent roared. ¡°Natasha Harmon, he is your uncle! You¡¯d be disgracing our family if you had hurt him just now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone, so you better not force me to,¡± Natasha responded unrelentingly. ¡°Y-you bastard! Do you intend to betray your family for that boy?¡± Trent was furious. The Harmon family had always lived by a rule-nothing mattered more than the family¡¯s interests, which meant that they could sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their family. Therefore, Natasha¡¯s contradictory actions were seen as a sign of disloyalty. ¡°All I care about right now is protecting Dustin.¡± Natasha stood her ground. ¡°How many bullets do you have, Natasha? Do you even have enough to kill all of us?¡± Kate taunted. ¡°You can try.¡± Natasha abruptly turned the gun toward Kate, making thetter pale and hide behind her father, worried that Natasha might actually do something outrageous and reckless out of love. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Natasha? We are your family!¡± Jessica could no longer remain silent. She was worried her daughter might impulsively hurt someone, making her the family¡¯s enemy. When Natasha didn¡¯t respond, Jessica turned to Dustin and snapped. ¡°Dustin, are you going to drag my daughter into the mess you created?¡± ¡°Natasha, put the gun down.¡± Dustin reached out and pressed the gun downward to lower it, before turning to face the rest of the people. ¡°I was the one who killed La, so the Grants will naturally look for me if they want revenge. Why are all of you so worked up?¡± ¡°Hmph! As if things are that simple. Who knows whether you¡¯ll drag our family down with you?¡± Kate snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not even close to your family, so why would I drag you down with me?¡± Dustin answered nonchntly. ¡°You guys being afraid of the Grants is none of my business, but if you¡¯re trying to capture me to get in their good graces, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Nice speech, but what makes you think you have a say in this?¡± Jacob sneered. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve always made the choices for my own life.¡± Dustin responded. ¡°This is our territory! We decide your fate!¡± Jacob dered haughtily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, but I¡¯ll have no choice if you continue to provoke me,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°You sure are a stubborn one. Let¡¯s see how strong you are!¡± Jacob drew his de and swung it toward Dustin. ¡°Stop!¡± Out of the blue, a solemn voice boomed. Slowly, a white-haired elderly man strode in with the aid of a walking cane. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Grandfather?¡± Everyone was visibly taken aback to see the old man, who had stepped back from the limelight eight years ago and no longer concerned himself with family affairs. They were puzzled as to why he was there. ¡°What are you doing here, Father?¡± Trent weed his father hurriedly. Jacob stopped mid-attack and stood to the side respectfully as well. ¡°You guys would have destroyed this ce if I hadn¡¯te!¡± Andrew humphed. ¡°Father, we still have some things to take care of. Why don¡¯t you go back to your room and rest if you¡¯re feeling unwell?¡± Trent reached out to help but Andrew swatted his son¡¯s hand away. ¡°Are you trying to say that an old coot like me has no right to interfere with family affairs anymore?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. There was an ear-splitting bang as the bullet embedded itself inches before Jacob¡¯s foot, making the man jump back in fear. ¡°H-how could you pull the trigger on me?¡± Jacob cried, outraged. He never expected Natasha to be the type to do something like that to her elder. If the bullet¡¯s trajectory had been slightly off the mark, he would¡¯ve lost his foot! ¡°You better not mess around, Uncle Jacob.¡± Natasha threatened frostily. ¡°How dare you!¡± Trent roared. ¡°Natasha Harmon, he is your uncle! You¡¯d be disgracing our family if you had hurt him just now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone, so you better not force me to,¡± Natasha responded unrelentingly. ¡°Y-you bastard! Do you intend to betray your family for that boy?¡± Trent was furious. The Harmon family had always lived by a rule-nothing mattered more than the family¡¯s interests, which meant that they could sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their family. Therefore, Natasha¡¯s contradictory actions were seen as a sign of disloyalty. ¡°All I care about right now is protecting Dustin.¡± Natasha stood her ground. ¡°How many bullets do you have, Natasha? Do you even have enough to kill all of us?¡± Kate taunted. ¡°You can try.¡± Natasha abruptly turned the gun toward Kate, making thetter pale and hide behind her father, worried that Natasha might actually do something outrageous and reckless out of love. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Natasha? We are your family!¡± Jessica could no longer remain silent. She was worried her daughter might impulsively hurt someone, making her the family¡¯s enemy. When Natasha didn¡¯t respond, Jessica turned to Dustin and snapped. ¡°Dustin, are you going to drag my daughter into the mess you created?¡± ¡°Natasha, put the gun down.¡± Dustin reached out and pressed the gun downward to lower it, before turning to face the rest of the people. ¡°I was the one who killed La, so the Grants will naturally look for me if they want revenge. Why are all of you so worked up?¡± ¡°Hmph! As if things are that simple. Who knows whether you¡¯ll drag our family down with you?¡± Kate snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not even close to your family, so why would I drag you down with me?¡± Dustin answered nonchntly. ¡°You guys being afraid of the Grants is none of my business, but if you¡¯re trying to capture me to get in their good graces, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Nice speech, but what makes you think you have a say in this?¡± Jacob sneered. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve always made the choices for my own life.¡± Dustin responded. ¡°This is our territory! We decide your fate!¡± Jacob dered haughtily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, but I¡¯ll have no choice if you continue to provoke me,¡± Dustin warned. ¡°You sure are a stubborn one. Let¡¯s see how strong you are!¡± Jacob drew his de and swung it toward Dustin. ¡°Stop!¡± Out of the blue, a solemn voice boomed. Slowly, a white-haired elderly man strode in with the aid of a walking cane. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Grandfather?¡± Everyone was visibly taken aback to see the old man, who had stepped back from the limelight eight years ago and no longer concerned himself with family affairs. They were puzzled as to why he was there. ¡°What are you doing here, Father?¡± Trent weed his father hurriedly. Jacob stopped mid-attack and stood to the side respectfully as well. ¡°You guys would have destroyed this ce if I hadn¡¯te!¡± Andrew humphed. ¡°Father, we still have some things to take care of. Why don¡¯t you go back to your room and rest if you¡¯re feeling unwell?¡± Trent reached out to help but Andrew swatted his son¡¯s hand away. ¡°Are you trying to say that an old coot like me has no right to interfere with family affairs anymore?¡± Chapter 532 ¡°Of course not, Father. You will always be the head of the family.¡± Trent smiled sheepishly. ¡°Fine. Since you said that, I¡¯ll give you my opinion.¡± Andrew surveyed the room. ¡°Dustin has saved my life, as well as helped our family multiple times. We are in his debt, so anyone who tries to take him today will be going against me!¡± ¡°What?¡± The group shared dismayed nces. They never expected Andrew to stand up for Dustin during this crucial time. ¡°Father, this bastard killed one of the Grants¡¯ daughters! He will only drag us deeper into this mess!¡± Trent rebutted. ¡°Trent is right! We¡¯re doing this for the greater good of the family!¡± Jacob seconded. ¡°You bunch say such lofty things when you¡¯re just cowards!¡± Andrew struck the floor with his cane forcefully. ¡°The Grants have been stepping all over us, and instead of standing up against them, you choose to grovel and please them? What an embarrassment to our family!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fath-¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Andrew cut off Trent¡¯s words. ¡°Our family has gone through all sorts of trials since its existence. How could we embarrass our ancestors by losing our dignity because of something like this?¡± The Harmons lowered their heads in shame, unable to deny that the Grants had shaken them greatly. ¡°Listen carefully!¡± Andrew announced. ¡°Our priority should be to save Hector, and not be sitting ducks!¡± He made Hector his sessor because of how righteous and brave his son was, but now that Hector was captured, the entire family was thrown into chaos. ¡°Grandfather, we need to borrow the Grants¡¯ power if we want to save Uncle Hector. Our best option is to hand Dustin over to them in exchange for Uncle Trent.¡± Kate coaxed. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Andrew red at his granddaughter. ¡°The Grants were the ones who framed and imprisoned your uncle, yet you think they¡¯ll help us? What a joke!¡± ¡°What? Mr. Hector was imprisoned by the Grants?¡± The crowd was dismayed to hear this. After all, framing the head of another family was not a small matter. ¡°Father, please refrain from making ims without evidence! There are ears everywhere.¡± Trent reminded seriously. ¡°Evidence, you say? Sure!¡± Andrew turned around and called out. ¡°Isfrid? Bring him in.¡± Immediately, the leader of the shadow guards dragged a man into the room. The man wore a hood that made it difficult to identify his face and was tightly bound from head to toe. ¡°See this man? He¡¯s the real murderer!¡± Andrew yanked off the man¡¯s hood, exposing a familiar face. It was Hector¡¯s face! ¡°Mr. Hector?¡± Everyone was puzzled by the sight. Hadn¡¯t Hector been captured? What was he doing here? ¡°Yeah, right. He¡¯s merely wearing a prosthetic mask!¡± Andrew sank his fingers into the man¡¯s face and pulled, revealing skin with a sickly pallor. ¡°I-it¡¯s fake?¡± The crowd eximed, stunned. They never imagined that something like this existed in real life, and it was shockingly realistic too! It was so well made that it nearly fooled everyone. ¡°Do all of you understand now? Hector was framed, and the ones behind this are the Grants! Are you still going to suck up to those treacherous bastards?¡± Andrew seethed, rendering everyone else silent. Chapter 533 The Harmon family had ced their hope in the Grant family¡¯s help before knowing the truth, but now, they finally understood that running away in fear was useless. If the Grants were willing to go as far as to frame the leader of the Harmon family, there was no way they would care about Hector¡¯s survival. ¡°What? Cat got your tongue? Remember to use your head next time!¡± Andrew reprimanded them before turning to look at Dustin. ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m so sorry you had to suffer because I didn¡¯t educate them properly.¡± ¡°Not at all, Sir Andrew. Thank you for defending me in time.¡± Dustin smiled in gratitude. Although the Harmon family had a few ungrateful individuals, there were still people who were reasonable and just. ¡°I feel so ashamed¡­ I don¡¯t know what would have happened to our family if you hadn¡¯t helped us catch the real murderer.¡± Andrew sighed. Their family prided itself on being a powerful family with countless elites. Yet, when something happened to their leader, it was a young outsider who saved the day. ¡°Father, it was our shadow guards who caught the killer. What does it have to do with that brat?¡± Jacob mumbled in displeasure. ¡°You fool!¡± Andrew snapped. ¡°If Dustin hadn¡¯t used himself as bait to expose the killer¡¯s whereabouts, do you think that the shadow guards could have captured that man?¡± ¡°What? Dustin caught the culprit?¡± The crowd was astonished to hear that. ¡°Dustin helped us so much, yet all of you wanted to harm him instead! What a bunch of ungrateful bastards!¡± Andrew¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°All of you here shall kneel before our ancestral altar and repent your actions!¡± Hearing this, the group of people scuttled away dejectedly, letting the room quiet down once more. ¡°Thank you foring, Grandfather, or things would have escted.¡± Natasha let out a breath of relief. She had been worried about being caught between a rock and a hard ce if the two parties began fighting. ¡°An old man like me might not be much use anymore, but I can still take care of those brats easily.¡± Andrew shed aforting grin. He had just disyed what it meant to be the head of a patriarchal family. ¡°Grandfather, how should we deal with this man?¡± Natasha turned her attention to the murderer. ¡°Since we¡¯ve caught the real killer, we must restore your father¡¯s innocence,¡± Andrew stated earnestly. ¡°I¡¯ll take a few men with me to visit Sir Moran and exin things to him immediately.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Grandfather.¡± Natasha nodded. ¡°Silly girl. There¡¯s no need to thank me. I¡¯ll be off now.¡± Andrew smiled before leaving with This is from N?velDrama.Org. his men. ¡°Get some rest, Natasha. I¡¯ll visit you again tomorrow.¡± Dustin also bid her farewell. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay with me?¡± Natasha pleaded, reluctant to be alone. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m currently the Grants¡¯ wanted criminal. However, I¡¯ll being over to reapply your wound dressing tomorrow.¡± Dustin consoled her. ¡°Alright, then. Be careful.¡± Natasha didn¡¯t press. ¡°Goodnight.¡± Dustin smiled and left the room. He was secretly followed by two people, hidden in the darkness. The night quickly flew by. Early in the next morning, a military vehicle slowly rolled up to the entrance of the Harmon estate. When the car door opened, a haggard-looking Hector emerged. ¡°Mr. Hector? He¡¯s back!¡± The guards at the entrance lit up upon seeing Hector and dashed in to spread the word. Soon, Natasha and the others came rushing out to greet the man. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back! How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Natasha fussed over Hector, surprised to see him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sir Moran let me out as soon as they realized that I had been framed,¡± Hector answered, smiling. Chapter 534 The previous night had been a nightmare. Fortunately, the truth was out, and nothing much happened to him. Suddenly, Hector noticed something, and his smile stiffened. ¡°Natasha, your face¡­ ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury,¡± Natasha replied indifferently. ¡°What happened?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°A lot of things happened while you were gone, Hector.¡± Jesa calmly briefed him on what happened. Hector was livid. ¡°The Grants again? They¡¯re crossing the line!¡± It was bad enough that they set him up, but they have even hurt his daughter? That was uneptable! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Natasha consoled. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Natasha. You suffered because I was useless.¡± Hector med himself. If he had known how despicable the Grants were, he would have never agreed to the marriage proposal. ¡°Nonsense, Dad. We¡¯re lucky just to have you back. Let¡¯s talk more inside.¡± Smiling, Natasha took her father¡¯s arm and walked into the estate. Just as they arrived at the meeting room, their butler rushed into the room. ¡°Sir, the Grants just sent us a letter. Please have a look.¡± The butler held up an envelope and passed it to Hector politely. ¡°What?¡± Hector¡¯s expression darkened after reading the letter. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad?¡± Natasha leaned closer and soon frowned. The letter only consisted of a few words, but they couldn¡¯t be more threatening. To sum things up, the Grants were ming the Harmon family for La Grant¡¯s death, and they imed that Dustin was the one who ordered the Harmon family to do so. Now, the Harmon family had two choices. The first was to hand the culprit over and grovel for forgiveness for three days. The second was to carry out the wedding as nned. They could only choose one of the two choices. If they refused, the Grants woulde at them in full force, wreaking havoc. ¡°It seems like Tyler intends to use his sister¡¯s death as an excuse to force me to marry him.¡± Natasha frowned, surprised. She thought the Grants would use other backhanded methods, so she didn¡¯t expect them to be so forward. The Harmon family now had no choice but to choose between submission and war. ¡°Darling, Tyler seems to like you a lot. I think you should marry him.¡± Jessica coaxed. Tyler and Natasha were still engaged, so the best solution would be to use their marriage to resolve this conflict. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me-he just likes himself. I¡¯m nothing but a tool to him,¡± Natasha retorted icily. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He¡¯s willing to resolve this issue peacefully. Isn¡¯t it obvious enough?¡± Jessica continued to persuade. ¡°He¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t care about his own sister¡¯s death. Do you think he¡¯s still a good person?¡± Natasha shot back. ¡°But¡­¡± Jessica didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Tyler is a power-hungry person. Natasha would never be happy if she married him. We have to reevaluate this marriage.¡± Hector announced, displeased with the situation. Previously, he had held out hope for the Grants, but he was now utterly disappointed. There was no way he would watch as his daughter jumped into this pit of fire. ¡°Hector, it¡¯s clearly written that if Natasha doesn¡¯t marry him, we¡¯ll have to deal with the Grants¡¯ wrath. When the timees¡­¡± Jessica hesitated. She knew that their family wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the Grants¡¯ retaliation. ¡°We will face this battle head-on.¡± Hector inhaled deeply, his gaze turning determined. ¡°If the Grants insist on challenging us, we¡¯ll rise to the asion. Worst case scenario, our families will no longer be friends.¡± Chapter 535 The next morning, in the president¡¯s office of the Nicholson Corp., Dahlia was sipping a cup of coffee as she went through sheets of financial statements. Just then, someone knocked on her door. ¡°Come in.¡± Dahlia put her N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. cup down. ¡°You called for me, Ms. Nicholson?¡± Dustin pushed the door open and entered. As Chief Security Officer, he needed to check in at thepany every day. ¡°Where were youst night? I couldn¡¯t reach you on the phone.¡± Dahlia probed just as he stepped in. ¡°My friend got into some trouble, so I went to help out.¡± Dustin grinned sheepishly. ¡°Your friend? It isn¡¯t Natasha Harmon, is it?¡± Dahlia¡¯s brow rose in suspicion. ¡°No wonder you were so enthusiastic, it turns out you were on a date with a chick.¡± Dustin cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject before Dahlia became jealous. ¡°You didn¡¯t call me over just to talk about this, did you, Ms. Nicholson?¡± ¡°As if I¡¯m that bored.¡± Dahlia retorted and rolled her eyes. ¡°An important client is arrivingter, and we have to serve her well. Make sure you take care of all matters rted to security.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for us to meet at the caf¨¦ downstairs. Let¡¯s go.¡± Dahlia nced at her watch before grabbing her purse and walking out of the room. Dustin quickly followed suit. The two of them went downstairs and walked into the caf¨¦ next door. As soon as they sat down, a bright red Ferrari slowly pulled up to the entrance. The door swung open, and a woman in a red bodycon dress stepped out. Her vibrant scarlet lips, beautiful face, and voluptuous figure were striking, and her long, smooth legs seemed to go on for miles, and her ck, sheer pantyhoses only made her more alluring than ever. ¡°She¡¯s here!¡± Dahlia sprung up as soon as the woman walked into the shop. Dahlia extended her hand with a kind smile. ¡°Hello, Ms. Larson. I¡¯m Dahlia Nicholson. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Nicholson Corp.¡¯s new president would be a woman. How interesting.¡± Ms. Larson removed her sunsses, revealing her surprised expression. ¡°You tter me, Miss. Please take a seat.¡± Dahlia gestured to the seat beside her. ¡°And who might this handsome man be?¡± Ms. Larson gave Dustin a flirty smile as she scanned him from head to toe. ¡°This is our Chief Security Officer, Dustin Rhys. He¡¯s responsible for our security.¡± Dahlia introduced. ¡°My safety is in your hands now, Mr. Rhys.¡± Ms. Larson reached out a hand for Dustin to shake. ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± Dustin smiled softly and shook her outstretched hand. ¡°You seem familiar, Ms. Larson. Have we met before?¡± Dustin just couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that they knew each other. Ms. Larson giggled. ¡°Your flirting skills still need some work, Mr. Rhys. It¡¯s too old-fashioned. ¡°Dustin!¡± Dahlia red, annoyed. How could he flirt with her client in front of her? ¡°I must have mistaken you for someone else.¡± Dustin smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Lardon. He¡¯s very inexperienced. Please forgive him.¡± Dahlia apologized, embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand. Men are always like that.¡± Ms. Larson smirked teasingly, slowly crossing her sexy legs elegantly. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business, Ms. Larson.¡± Dahlia quickly changed the topic. ¡°I suggest building a casino on the newly developednd. Please take a look at my proposal.¡± She handed a document to Ms. Larson. ¡°Let me see.¡± Ms. Larson epted the document and began looking through it, but for some reason, she kept peeking at Dustin. Chapter 536 Ms. Larson¡¯s gaze was lustful as she peeked at Dustin, who met her eyes calmly. He was still racking his brain, trying to recall where he had seen her before. ¡°Stop looking!¡± Dahlia quickly realized what was amiss and gave Dustin a warning kick. This was the second time. Dustin had grown bolder during the past few days since he was gone and didn¡¯t even bother being discreet anymore. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I don¡¯t understand these parts. Can you exin them to me?¡± Ms. Larson ced the document on the table and pointed at a section of the contract. ¡°Sure, let me exin.¡± With a professional smile, Dahlia began exining everything in detail to Ms. Lardon, who wasn¡¯t actually listening. Ms. Larson silently slipped off one of her heels and brushed her feet against Dustin¡¯s shoe lightly. ¡°What?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow, puzzled. When he lifted his head, he was met with Ms. Larson¡¯s teasing and flirty smile. He merely drew his eyes away and pretended to see nothing. Ms. Larson smirked and took a sip of her coffee before slowly brushing her feet upwards, caressing Dustin from his foot to his thigh, making the man jerk and his breathing quicken. ¡°What on earth is she doing? How could she do something like this in broad daylight? She¡¯s too bold!¡± Dustin eximed to himself. He inhaled deeply and pulled his leg away, pretending nothing happened. However, this only encouraged the woman to be bolder. She ced her entire foot on Dustin¡¯s thigh and rubbed back and forth invitingly. Dustin immediately frowned and shot her a warning re. In response, Ms. Larson shed him a coquettish smile and extended her tongue to sensually lick the coffee off the corner of her lips; her movements were undoubtedly alluring. Once again, Dustin pulled his leg away to put some distance between them. However, Ms. Larson continued to pester him. Unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her foot and squeezed it warningly. ¡°Oh!¡± She moaned, shooting Dustin a sulking look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ms. Larson? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Dahlia caught Ms. Larson¡¯s change in expression and asked. Dustin thought Ms. Larson would make up an excuse; however, the woman suddenly lifted the tablecloth and pointed at her foot. ¡°Mr. Rhys is hurting me.¡± Dustin stiffened instantly. What the ¡°What?¡± Dahlia looked down instinctively to see Dustin grabbing onto Ms. Larson¡¯s foot tightly, painting quite a raunchy scene. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± bbergasted, Dustin quickly let go of Ms. Larson, looking guilty. He didn¡¯t expect Ms. Larson to be so bold and to y the victim. ¡°Dustin! Rhys!¡± Dahlia, whose face was red with anger, seethed through gritted teeth, her expression murderous. Chapter 537 ¡°What are you doing, Dustin?¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyebrows arched above her wide eyes, and she had to restrain herself from biting Dustin directly. At first, she thought he was only admiring Ms. Larson¡¯s figure. Never did she imagine he would be daring enough to start messing around with someone he was meeting for the first time whilepletely ignoring her. ¡°This is a misunderstanding, Dahlia. She was the one who put her foot out.¡± Dustin blushed. Although he was innocent, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty. ¡°So what if Ms. Larson stretched her leg? It doesn¡¯t mean you have permission to touch her.¡± Dahlia growled. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°I-¡± Dustin didn¡¯t know how to exin himself. ¡°Hmph! I had a feeling you were up to no good when I saw you staring at Ms. Larson. Were you having dirty thoughts about her?¡± Dahlia¡¯s breathing quickened. Was she not pretty enough? Why was Dustin paying attention to someone else other than her? What a yer! ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, Dahlia!¡± Dustin was exasperated. ¡°Stop making excuses! I saw everything!¡± Dahlia was fuming at this point. He dared im that he was innocent after he was caught molesting Ms. Larson! ¡°Calm down, Ms. Nicholson. I¡¯m sure Mr. Rhys was just messing around.¡± Ms. Larson just smiled calmly. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how far he can go. He obviously had dirty intentions!¡± Dahlia humphed and shot Dustin a re. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Ms. Larson took a sip of her coffee, a yful expression on her face. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia was taken aback by the other woman¡¯s response and immediately understood that both parties had consented to this. Her blood boiling, Dahlia mmed her high heel into Dustin¡¯s foot, making him grimace in pain silently. Just then, her phone began to ring. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°Please excuse me while I take this call, Ms. Larson.¡± As soon as she got up and left, Dustin finally spoke up. ¡°Ms. Larson, this is our first time meeting. I don¡¯t think what you did was appropriate.¡± ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s fine if I did that after getting acquainted with you?¡± Ms. Larson smirked teasingly. ¡°Of course not!¡± Dustin immediately refused. ¡°Please mind your manners, especially in public, Ms. Larson.¡± ¡°How interesting. Don¡¯t people say that all men are cheaters? Are you going to be an exception?¡± Ms. Larson giggled, and leisurely stirred her coffee. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Dustin replied coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank. I¡¯m interested in you, and I want to be your sugar mama, so name your price.¡± Ms. Larson smirked. ¡°Sorry, but I prefer to earn my own keep.¡± Dustin refused without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t mind forcing you, you know?¡± Ms. Lardon tossed her car keys onto the table. ¡°Isn¡¯t that car gorgeous? She¡¯s thetest Ferrari model. You can have her if you like.¡± ¡°Are you insulting me?¡± Dustin¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Is it not enough? Fine. I have a vi in Amethyst Meadows worth 30 million dors. I don¡¯t have time to stay there anyway, so it¡¯s yours now.¡± Ms. Larson pulled out another set of keys. She sure was unting her wealth by giving away such an expensive car and vi so easily. It was easy to imagine how many men dreamed of possessing such a beautiful, rich, and generous woman. Chapter 538 Are you trying to bribe me with just a vi? What do you take me for?¡± Dustin remained indifferent. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time to get serious.¡± Ms. Larson giggled. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll let you into some insider information. The abandoned buildings in Eastville are going to be redeveloped. Your investment will double tenfold if you can get ahold of them. Of course, how many buildings you can buy depends on your wealth. The more you buy, the more you¡¯ll earn. With enough capital, you¡¯ll easily earn anything between a billion dors to eight billion. What do you think? Is the offer attractive enough?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯re very generous, but I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d tell me about an opportunity that could rake in billions?¡± It was their first time meeting, yet Ms. Larson was being extremely generous, even going as far as to offer him a car, a house, and a chance to hit the jackpot. Although Dustin was quite a good-looking guy, it wasn¡¯t enough to charm every woman in the world. Besides, a rich woman like her would have met all sorts of men before him, so he couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier? You caught my eye, and I want to be your sugar mama.¡± Ms. Larson just continued to smile, her intentions hidden. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe that?¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what tricks you¡¯re up to, but you better not mess around with me. I¡¯m not someone who knows how to cherish pretty things.¡± ¡°How interesting.¡± Ms. Larsonughed, her shoulder shaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so on guard, miracle doctor. And here I thought I¡¯d have a chance in bed with you tonight.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°Who are you?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Take a guess.¡± Ms. Larson reached out to cover half of her face, leaving her twinkling eyes exposed. ¡°Can you tell yet?¡± ¡°You!¡± Dustin¡¯s eyes widened as realization dawned. Her attire might have changed, but her eyes hadn¡¯t. The voluptuous temptress was none other than the Dark Lord¡¯s disciple, Azalea! No wonder she seemed so familiar to her. She was that witch! ¡°Finally,¡± Azalea Larson smirked. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect us to meet again this way, did you?¡± ¡°Were you following me?¡± Dustin demanded with a frown. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m just here for a business meeting. Me meeting you here was pure coincidence.¡± Azalea said with a smile. ¡°What do you want?¡± Dustin growled. ¡°Take a guess.¡± Azalea tilted her head sideways. ¡°Dustin¡­¡± Just then, Dahlia finally returned after wrapping up her phone call, her expression grave. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dustin was puzzled. ¡°Some people beat up my mom, and she¡¯s in the hospital right now, so I have to rush over there immediately,¡± Dahlia exined. ¡°She was beaten up? What happened?¡± Dustin was surprised. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, either. I¡¯ll know after going to the hospital.¡± Dahlia focused her attention on Azalea. ¡°My apologies, Ms. Larson, but this is an emergency. Would you mind if we continued this discussion on another day?¡± ¡°No problem. You guys should deal with that first.¡± Azalea nodded. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Larson.¡± Dahlia shed a polite smile and pulled Dustin out of there. Azalea¡¯s lip curled as she watched the two of them walk away and mumbled, ¡°What a fine prey. I haven¡¯t felt so excited in ages. You¡¯ll be mine.¡± Chapter 539 As soon as Dustin and Dahlia reached one of the wards of Ansdale South Hospital, they were greeted by the ghastly sight of Florence moaning in pain, her body wrapped in bloodstained bandages. ¡°How do you feel, Mom?¡± Dahlia asked worriedly as she walked into the room. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Dahlia!¡± Florence immediately burst into tears and wailed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I made a mistake, and I don¡¯t deserve to live anymore.¡± She mmed her head into the wall several times, tearing up from the pain. ¡°What are you doing, Mom?¡± Dahlia quickly pulled her mother in for a hug to stop her from hurting herself. ¡°Can¡¯t we talk this out? Why are you trying tomit suicide?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m too embarrassed to tell you!¡± Florence thumped her chest sadly. ¡°James, what in the world happened?¡± Dahlia looked at her brother, who was standing next to their mother. ¡°Mom got scammed. Our savings are all gone now!¡± He cried. ¡°Scammed? borate further.¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°Do you remember Julie¡¯s boyfriend, Terrence Stone? He¡¯s that manager at the Brooks Corporation.¡± ¡°Of course, I do. Why?¡± Dahlia nodded. ¡°He lied to us!¡± James used. ¡°We were having dinner with Aunt Victoriast night when he suddenly came up to us and told us that the Brooks Corporation had a new real estate project and asked if we would be interested in investing. ¡°He imed that the prices would be low since we¡¯d get a special price because he knew an insider. We thought he was being kind, so we agreed. He promised that our investment would double in return after half a year, and the more we invested, the greater our return. We were blinded by greed and signed the contract stupidly, putting all our money in. ¡°Then, guess what? When we visited the development site this morning, we realized that the so-called new real-estate project was nothing but a cluster of abandoned buildings! It¡¯s been left alone for years, and now we¡¯re in charge of taking care of this mess! Now, besides wasting all our savings, we¡¯ve also collected huge debts!¡± James seethed, regretting their decisionst night. They shouldn¡¯t have gotten greedy and fallen into Terrence¡¯s trap. ¡°Where¡¯s Terrence now?¡± Dahlia interrogated. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± James shook his head. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been picking up his phone since morning. When we wen ¡°When didn¡¯t g One shoulde ww did refund they need, caping th When we went to ask hispany, they said he had been fired and was nowhere to be found!¡± ¡°When didn¡¯t you tell me about this right away?¡± Dahlia was displeased with this issue. One shouldn¡¯t aim too high when they don¡¯t possess the necessary skills. Those individuals were the easiest to scam and swindle money out of. ¡°We didn¡¯t know he was a scammer, so we got careless and¡­¡± James sighed. They hadplete faith in Terrence because he was a manager at Brooks Corporation; they never expected that he had been fired a long time ago. ¡°How did Mom get all beaten up?¡± Dahlia asked. ¡°She couldn¡¯t find Terrence, so she went to find the developer instead, demanding they refund us, but they refused, saying that we had already signed the contract, so Mom kicked up All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. a fuss and got into a brawl with someone,¡± James exined. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°How much did you lose in total this time?¡± Chapter 540 James merely held out a finger. ¡°Ten million?¡± Dahlia took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anger. ¡°It¡¯s quite a lot, but at least we can still pay it back. Treat it as the price of a lesson learned.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong, Sis. It¡¯s not just ten million dors; it¡¯s a hundred million.¡± James mumbled weakly. ¡°A hundred million?!¡± Dahlia paled. ¡°Are you serious? Where did you get so much money in the first ce?¡± ¡°We had a few million in savings. Then, we used our two vis to take out loans. Mom stole the remaining tens of thousands from you.¡± James shrank back and confessed softly. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°A-are you guys crazy? Taking loans and stealing? Who said you could do that?¡± Who in their right mind would sell their house to invest in a business? What a fool! ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Dahlia. I¡¯m so sorry. I should die instead!¡± Florence moaned and began banging her head on the wall again, acting so well that she deserved an Oscar. ¡°Enough!¡± Dahlia yelled. ¡°Rather thanmit suicide, why don¡¯t you think of a way to take care of this mess?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the president of Cardinal Group now. A hundred million dors shouldn¡¯t be a lot to you, right?¡± Florence asked tentatively. ¡°Yeah, right!¡± Dahlia humphed, irritated. ¡°I borrowed ten billion and merely bought a portion of the company¡¯s shares. It¡¯s not time for dividends yet, so I don¡¯t have any spare cash. Besides, I have a one-billion-dor loan to pay back, so I¡¯ll be in debt for the next three years! ¡°What? Is it that serious?¡± Florence was shocked. She thought Dahlia was living a glorious life after being promoted to President and didn¡¯t know that her daughter was struggling so badly. ¡°Aunt Florence.¡± Just then, Julie and her mother, Victoria, walked into the room. ¡°Julie, you¡¯re here. How did it go? Did you manage to find Terence?¡± Florence sprung up expectantly. Things were still salvageable if they could catch Terrence. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°We couldn¡¯t get ahold of him at all. I¡¯m sure he ran away.¡± Julie sighed. ¡°Who knew that he was a swindler? Curse our rotten luck!¡± Victoria spat. ¡°Julie, Terrence is your boyfriend. How do you propose we solve this issue?¡± James demanded. ¡°What does it have to do with me? I¡¯m not the one who lied to you!¡± Julie frowned. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re victims too! We lost a lot of money as well!¡± ¡°Who knows if you guys are working together?¡± James retorted. ¡°Hey! What do you mean by that?¡± Julie sprung up and demanded. ¡°Enough. We¡¯re a family. It¡¯s not the time to fight right now. We should be working together to get past this storm.¡± Florence cated. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯re the smartest here. What should we do now?¡± ¡°Admit defeat, I guess. Whatever else?¡± Dahlia grumbled. ¡°I have an idea.¡± Suddenly thinking of an idea, Julie whispered. ¡°Since Terrence lied to us, we can do the same to someone else. As long as we find another scapegoat, everything will be fine. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. My daughter is so smart!¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Julie was right. Rather than suffering themselves, why don¡¯t they make someone else suffer? They should just act in their own interests. ¡°That is a good idea, but where will we find the scapegoat?¡± James rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°A scapegoat?¡± Florence thought about it for a second, and her eyes shot to Dustin. Wasn¡¯t there a perfect one right there? Chapter 541 ¡°What?¡± Dustin frowned when Florence¡¯s gaze swept toward him. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Are you telling me to be the scapegoat? What the fuck?¡± he thought. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Dustin¡­¡± Florence forced a smile. She took an apple out of her fruit basket and handed it to Dustin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Here, have an apple.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Dustin looked at her warily. It only raised suspicions more with Florence going out of her way to be kind to him. ¡°Well, you heard what we said, didn¡¯t you?¡± Florence forced out a sweet, kind smile. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a kind person. I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t bear to see us lose our money like this, so I hope you can do us a favor.¡± ¡°What favor?¡± Dustin had his guard up. ¡°Don¡¯t you know a few rich women? Why don¡¯t you help us sell off those abandoned buildings? ¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to scam people for you?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°How could you say that?¡± Florence feigned innocence. ¡°We¡¯re not deceiving anyone; we¡¯re simply repurposing waste. Those wealthy people aren¡¯t short on money anyway, so think of it as doing a good deed.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right!¡± Julie nodded. ¡°Dustin, the abandoned buildings in Eastville might seem worthless now, but they actually have high potential. We don¡¯t have the financial ability to continue developing them, but they might have a new chance if those who are rich take over them.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Dustin raised his hand to stop Julie. ¡°Where did you say the buildings were?¡± ¡°Eastville, near the suburbs. Why?¡± Julie was puzzled. ¡°The abandoned buildings in Eastville?¡± After getting confirmation, Dustin smiled. ¡°You guys got lucky. Those buildings are worth a lot of money.¡± ¡°Worth a lot of money?¡± The others exchanged confused nces. They couldn¡¯t understand how that failed investment could be worth any money. Besides, why would they sell those buildings if they knew they were of any worth? ¡°I heard that those buildings are going to be redeveloped soon, so you guys hit the jackpot this time,¡± Dustin said with a smile. This was what Azalea had told him earlier at the cafe. He just didn¡¯t expect Florence and the others to be lucky enough to get a head start. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Julie frowned. ¡°Those buildings have been abandoned for more than seven years. No one dares to take over it, yet you¡¯re saying that they¡¯re going to be redeveloped? What a joke!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. If they were worth a lot of money, people would have fought to snatch them up instead of leaving them there.¡± Victoria huffed. ¡°Where did you get that fake news, Dustin? Shut up if you don¡¯t know anything!¡± James snapped. It was bad enough that Terrence had sessfully scammed them, but did Dustin think that they were idiots? How could he lie to them as well? ¡°I¡¯m not lying. Those buildings will be astonishingly valuable,¡± Dustin replied calmly.¡± There¡¯s a good chance that those properties under your name will multiply in value tremendously in a few days, so you shouldn¡¯t sell them off.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Multiply by several times? That¡¯s nothing but wishful thinking!¡± Julie snapped. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not going to help, why are you trying to deceive us?¡± Florence dropped the act, and her tone turned harsh. ¡°It¡¯s just friendly advice. If you don¡¯t believe me, forget it.¡± Dustin shrugged. He believed that Azalea wouldn¡¯t tell such a lie, so it was very likely that those buildings were going to shoot up in value soon. It was just that not many people knew about that yet. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you to find a scapegoat. Why do you keep talking nonsense? You¡¯re so useless! ¡°Florence snapped resentfully. Chapter 542 Florence was sure that Dustin was merely refusing to help them. Just then, Julie thought of an idea and said, ¡°Dustin, didn¡¯t you say that those buildings are worth a lot? We¡¯ll sell them to you right now so that you can make a lot of money. What do you think?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Florence echoed. ¡°You should buy them since you seem so interested. That¡¯ll benefit both of us.¡± ¡°This is your opportunity. How could I take it away from you?¡± Dustin refused politely. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re a family. We¡¯ll be happy if you make money too.¡± Florence coaxed enthusiastically, gleeful to have found a scapegoat. ¡°She¡¯s right, Dustin. Don¡¯t worry about it. You shouldn¡¯t miss such a great opportunity.¡± ¡°Exactly. Just remember to treat us to a meal when you get rich.¡± Everyone smiled so sweetly and acted extremely enthusiastically after finding such a dumb scapegoat. ¡°Are you sure you want to sell them to me?¡± Dustin pressed. ¡°Of course! We won¡¯t take a single penny from you. We just want you to return the principal.¡± Florence frantically nodded. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret your decision?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I swear it on my life!¡± Florence swore. ¡°She¡¯s right. We swear it on our lives.¡± The others echoed. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll buy them.¡± Dustin smiled. There¡¯s no reason for him to refuse free money. ¡°Are you crazy? Those buildings are worthless! Why would you purchase them?¡± Dahlia couldn¡¯t watch this go on anymore. She didn¡¯t expect him to actually buy them. ¡°We should let him buy them if that¡¯s what he wants. Why are you stopping him?¡± Julie grumbled. ¡°She¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t stop him from earning big money.¡± Florence shot her daughter a look, telling her to not stop him from being their scapegoat, or they would lose all their money. ¡°Enough!¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you try to swindle others, but I won¡¯t allow you to do that to Dustin!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not forcing him to buy them; he volunteered.¡± Julie huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t buy them, Dustin!¡± Dahlia warned. ¡°They¡¯ll be worth a lot of money soon. Just trust me.¡± Dustin smiled tiredly. ¡°They¡¯re obviously trying to scam you. Why won¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Dahlia was frustrated at how stubborn he was being. ¡°Let them be. I have enough money anyway.¡± Dustin remained unaffected. ¡°You!¡± Furious, she spat. ¡°Fine! Do as you please. I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± She walked over to the other bed and sat down angrily, ignoring him. ¡°Forget about her, Dustin. Let¡¯s continue our discussion. Oh, right. James? Hurry up and print out the contract. We should get this over with today.¡± Florence tugged on Dustin¡¯s arm, worried he might escape. ¡°No problem!¡± With twinkling eyes, James dashed out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a contract too.¡± Julie quickly followed suit. The contracts were signed twenty minutester. Dustin received the title deeds, while Florence and the others got back their money. As soon as they received the money, Florence and the others began cackling and jeering at Dustin, whom they believed was an idiot. They marveled at the idiot they found. Chapter 543 ¡°Oh, Dustin. You sure are stupid. How can you treasure such worthless buildings?¡± Florence grinned smugly. At first, she thought she had wasted all her money, but God blessed them by sending them a scapegoat. ¡°Thanks, Dustin, or else we¡¯d be doomed.¡± Florence grinned. ¡°You¡¯re such a saint, Dustin. I must say, I¡¯m impressed!¡± James eximed delightedly and gave the other man a thumbs-up. ¡°Remember to treat us to a meal once you¡¯ve made your fortune.¡± Victoria mocked. They had been unfortunate to be swindled by Terrence, but they found someone to take the fall. It was their stroke of luck, or they would have lost all their money. ¡°I hope you don¡¯te to regret your decision.¡± Dustin wore a meaningful smile. ¡°Regret?¡± They exchanged amused nces andughed even louder. How could Dustin still not know that something was wrong? An idiot like him deserved to be scammed. ¡°Dustin, what on earth are you thinking? You shouldn¡¯t be so reckless even if you have some money, right?¡± Dahlia frowned. She was confused as to why someone who was usually so smart would act so foolishly. ¡°Everything I say is useless right now, but you¡¯ll understand soon,¡± Dustin smiled and said.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. No matter how many times he advised them, none of them believed him. However, when things settled down, it would be obvious who was the winner. ¡°Fine! I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± Dahlia stomped toward the door and halted. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go back to thepany!¡± ¡°Can I take a leave of absence? My friend happens to be here, so I want to visit him,¡± Dustin asked. Mr. Robinson was here as well, so he should visit the older man. ¡°Do whatever you like!¡± Dahlia humphed and left. Five minutester, Dustin stepped into another ward and saw Abigail feeding her father some soup. The father-daughter duo¡¯s rtionship improved after thetest incident. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re here.¡± Abigail lit up when she saw him. ¡°I happened to be in the area, so I thought I¡¯d drop by. How¡¯s your dad?¡± Dustin inquired, concerned. ¡°The doctor said he¡¯s healing very well. He should be able to leave in a few days,¡± Abigail replied. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Dustin let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to the bed. ¡°Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Robinson.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys. You visiting me made me happy enough.¡± Mr. Robinson smiled. It was rare for someone to care for minor characters like him. ¡°This is all my fault. You wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt if not for me.¡± Dustin felt sorry. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Mr. Robinson. I¡¯m just sorry that I couldn¡¯t carry out your request.¡± Mr. Robinson shook his head. ¡°Alright, alright. Can you two stop being so sappy? Let¡¯s leave the past behind us.¡± Abigail interjected, cutting off their conversation. The person they should be ming was Torben Hill. Fortunately, Dustin had avenged them by teaching that man a lesson. ¡°Abigail.¡± While they were talking, a gorgeous youngdy and an elegantly dressed woman walked in. They must be mother and daughter. Dustin realized that the familiar-looking woman was Ruby Xenos, the person he met in the bar a few days ago. ¡°What are you doing here, Ruby?¡± Abigail lit up, and she quickly went to wee the guests. Chapter 544 ¡°I heard that Mr. Robinson was hurt. Of course, I had to visit.¡± Ruby ced her gifts by Mr. Robinson¡¯s bedside and exined. ¡°These are supplements for you. I wish you a speedy recovery.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Abigail nodded her head in gratitude. ¡°I forgot to introduce you to my mom.¡± Ruby gestured to the woman next to her. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Abigail nodded in greeting. ¡°Hello.¡± Mrs. Xenos nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± Ruby was surprised to see Dustin. ¡°The Doyle family didn¡¯t bother you, did they?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dustin shook his head. He couldn¡¯t care less about them anyway. ¡°Mom, this is the guy who helped me in the barst time.¡± Ruby smiled. ¡°Really? Well, thank you very much.¡± Mrs. Xenos smiled politely. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze suddenly turned serious. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, may I know if you¡¯ve been feeling dizzytely?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Mrs. Xenos was astonished. ¡°I could tell since I know a bit of medicine,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°I see¡­¡± Mrs. Xenos nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have low blood sugar, so I get dizzy sometimes, but it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Dustin replied in a serious tone. ¡°You have bloodshot eyes, shortness of breath, stiff limbs, as well as bulging veins at your temples. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re at risk of a cerebral hemorrhage.¡± ¡°Cerebral hemorrhage?¡± Mrs. Xenos frowned; her expression darkened instantly. ¡°You should watch what you say, young man. I had a full-body checkup just recently, and everything was normal. How could there possibly be a cerebral hemorrhage?¡± She didn¡¯t expect such a nice-looking person like him to sprout nonsense. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, I advise you to examine your brain. You could die easily if the condition worsened.¡± Dustin advised. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Mrs. Xenos humphed. ¡°I¡¯ll let this go since you saved my daughter. Don¡¯t provoke me anymore!¡± She was unhappy to be told that she might die. ¡®Mrs. Xenos, your life is at stake here. You should be careful.¡± Dustin told her seriously. CO ¡°The doctor said he¡¯s healing very well. He should be able to leave in a few days,¡± Abigail replied. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Dustin let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to the bed. ¡°Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Robinson.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rhys. You visiting me made me happy enough.¡± Mr. Robinson smiled. It was rare for someone to care for minor characters like him. ¡°This is all my fault. You wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt if not for me.¡± Dustin felt sorry. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Mr. Robinson. I¡¯m just sorry that I couldn¡¯t carry out your request.¡± Mr. Robinson shook his head. ¡°Alright, alright. Can you two stop being so sappy? Let¡¯s leave the past behind us.¡± Abigail interjected, cutting off their conversation. The person they should be ming was Torben Hill. Fortunately, Dustin had avenged them by teaching that man a lesson. ¡°Abigail.¡± While they were talking, a gorgeous youngdy and an elegantly dressed woman walked in. They must be mother and daughter. Dustin realized that the familiar-looking woman was Ruby Xenos, the person he met in the bar a few days ago. ¡°What are you doing here, Ruby?¡± Abigail lit up, and she quickly went to wee the guests. ¡°I heard that Mr. Robinson was hurt. Of course, I had to visit.¡± Ruby ced her gifts by Mr. Robinson¡¯s bedside and exined. ¡°These are supplements for you. I wish you a speedy recovery.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Abigail nodded her head in gratitude. ¡°I forgot to introduce you to my mom.¡± Ruby gestured to the woman next to her. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Abigail nodded in greeting. ¡°Hello.¡± Mrs. Xenos nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± Ruby was surprised to see Dustin. ¡°The Doyle family didn¡¯t bother you, did they?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dustin shook his head. He couldn¡¯t care less about them anyway. ¡°Mom, this is the guy who helped me in the barst time.¡± Ruby smiled. ¡°Really? Well, thank you very much.¡± Mrs. Xenos smiled politely. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze suddenly turned serious. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, may I know if you¡¯ve been feeling dizzytely?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Mrs. Xenos was astonished. ¡°I could tell since I know a bit of medicine,¡± Dustin exined. ¡°I see¡­¡± Mrs. Xenos nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have low blood sugar, so I get dizzy sometimes, but it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Dustin replied in a serious tone. ¡°You have bloodshot eyes, shortness of breath, stiff limbs, as well as bulging veins at your temples. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re at risk of a cerebral hemorrhage.¡± ¡°Cerebral hemorrhage?¡± Mrs. Xenos frowned; her expression darkened instantly. ¡°You should watch what you say, young man. I had a full-body checkup just recently, and everything was normal. How could there possibly be a cerebral hemorrhage?¡± She didn¡¯t expect such a nice-looking person like him to sprout nonsense. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, I advise you to examine your brain. You could die easily if the condition worsened.¡± Dustin advised. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Mrs. Xenos humphed. ¡°I¡¯ll let this go since you saved my daughter. Don¡¯t provoke me anymore!¡± She was unhappy to be told that she might die. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, your life is at stake here. You should be careful.¡± Dustin told her seriously. ¡°Enough of your nonsense!¡± Mrs. Xenos turned and walked away briskly. As a woman who people died to please at every moment, she was furious to be cursed by someone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My mom¡¯s in a bad mood.¡± Ruby was embarrassed. She didn¡¯t expect Dustin and his mother to get into an argument, ¡°Ruby, we¡¯re going home!¡± Mrs. Xenos yelled. ¡°I¡¯ll be off now, Abigail. Take care of your dad.¡± Ruby left after bidding them farewell. ¡°You should stay away from scammers like him from now on, or your reputation will be ruined!¡± Mrs. Xenos snapped. ¡°Mom, he doesn¡¯t seem to be lying. Why don¡¯t you get it checked out at the hospital?¡± Ruby advised. ¡°Do you actually believe him?¡± Mrs. Xenos red. ¡°I know my body best. He¡¯s clearly asking for attention. I¡¯ve met countless people like him before!¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t talk about him anymore. It¡¯s disgusting!¡± Mrs. Xenos cut off Ruby¡¯s words. Because of her status, people always came up with different ways to butter up to her; this included people like Dustin. ¡°The weather is nice today.¡± Mrs. Xenos lifted her head to look at the sun and felt slightly faint. She barely took a step forward when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her head. The world began to spin, and after a few more steps, her vision turned dark, and she copsed to the floor. Chapter 545 ¡°Mom!¡± Ruby was shocked when Mrs. Xenos suddenly fainted. She quickly helped her up and tried to wake her up while crying for help. However, her mother remainedpletely unresponsive. ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor?¡± Ruby carried Mrs. Xenos on her back and ran back into the hospital. A bunch of doctors and nurses heard her pleas and quickly came over to perform first aid. An hourter, at the entrance of the emergency room. ¡°Ruby!¡± A suited man ran over, apanied by several bodyguards. ¡°Dad! You¡¯re finally here!¡± Ruby was so relieved to see him. ¡°Mom suddenly fainted just now, and they¡¯re still trying to resuscitate her, but the doctor said that things weren¡¯t looking good and even asked me to sign a do¨Cnot¨Cresuscitate order.¡± ¡°Why did she suddenly faint?¡± George Xenos frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. She waspletely fine earlier.¡± Ruby looked nervous as well. ¡°Hurry! Go to Garrison Hospital and bring Dr. Alden immediately!¡± George ordered the bodyguard closest to him. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± His guard quickly pulled out his phone and began calling someone. Less than half an hourter, an old man with white hair donning ck clothes rushed into the hospital with a team of specialists. Every one of them was a top doctor in Garrison Hospital. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± The old man greeted. ¡°Dr. Alden, my wife¡¯s life is in danger. Please save her.¡± George pleaded solemnly. ¡°I will do my best.¡± Dr. Alden immediately rushed into the operating room and took over the operation after he showed his identity. Although the doctors at Ansdale South Hospital were good, they still had a long way to go to reach the level of the doctors at Garrison Hospital. After several hours passed, Dr. Alden finally emerged from the operating room. ¡°Dr. Alden! How¡¯s my wife?¡± George sprung up. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Mrs. Xenos had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. We¡¯ve managed to keep her alive for now, but things aren¡¯t looking good.¡± Dr. Alden¡¯s expression was gloomy. ¡°Cerebral hemorrhage?¡± Ruby was surprised to hear that Dustin¡¯s words hade true. ¡°Can you treat it?¡± George frowned. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult.¡± Dr. Alden shook his head and exined. ¡°She is experiencing severe intracranial bleeding caused by an umtion of blood clots, which is putting pressure on her nerves and causing her to stay unconscious. There¡¯s a high likelihood that she¡¯ll fall into aa.¡± ¡°What? Aa?¡± Ruby paled. She couldn¡¯t ept that her mother, who had been alive and well just hours ago, was going to have to stay in bed for the rest of her life. ¡°Dr. Alden, can¡¯t you operate on her head?¡± George pressed. ¡°Unfortunately not. Mrs. Xenos is bleeding extensively in a delicate location. We might identally kill her if we operate on her.¡± Dr. Alden sighed. ¡°How could this be? Is there no other way?¡± George¡¯s expression was pained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have done everything in my power. Whether or not she can wake up depends entirely on her,¡± Dr. Alden said helplessly. As if someone poured a bucket of ice over him, George froze up. He couldn¡¯t imagine his wife staying in aa for the rest of her life. ¡°Dad, someone I know might be able to help,¡± Ruby said suddenly. ¡°Who is it?¡± George broke out of his stupor. ¡°His name is Dustin Rhys. Not too long ago, he predicted that Mom might have a cerebral hemorrhage. We didn¡¯t take it too seriously at first, but his words came true,¡± Ruby exined. ¡°He predicted the cerebral hemorrhage? Is there anyone in this world who can do that?¡± Dr. Alden was doubtful. How could anyone detect something like that without the aid of tools? ¡°It is true! I swear!¡± Ruby eximed anxiously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s true. Just tell him toe over and do what he can.¡± George ordered. He wasn¡¯t going to let go of this glimmer of hope. Chapter 546 ¡°Okay!¡± Without wasting any more time, Ruby took her phone out to give Dustin a call, and she briefly told him what had happened. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± Dustin ended the call and rushed over to the hospital. This is from N?velDrama.Org. By the time he reached, Ruby¡¯s mother had already been transferred to the VIP ward. Although she was no longer in critical danger, she remained unconscious. When Dustin entered the ward, he noticed that there was quite a small crowd gathered there. Most of them were doctors, and some were bodyguards. ¡°Dustin! You¡¯re here!¡± Ruby¡¯s face lit up with hope when she saw him. ¡°Is this the miracle doctor that you mentioned, Ruby?¡± As George looked Dustin up and down, he unconsciously frowned. This man was much younger than he¡¯d thought. How medically skilled could a man in his twenties be? ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover, Dad! Dustin might be young, but he¡¯s really good at what he does! It only took him a nce and he knew what was wrong with Mom.¡± Ruby assured. ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, Miss Xenos, but maybe it was just a lucky guess,¡± Dr. Alden said. At Dustin¡¯s age, even if he had been practicing medicine since the day he was born, he¡¯d only have 20 - odd years of experience under his belt. If Dr. Alden himself, who had been practicing medicine for over 40 years, could not tell what was wrong with her, how could this young chap? ¡°Are you sure, young man?¡± George asked tentatively. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I wasn¡¯t,¡± Dustin answered inly. ¡°Alright then, you¡¯ll be handsomely rewarded if you can heal my wife,¡± George told him earnestly. ¡°Mr. Xenos, are you really going to let him treat her?¡± Dr. Alden asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Mrs. Xenos is not in a good condition right now. What if anything happens to her?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t go any worse than it already is.¡± George shook his head. What difference would it make whether his wife remained in aa for the rest of her life or if she were to be dead? ¡°But-¡± Dr. Alden wanted to continue but was promptly cut off by George. ¡°Please go ahead, young man.¡± Dustin nodded and walked over to Mrs. Xenos¡® bedside before reaching out to check her vitals. A short whileter, he told them, ¡°Mrs. Xenos is suffering from severe intracranial hemorrhage which is putting pressure on her nerves. If we don¡¯t get that sorted out immediately, she might end up in a permanently vegetative state.¡± Everyone was shocked when they heard what he had to say. Even Dr. Alden, who had doubted his abilities just a while ago, looked astonished. Dustin had simply done a quick check on Mrs. Xenos¡® vitals and was able to tell them exactly what was wrong with her. Was he really that capable? ¡°Can you heal her, young man?¡± George was instantly enlivened as he saw a spark of hope. He hadn¡¯t held out much hope initially, but judging from what Dustin had just said, he could tell that Dustin really knew what he was doing. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be difficult. All that needs to be done is to drain out the blood and see that she takes her medications on time,¡± Dustin said. ¡°Draining intracranial blood is no easy feat, young man. Besides, with Mrs. Xenos¡® condition, surgery is not an option,¡± Dr. Alden reminded Dustin. Ultimately, he still refused to believe that Dustin was better than him. ¡°Who said anything about surgery? This can easily be done with needling,¡± Dustin said matter¨Cof- factly. ¡°Needling? Are you kidding me?¡± Dr. Alden frowned. There was a life on the line. This wasn¡¯t a simple task! ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Let¡¯s try and see, shall we?¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin any further. Without saying much more, he took out some silver needles and inserted them into Mrs. Xenos¡® pressure points. One right on top of the head, one near the front hairline, one by each ear, one above each eye, and finally, one on each side of her nape. After inserting all the needles, Dustin channeled energy from within him and directed it toward the needles. The needles vibrated and gave out a soft buzzing sound. Then, wisps of true energy traveled along the silver needles into Mrs. Xenos¡® pressure points. A brief whileter, two streams of ck blood trickled out of her nose. The blood flowed out in steady streams until it gradually turned into fresh blood, which was crimson red before it slowly stopped. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine now.¡± In one swift motion, Dustin extracted all the needles and kept them neatly in his pocket. ¡°That¡¯s all? You-¡± Before Dr. Alden couldplete his sentence, Mrs. Xenos groaned softly, and her eyes fluttered open. Chapter 547 ¡°S¨Cshe¡¯s awake? Everyone was amazed to see that Mrs. Xenos hade around, and they stared at her wide¨Ceyed with disbelief. Nobody had ever thought that this young man would be able to cure Mrs. Xenos of something that even Dr. Alden found impossible. And he managed to do so with just several needles! The entire process had been nothing special and was just in old needling techniques, but it was exactly because of how simple everything had been that they found it shocking ¡°H¨Chow is this possible?¡¯ Dr. Alden waspletely blown away by what he just witnessed. That was cerebral congestion, and she had been diagnosed as a vegetative patient, for goodness sake! It was such aplicated condition, and he managed to cure her with just several needles? He must be joking! ¡®She¡¯s awake! She¡¯s awake! Mom¡¯s awake!¡± It took Ruby a while to register that her mother was finally awake, but when she snapped back to her senses, she jumped with joy. She had been utterly devastated when she got to know that her mother was in a vegetative state. It was a miracle that she coulde around so soon! ¡°Honey, how are you feeling?¡± George forced himself to calm down and quickly went up to check on his wife. ¡°I feel a bit woozy, but apart from that, I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mrs. Xenos was confused, as she only remembered what happened before she passed out. ¡°That¡¯s great! It¡¯s great that you¡¯re feeling fine!¡± Georgeughed happily after he was sure that his wife was no longer in any danger. ¡°You really are a miracle healer, young man! I underestimated you! You have exceptional medical skills. I¡¯m impressed!¡± George shook Dustin¡¯s hand as a sign of respect. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Just remember that reward you promised,¡± Dustin said without any arrogance. He had only helped them because he felt that it was fate that they crossed paths, so it went without saying that he¡¯d ask for payment. ¡°Hahaha! I like how direct you are, young man! How much are you asking for? Just state your price,¡± George said with a chuckle. ¡°You pay however much you deem fit.¡± Dustin left it to him to decide how much he was going to pay. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. So, George generously wrote him a 30¨Cmillion¨Cdor check and handed it to him. ¡°Please have this, young man. This is a token of my appreciation to you for saving my wife. If you ever run into any difficulties, juste to me, and I promise I¡¯ll help you out of it!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Dustin gave the check a flick and put it away in his pocket. ¡°What happened?¡± Mrs. Xenos looked around, still trying to figure out what exactly happened to her. ¡°Mom! You nearly lost your life due to intracranial hemorrhage! Dustin was the one that saved you! ¡°Ruby was quick to exin the situation to her mother. ¡°Intracranial hemorrhage?¡± Mrs. Xenos was obviously shocked to hear that. Was it possible that he had been telling the truth all along? Had she wronged him? At the thought of that, she said remorsefully, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, young man. I hope you do not take my offensive words to heart.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Dustin said with a shake of his head. Hardly anyone would believe it if someone just came up to them and told them that they were going to suffer from intracranial hemorrhage. ¡°Thank you, Dustin. Had it not been for you, things would have turned out horribly.¡± Ruby had nothing but appreciation for Dustin. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯ve been paid for my work,¡± Dustin said with a faint smile. ¡°Your medical skills are out of this world, young man. Would you be interested in joining us? We desperately need talented people like you!¡± Chapter 548 Dr. Alden did not hesitate to invite Dustin to join them. His medical skills were truly miraculous, to say the least. It was amazing how he could bring someone from the brink of death back to consciousness with just several needles. Had it not been for his ego, Dr. Alden would have asked Dustin to be his mentor. ¡°I have no such ns yet. We¡¯ll see when the opportunity arises.¡± Dustin rejected him nicely. Then, without anyone asking, he quickly scribbled down a prescription and handed it to Ruby.¡± Remember to make sure that your mother takes her medications on time. She¡¯ll have to take them for about a month, and she¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dustin!¡± Ruby beamed brightly at him ¡°I have other ns, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Dustin did not stay there much longer and left the hospital soon after. As he left the hospital, Dustin was suddenly reminded that he had yet to change Natasha¡¯s wound dressing today, so he hailed a cab and headed straight for the Harmon estate. In the Harmons¡® discussion room, Hector was leading a group of the Harmon family¡¯s key members in a meeting. They had divided opinions over the marriage arrangement. ¡°Are you really going to break off the marriage alliance, Hector? Have you ever considered what this would mean to the family?¡± Trent asked with pinched brows. ¡°I¡¯ve given things serious consideration, Trent. There shall be no marriage alliance!¡± Hector meant what he said. The main agenda of the meeting today was to discuss the breaking off of the marriage alliance. The Grants had gone too far. He could not sit back and act like nothing had happened. ¡°The Grants are already livid over Ja¡¯s death. If we tell them that we¡¯re breaking off the marriage alliance, they¡¯ll use that as an excuse to give us trouble, and when that happens, there¡¯s bound to be massive strife between the two families!¡± Trent warned. ¡°The strife has already begun. From the moment the Grants framed me and messed with my daughter, there was already no alliance. What we need to do now is strengthen our defenses and be prepared,¡± Hector said coldly. ¡°Must things reallye to this? We¡¯ll be in a terrible predicament if we really burn bridges with the Grants.¡± Trent¡¯s expression was tense. ¡°I wish that the family can develop in peace too, Trent. But with the difficulties we are facing, both internally and externally, people out there will only see it as an opportunity to take advantage of us if we do not act firmly. We cannotpromise anymore!¡± Hector said with a resolute tone. If the Harmons backed off once, they¡¯d have to do it again in the future, and the Grants would only behave even more ruthlessly at that time. Hector thought that it¡¯d be better for the Harmons to face the Grants head¨Con while they still had the means to do so. And even if they lost, they¡¯d lose with their heads held high. ¡°Why are you silent, Jacob? Talk some sense into Hector!¡± Trent signaled at Jacob frantically to persuade Hector. ¡°What¡¯s the point? Hector is the head of the family. He has the final say in every matter.¡± Jacob seemed to have given up on contributing any thoughts. ¡°Jacob, this is a family meeting. Everyone is free to voice their thoughts. I will consider your suggestions if youe up with any good ideas.¡± Hector encouraged. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll tell you what I think.¡± Jacob cleared his throat before he continued. ¡°Hector, I know that Natasha is reluctant to marry Tyler, but the consequences of breaking off the marriage alliance are severe. I think that we should just change our strategy slightly.¡± ¡°Oh? Change our strategy? How so?¡± Hector asked with a lift of his brows. ¡°It¡¯s simple. There are many eligible youngdies in the Harmon family who are of marriageable age. Since your daughter is unwilling to marry Tyler, then we¡¯ll send someone else to marry him. As long as we have a marriage alliance, it doesn¡¯t matter who marries him,¡± Jacob said inly. ¡°Send someone else?¡± The rest of the family began whispering among themselves when they heard Jacob¡¯s suggestion. It seemed like a decent enough proposal. Natasha might not agree to marry Tyler, but there were other people who would readily agree to the marriage. Tyler was an excellent candidate that many women would die to be married to. ¡°But Jacob, there has been so much conflict between the two families. No matter who we send to marry Tyler, we¡¯d be sending her into an extremely risky situation.¡± Hector was torn as to whether or not he should take Jacob¡¯s suggestion. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Someone has got to take one for the family. Since your daughter is unwilling to be the one to do so, we¡¯ll just have to get someone else,¡± Jacob said. ¡°You¡¯re right, but who else would be good enough for Tyler?¡± Trent pondered for a suitable candidate. They could not just send any other girl to marry Tyler. He was General Lionheart, a truly brilliant man. Natasha was the only one in the entire Harmon family who was barely good enough for him. ¡°Me!¡± Just then, Kate stood up and dered confidently. ¡°Be it looks or ability, I¡¯m not far off from Natasha. I¡¯m the most suitable candidate to marry Tyler!¡± Chapter 549 ¡°You?¡± Trent was caught off guard when he saw Kate step forward. He had never thought that his daughter woulde forward in the family¡¯s time of need. ¡°That sounds good. I think Kate is indeed a suitable candidate. We should consider letting her take Natasha¡¯s ce for the marriage alliance,¡± Jacob vouched for Kate. The rest of the family nodded in agreement when they saw Jacob backing Kate up. They were convinced that Kate was just about as good as Natasha, both in looks and abilities. It really wasn¡¯t a bad idea to let her marry Tyler. ¡°Kate, this is noughing matter. You should consider it carefully,¡± Hector warned sternly. ¡°Uncle Hector, I¡¯ve given it much thought. Since Natasha is reluctant to marry Tyler, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Kate announced boldly. ¡°Are you really willing to sacrifice yourself for the family?¡± Hector asked once again. ¡°Well, someone has got to do it, so it might as well be me. This is my responsibility as a Harmon!¡± Natasha dered righteously. Although she put on a dignified and honorable front, she was actually ted inwardly. Sacrifice? What a joke! Tyler was powerful, influential, and had a high social standing. He had a promising future! And on top of that, he had the looks to match. It would be a dreame true for Kate if she were to marry such an excellent man! Since the beginning, Kate had always been indignant that Natasha would be the one to marry Tyler. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that Natasha would willingly choose to break it off. But now that the opportunity of a lifetime had presented itself to her, Kate wasn¡¯t about to let it go. This was her one chance to step into the elite circle. If she were to marry Tyler and be the next matriarch of the Grant family, she¡¯d possess such vast powers! ¡°You¡¯re Kate¡¯s father, Trent. What do you have to say about this?¡± Hector turned to Trent for his opinion before deciding on the matter. From how he saw it, the Grant household was a dangerous ce to be in. He really could not bring himself to subject his niece to such suffering. ¡°Well ¡­¡± Trent frowned, obviously caught in a dilemma. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a great thing to be married to Tyler. But with how things were currently, where both families had had such a major fallout, he couldn¡¯t say for sure whether it was a good thing. ¡°Dad! I¡¯ve put my mind to it. Nothing anyone says can change my mind. Besides, you¡¯re their older brother. You should lead by example!¡± Kate gave her father a wink, signaling him to just go with. it. She was worried that her father might not get what she meant and decided to turn down the opportunity. After all, chances like these did note by often. She did not wish to pass it up. ¡°Well, since Kate is adamant, I have nothing to say.¡± Trent shook his head. He was sure that with his daughter¡¯s wits, she was bound to have something up her sleeves. He did not want to stand in This is from N?velDrama.Org. her way. ¡°What do the rest of you think?¡± Hector turned to face the rest of the family to get their say on the matter. ¡°Kate is doing this for the family! We should support her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s no better alternative anyway!¡± The crowd was quick to voice their approval. It didn¡¯t matter to them who married Tyler. All they were concerned about was the sess of the marriage alliance to protect the interest of the family. ¡°I have everyone¡¯s support, Uncle Hector. Surely you can¡¯t say no?¡± Kate asked cautiously. ¡°Sure, I can agree to it. But the question now is, will Tyler agree to it?¡± Hector suddenly came in from a different perspective. It served no purpose for them to be so worked up over the prospect of Kate recing Natasha because the final decision rested with Tyler. ¡°Uncle Hector, I¡¯m notcking in the looks department, and I¡¯m much more talented than Natasha. I¡¯m certain Tyler will not reject me.¡± Kate had all the confidence in the world. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask him to find out?¡± Chapter 550 Jacob stood up and enunciated each word slowly. ¡°I will go to the Grants with Kate to talk about the marriage arrangement in detail.¡± ¡°Thank you for backing me up, Uncle Jacob!¡± Kate was overjoyed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the task to you then, Jacob.¡± Hector nodded at him. ¡°Wait for our good news, everyone!¡± Jacob looked around the room and nodded at his brothers before leaving with Kate in tow. Hector seemed deep in thought as he watched them leave. Over in Natasha¡¯s room, sheid on her bed with her eyes closed as Dustin sat beside her, meticulously applying an ointment to her wound. The wound on Natasha¡¯s face wasn¡¯t severe, and after applying some of Dustin¡¯s special ointment, it was clearly much better than it had been before. ¡°Sis! I have good news!¡± Ruth barged into the room excitedly. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the good news?¡± Natasha asked with her eyes still closed, enjoying the attentive treatment Dustin was giving her. ¡°Uncle Jacob suggested that someone else take your ce for the marriage alliance during the meeting earlier on, and Kate stood up and volunteered herself! She said that she would take your ce and marry Tyler. Everyone agreed!¡± Ruth announced with joy. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Kate offered to marry Tyler?¡± Natasha sat up in surprise when she heard what Ruth said. ¡°Are you sure that you heard right, Ruth?¡± ¡°Of course! I heard it loud and clear!¡± Ruth nodded with certainty. ¡°Uncle Jacob and Kate have already left for the Grants to discuss the matter. As long as Tyler agrees to it, we¡¯ll have nothing left to worry about!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Kate has always been after wealth and status, anyway. She¡¯d be the best candidate to marry Tyler!¡± Natasha was d. ¡°That¡¯s right! You won¡¯t need to suffer; Kate will get what she wants; and both families will be at peace with each other. We¡¯ll be getting the best of both worlds!¡± Ruth smiled brightly. ¡°Ladies, it¡¯s too early to be happy just yet. I¡¯m afraid things might not be so easy.¡± Dustin put a damper on the situation. ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t it a good thing that my sister will not have to marry Tyler?¡± Ruth asked curiously. ¡°Of course it is, but the question is, would Tyler agree to it?¡± Dustin proceeded to exin his view on the situation. ¡°I¡¯ve only met Tyler once, but I can tell straight off the bat that he¡¯s an arrogant and conceited person. And people like him rarely ept changes once they¡¯ve made up their mind.¡± The Harmon sisters frowned when they heard that. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that Tyler will not agree to the swap?¡± Natasha probed. ¡°He will most likely refuse the notion.¡± Dustin put his ointment away and handed Natasha a ss of water before stating nonchntly, ¡°Things would have worked out fine if he had been the one who came up with the idea of swapping, but he would never ept it if others were the ones to suggest it and mess with his marriage.¡± ¡°No way, he can¡¯t be so stubborn, can he?¡± Ruth could not seem to believe it. ¡°This isn¡¯t about being stubborn. It¡¯s the sense of superiority that he was born with. Simply put, he¡¯s the only person who¡¯s allowed to be in charge, and no one else is allowed to challenge that,¡± Dustin expounded. ¡°You say it like it¡¯s already set in stone. Well, what if Kate seeds?¡± Ruth challenged. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s best if she seeds, but all I¡¯m saying is that you shouldn¡¯t bear high hopes.¡± Dustin wasn¡¯t entirely sure either. ¡°Ruth, go wait in the meeting room. Inform me as soon as you get any news,¡± Natasha instructed. ¡°Alright.¡± Ruth nodded and left. Around dusk, Jacob and Kate finally returned to the Harmon estate. They didn¡¯t look too pleased. ¡°How¡¯d it go, Jacob? Did Tyler agree to it?¡± Trent immediately stood up and asked Jacob the moment he saw the two of theming in through the doors. ¡°Like hell, he agreed!¡± Jacob was riled up. ¡°Tyler Grant is as stubborn as a mule! No matter what I said or what offers I made him, he simply refused to agree! He insists on marrying Natasha, and that¡¯s the end of the discussion. He even threatened us, saying that if Natasha did not appear as his bride on the day of the wedding, he¡¯d bring his troops in and annihte all of us Harmons!¡± Amotion broke out in a split second. Chapter 551 ¡°What? He threatened to send his troops?¡± Everyone was startled by the news Jacob brought. They had all thought that things would run smoothly. As long as Tyler agreed to their proposal, the marriage alliance would still be on. Who¡¯d have thought that this was how things turned out? ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. What am Ickingpared to Natasha? Why would Tyler refuse to marry me?¡± Kate hissed through gritted teeth, livid. As a woman, she had lowered herself so much by going to the Grants to offer her hand in marriage. Not only had Tyler not appreciated the gesture and thrown her out, but he also did not even spare her a nce once the entire time! It was pure humiliation! ¡°So Tyler rejected the swap, and Natasha refuses to marry him. Now what?¡± Someone asked. ¡°I say we go head¨Con against them!¡± Kate eximed in frustration. ¡°Since Tyler isn¡¯t showing us any respect, I don¡¯t see why we should honor them either!¡± ¡°Watch your words, Kate!¡± Trent immediately stopped her from continuing. They never knew who might be listening in on them, so they had to practice caution with every word they said. ¡°You¡¯re the leader of the family, Hector. You decide!¡± Jacob took his seat huffily and downed an entire cup of tea. He had been thoroughly put to shame at the Grants earlier on and needed something to calm his nerves. ¡°Since the suggestion for the swap has been rejected, we¡¯ll have to find other means of getting out of the wedding alliance,¡± Hector said gravely. ¡°Here¡¯s my n. I¡¯ll have my 50th birthday celebration in advance, and hold it on the same day as the wedding. I¡¯ll organize a huge banquet and invite everyone we know.¡± ¡°A celebration for your 50th birthday?¡± Nobody seemed to understand what Hector had in mind. How would it help to have his birthday celebration in advance? ¡°What you¡¯re suggesting, Hector, is to pressure the Grants into backing off with the celebration?¡± Trent seemed to catch on very quickly. ¡°Precisely.¡± Hector nodded. ¡°Since Tyler insists on forcing Natasha into the marriage, I¡¯ll hold a huge celebration on the same day, and invite all the rich and famous that we know. I¡¯m sure the Grants would dare not act rashly in the presence of all the elites.¡± ¡°You make a good point there ¡­¡± Trent considered as he rubbed his chin. ¡°We have always made sure to stay in others¡® good books and made many valuable connections. It¡¯s time we showed the Grants who we have behind us. It might make them stop and rethink their choices before acting recklessly.¡± ¡°Hector, your suggestion is only a temporary solution. At the end of the day, the root of the problem still exists. What will we do if Tyler really sends his troops?¡± Jacob went straight to the point. The Grants were so powerful because they had strong military backgrounds. That was the only reason why nobody dared to mess with them, and the sole reason why the Harmons feared them ¡°I¡¯ve considered that too, so I¡¯ve contacted Sir Moran in hopes that he¡¯d be able to help us,¡± Hector said. Sir Moran was a regional deputy chief who was immensely powerful, and based on military ranks, he was considered Tyler¡¯s superior. ¡°Will Sir Moran agree to help us?¡± Jacob had his doubts. ¡°Ja had put Sir Moran¡¯s daughter in trouble before. Though she might be dead now, the hatred he has for them will not vanish just like that. We will make use of this and have him help us out,¡± Hector exined. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you really do get Sir Moran on our side, then there¡¯s still hope for us!¡± Trent looked hopeful. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to persuade Sir Moran before the birthday banquet!¡± Hector announced resolutely. Sir Moran¡¯s powers were their only hope of getting through the mess with the Grants. ¡°Why would you need to go to anyone else for help when I¡¯m here, Uncle Hector?¡± A deep voice boomed in the meeting room. Soon after, a well¨Cbuilt man in a military uniform walked in with his head held high, and trailing behind him were two adjutants. ¡°Dn?¡± The crowd was pleasantly surprised to see the man because he was none other than Dn Harmon, Jacob¡¯s son! Dn was stationed at the country¡¯s borders year¨Cround and would only be home once a year. Nobody had expected him to be back so soon! Chapter 552 ¡°Why are you back so soon, Son? Weren¡¯t you warding off enemies at the borders?¡± Jacob quickly went up to his son joyfully once he snapped out of the initial shock of seeing Dn. ¡°Everything¡¯s peaceful over at the borders now, so I took a few days off toe back for a bit.¡± Dn chuckled. ¡°Good, that¡¯s good¡­ It¡¯s great to see you back! I haven¡¯t seen you in a year! You look even more ripped now!¡± Jacob patted Dn on the back delightedly. He was pleased with his son¡¯s achievements. Out of all the members of the younger generation in the Harmons, Dn was the most aplished of all. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve got good news, Dad. I¡¯ve been promoted! I¡¯m now a high¨Crankingmander in the Dark Panther Cavalry. I¡¯ve got over a thousand men working under me!¡± Dn announced proudly. ¡°What? A high¨Crankingmander?¡± An excited chatter broke out among the crowd, who were all delightfully surprised to hear that. There were also some who were envious of his progress. As a high¨Crankingmander, he was just one step away from bing a deputy general, and Dn wasn¡¯t even 30 years old yet! To achieve what he had now, especially at such a young age, Dn had a bright future ahead! ¡°Hahaha! Great! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Jacobughed heartily. ¡°My son is amazing! He¡¯s been promoted again in just a year! I¡¯m proud of you, Son!¡± ¡°Like father, like son!¡± Trent eximed enviously. ¡°You¡¯ll be as great as Tyler Grant, if not better than him in the future, Dn!¡± ¡°The Harmon family has produced yet another amazing talent!¡± Hector was pleased too. Dn wasn¡¯t far off from bing a general if he was already a high¨Crankingmander before the age of 30. ¡°Congrattions, Dn! You¡¯ve attained the greatest heights out of all of us! Don¡¯t forget about me when you make it big one day!¡± Kate sucked up to Dn. ¡°What are you saying, Kate? We¡¯re family! If you ever need anything, just let me know!¡± Dn reassured with a pat on his chest. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re the best!¡± Kate giggled. ¡°Right, Dad, you were talking about the Grants. What about them?¡± Dn changed the topic. ¡°Well, this is how things are right now¡­¡± Jacob briefed Dn about everything that went on in the family. After Dn heard what had happened, heughed. ¡°Dad, Uncle Hector, don¡¯t you worry! With me here, Tyler won¡¯t dare to step out of line.¡± ¡°You may be a high¨Crankingmander, Dn, but Tyler is a general. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Jacob left his sentence hanging. It was true that his son was capable and brilliant, but he was still lower in power compared to Tyler. ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m from the Dark Panther Cavalry! Even deputy generals have to treat me with respect!¡± Dn boasted conceitedly. The Dark Panther Cavalry differed from ordinary units. They were the best of the best, and all the high¨C rankingmanders from the Dark Panther Cavalry were elites. If they were to be transferred to other units, they could easily be promoted to deputy generals. That was the prestige of the Dark Panther Cavalry. ¡°Dn, Tyler is not just a deputy general. He¡¯s been given the title of General Lionheart, and he¡¯s an official of the third rank!¡± Jacob reminded him. ¡°So what if he¡¯s a third¨Cranking official?¡± Dn scoffed condescendingly. ¡°My general is the Scarlet Warrior, who is well¨Cknown across the whole of Dragonmarsh! And she¡¯s a first¨Cranking official!¡± ¡°What? The Scarlet Warrior?¡± Everyone was astonished. The Scarlet Warrior was one of the two aces of the Spanner family. She was on par with Adam Spanner, the God of War, and was also the only female general in Dragonmarsh, earning her the title of Goddess of War. Her achievements were extraordinary, and she was skilled in both civil and military strategies, which was why she had such high military standing. Almost everyone in Dragonmarsh knew her. ¡°My son! I never knew that your general was the Scarlet Warrior! That¡¯s awesome!¡± Jacob was both surprised and ted. It was an honor not only for Dn himself but even for the whole Harmon family to have him fight alongside the Scarlet Warrior. ¡°Well, Dad, do you still reckon that Tyler would act recklessly now?¡± Dn asked with his chin lifted high. Though he did not exactly hold a high military position himself, he had the Scarlet Warrior backing him up. With such strong connections, who would dare mess with him? ¡°Hahaha! Even Tyler has to give way to the Scarlet Warrior! He¡¯s no match for her!¡± Jacobughed triumphantly. ¡°That¡¯s great! There¡¯s hope for us!¡± The rest of the family cheered. What a turn of events! With Dn¡¯s return, the Harmons finally had hopes of turning the tables. The Grants were in for a shock on the day of the birthday banquet! Chapter 553 Over the next few days, the Harmons began sending out invitations and busied themselves with preparations for Hector¡¯s 50th birthday celebration. As one of the Fabulous Five, the Harmons were a large family with lots of connections, and the leader of the family, Hector, was widely revered. Hence, when news got out that Hector was celebrating his birthday, it sent almost half the city into an excited frenzy. Countless celebrities, wealthy elites, and influential figures were eager to attend the event. Bright and early in the Harmon estate five dayster, the entire household bustled with activity. It was truly a grand affair, as not only was it Hector¡¯s birthday celebration, but it was also the day that Tyler wasing for Natasha. The Harmons needed all the support they could get to pressure Tyler into backing off. Back in her room, Natasha studied her face in the mirror, admiring how fair and supple her skin was now. She was pleasantly surprised by how well the wound healed. She had steered clear of mirrors for quite a while after her face was wounded, as she dreaded seeing the state her face was in. But now, there was absolutely no trace of the ghastly wound, and it did not even leave behind a scar. In fact, her skin seemed to glow under Dustin¡¯s careful nursing. It was apparent that Dustin¡¯s ointment was not only capable of healing wounds, but it also had beautifying effects. ¡°Who¡¯d have thought that your ointment was so effective, Dear? There¡¯s not even the slightest hint of a scar!¡± Natasha caressed her face in awe. ¡°I told you that there wouldn¡¯t be a scar, didn¡¯t I? Do you trust me now?¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°This is brilliant! Immortunol can restore a person¡¯s beauty, and this ointment can heal wounds without leaving a scar. If we put both of them together, they¡¯d be a hit!¡± A superb idea hit Natasha then and there, and her eyes lit up. ¡°Can you produce this ointment inrge volumes, Dear? With advertising done right, I¡¯m certain this will be our next bestseller!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got such a sharp mind! But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to let you down this time.¡± Dustin shook his head with an amused smile. ¡°The ingredients used for this ointment are too precious. Some of them are worth their weight in gold, so it¡¯d be tough to manufacture them in bulk. I only make them for my own use.¡± ¡°What a shame.¡± Natasha was disappointed at the missed opportunity to haul in yet another fortune. As a self¨Cmade businesswoman, it was almost instinctive for her to identify and seize every opportunity to generate ie and profit. ¡°Of course, if you think that it¡¯s got potential, I can change up the form a bit,¡± Dustin suggested. ¡°I can swap out the rare herbs for other moremon ingredients, and it¡¯ll bring down the cost by several folds. However, the effects will be affected ¡°How so? Will it still be able to heal wounds without leaving scars and rejuvenate the skin?¡± Natasha probed. ¡°Of course, it will, but it¡¯ll take a longer time for wounds to heal,¡± Dustin answered. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as it could work.¡± Natasha¡¯s eyes lit up again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pass you the form in a few days then.¡± Dustin smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve got a deal! As usual, we¡¯ll split the profit in half!¡± Natasha beamed at him. She was d to have found yet another source of ie, and she was confident that as long as they advertised it well, this ointment would generate no less ie for them than the Immortunol had. ¡°Sis¡­¡± Just then, Ruth came in through the door. ¡°Dad wants to meet you in the meeting room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natasha nodded and was about to bring Dustin along with her. ¡°Sis, Dad said that he wants to meet you alone,¡± Ruth said. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alone?¡± Natasha raised a brow. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something private,¡± Dustin said as he shot her a smile. ¡°Run along; I¡¯ll wait for you in the banquet hall.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Natasha then quickly left with Ruth. Dustin stretchedzily before he left for the banquet hall. Chapter 554 It was the day of Hector¡¯s 50th birthday celebration, and many elites and prominent figures showed up for the event. Though the banquet had yet tomence, there was already quite a crowd in the banquet hall, and more guests arrived as time went on. ¡°Dustin? What are you doing here?¡± Dustin heard a woman ask from behind him. He turned around to see several familiar faces that he had met once, quite some time ago. They were Adriana, Zoey, Gordon, Zeke, and several others. These were Natasha¡¯s ssmates from her school days. The first time he met them, Adriana had some troubles due to her contract and was harassed by a manager working for the Langfords. He had helped her out of the situation and beaten up the manager. After Luis Langford returned to Stonia, Dustin had never met these people again, so it was quite a surprise to meet them again. ¡°Hey! I asked you a question! Why are you not answering me? How rude!¡± Zoey was displeased by his reaction, or rather, theck of it. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m here to celebrate Mr. Harmon¡¯s birthday. Why else would I be here?¡± Dustin stated calmly. Apart from Adriana, this bunch of people had not left a good impression on him. ¡°Hah! I see you¡¯re still hounding Natasha! Don¡¯t you know where you stand?¡± Zeke ridiculed. ¡°I¡¯ve got a piece of advice for you, Dustin. Natasha is the heiress of a wealthy family. She¡¯s way out of your league, so you better take a good look in the mirror before youe badgering her,¡± Gordon said meanly. They saw Dustin as nothing more than a typical boy toy who had no means of providing for himself and only knew how to sweet¨Ctalk women, so they deemed him unfit for their sophisticated circle. ¡°You should stop looking down on others. How do you know that she¡¯s out of my league?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re just a country doctor with no social standing, a prominent background, or any skills. How could you ever be good enough for Natasha?¡± Gordon questioned condescendingly. ¡°How ignorant.¡± With a shake of his head, Dustin turned to leave. He could not be bothered to exchange words with such close¨Cminded people. To begin with, it wasn¡¯t like they were chummy, so he saw no need to engage in a conversation with them. ¡°You stand right there!¡± Zoey blocked his way and frowned as she reproached him. ¡°What¡¯s up with your attitude, Dustin? Had Gordon not spoken to Mr. Langford on your behalf back when you beat up their manager, they¡¯d most likely have maimed you so badly that you¡¯d be crippled now! Gordon saved you! But not only are you unappreciative of his kindness, you even give him such an attitude? Do you have any manners?¡± ¡°Exactly! You¡¯ve got Gordon to thank for helping you out! Do you think you¡¯d still be alive had it not been for him?¡± Zeke echoed. When Gordon heard what they had to say about him, he straightened up and puffed up his chest proudly. ¡°He saved me?¡± Dustin found them ridiculous. ¡°You lot must be deluded. I did teach the man a lesson; there¡¯s no mistaking that. But I definitely did not need any saving from Gordon. Besides, he isn¡¯t capable of doing so either.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gordon¡¯s expression darkened when he heard Dustin¡¯s words. ¡°Who do you think you are? And who are you to say whether or not I¡¯m capable of doing anything?¡± ¡°Well, am I wrong? If you were capable of saving me, then why didn¡¯t you do anything when you were beaten up?¡± Dustin refuted. ¡°You-¡± Gordon was silenced. It was still embarrassing for him to recall how the Langford manager had busted his head with a bottle. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense, Rhys!¡± Zeke red at him and raised his voice. ¡°They had the numbers, and we were at a disadvantage; that was the only reason why we endured it. We made them pay for it after!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Only a brute would act hastily. Gordon¡¯s a gentleman, it¡¯s only a given that he wouldn¡¯t lower his standards to that of a brute¡¯s!¡± Zoey parroted. ¡°Better to be a brute than a chicken.¡± Dustin didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°You took everything they did to you without so much as a protest; how dare you brag and talk smack to me now?¡± They all flushed in embarrassment at Dustin¡¯s words. Chapter 555 ¡°Y¨Cyou, you ¡­ What did you just say?! Where are your manners, you uncultured swine? How vulgar!¡± Zoey was upset by Dustin¡¯s words. Although Dustin calmly spoke, his words hit right where they hurt. ¡°You¡¯re right! A country bumpkin will always be a country bumpkin! He¡¯s got no manners at all!¡± Zeke was livid. With his privileged background and high educational status, he had never been insulted in such a manner, much less by someone who he considered much lower in status than him. ¡°The way I behave depends on the person I¡¯m talking to. Do you expect me to treat you with respect when you¡¯re tantly belittling me?¡± Dustin asked coldly. ¡°You!¡± Zoey clenched her jaws and found that she was at a loss for words. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re all Natasha¡¯s friends. Let¡¯s not make things ugly over a small matter.¡± Adriana quickly tried to smooth things over and ease the tension when she saw that things were starting to escte. It was Mr. Harmon¡¯s 50th birthday celebration today. There was no doubt they¡¯d be creating trouble for the Harmons if they were to have a row there. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just ignore the loser. We don¡¯t want to stoop down to his level.¡± Gordon swiftly collected himself and shot Dustin a scornful look. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s wasted effort debating with uncultured people.¡± Zoey shot Dustin a side¨Ceye. ¡°Hah! He¡¯s just a boy toy with a glib tongue. What else is he capable of?¡± Zeke insulted. ¡°Chicken.¡± Dustin spat before finding a seat by the side and proceeded promptly to ignore them. ¡°You!¡± They were so irked that they almost lost their cool again. They had started out intending to disgrace Dustin in order to make him stay away from Natasha and to unt their superiority, but in the end, they failed miserably. Not only did they not gain an upper hand over Dustin, he even put them to shame. It was frustrating indeed! Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Just as they were still indignant over the unpleasant exchange, amotion broke out by the entrance. They looked up to see a hunky man d in military uniform, with two adjutants following behind him. Following close beside him was a charming woman with a shapely figure. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s the army man? He looks so cool!¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, he should be Mr. Jacob¡¯s son, Dn Harmon!¡± Gordon answered. ¡°Dn Harmon? What a nice name!¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes remained glued to Dn. ¡°As far as I know, Dn¡¯s a high¨Crankingmander in an elite unit. He¡¯s just one step away from bing a general. He has a mighty bright future ahead!¡± Gordon eximed enviously. Dn¡¯s return had been quite the talk of the town recently. Countless scions of prominent families tried their best to curry favor with him due to his high military position and also because he was from the Dark Panther Cavalry. ¡°He is hot,es from a wealthy family, and to top it all off, he is crazy talented. Where do you find a man like this? I think I¡¯m in love!¡± Zoey swooned over Dn with heartsing out of her eyes. He was powerful, rich, and, most importantly, handsome. Was he not the embodiment of the man of her dreams? ¡°Zoey, I don¡¯t mean to discourage you, but people like Dn are bound to have crazy high standards. They won¡¯t fall for the regr girl,¡± Gordon reminded her. ¡°Nothing is for sure. I have the advantage of having Natasha on my side. Who knows? Things might just work out?¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t the least bit discouraged by Gordon¡¯s reminder. She wasn¡¯t about to let such an exceptional man slip past her fingers now that he had appeared in front of her. ¡°Hey Gordon, who¡¯s thedy beside Dn Harmon? She¡¯s beautiful and very elegant, I must say!¡± As opposed to Zoey, Zeke had his eyes on thedy. ¡°She¡¯s Dn¡¯s cousin and Mr. Trent¡¯s daughter, Kate Harmon,¡± Gordon introduced. ¡°Kate Harmon? That¡¯s a sweet name!¡± Zeke rubbed his chin and asked cheekily, ¡°Say, do you think I stand a chance, Gordon?¡± Chapter 556 ¡°You have just about as much chance of winning her over as I have with Natasha,¡± Gordon told him bluntly. Kate was as beautiful as Natasha, so it would not be easy to court her. Zekeughed. He said excitedly, ¡°Then we¡¯ll both have to work harder!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The Harmon family has such perfect genes! Every one of them looks gorgeous. If I marry Dn, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have such beautiful babies!¡± Zoey eximed giddily. Her words left the rest of them speechless. She had not even so much as spoken a word with him, and she was already thinking about having his babies? ¡°Hey! It looks like they¡¯reing our way! Could he have noticed my beauty so soon? Oh no! Is my makeup in perfect condition?¡± Zoey was overjoyed to see Dn walking in their direction and immediately whipped out herpact mirror to touch up her makeup. Gordon and Zeke swiftly sucked in their stomach and puffed up their chests, trying to look like distinguished gentlemen. ¡°Dn, that guy in white is Dustin Rhys, Natasha¡¯s good¨Cfor¨Cnothing boyfriend. Had it not been for him, our family would not be in such trouble. Besides, my brother Quentin¡¯s death was also because of him!¡± Kate caught sight of Dustin sipping on his tea the moment she came in through the door. A cold glint of hatred shed in her eyes. ¡°Why is Natasha still hanging around such a pain in the neck? Has she been blinded by him?¡± Dn was annoyed by his presence. ¡°It¡¯s too bad I¡¯m a woman, or I¡¯ll make sure to teach him a good lesson!¡± Kate egged on. ¡°Leave the dirty job to me, Kate. I¡¯ll make sure he learns a lesson he¡¯ll never forget!¡± A wicked smile spread across Dn¡¯s face as he took a ss of wine from a nearby waiter and discreetly added some unknown powder to it. ¡°What did you put in the wine, Dn?¡± Kate was quick to notice Dn¡¯s actions as she stood right beside him. ¡°Nothing much, just a potentxative.¡± Dn smirked. ¡°As soon as he drinks this, he will lose control over his bowels and shit himself within minutes. I like to see if he¡¯ll still have the balls to stick around the Harmon family after that.¡± ¡°You have such a brilliant idea!¡± Kate¡¯s eyes sparkled. Dustin wouldn¡¯t be able to face anyone after wetting and soiling himself in front of an audience. What Dn was about to pull would absolutely crush Dustin! ¡°Just wait and see, Kate. I¡¯ll get you your revenge.¡± Dn winked at her before approaching Dustin with his men. ¡°He¡¯sing, he¡¯sing! He¡¯s reallying our way!¡± Zoey was so excited she was on the verge of losing herposure when she saw Dn approaching. Without waiting any longer, she stood up to greet him. ¡°Mr. Harmon ¡­¡± The rest of her sentence was left stuck in her throat as Dn walked past her without sparing her a nce and stopped in front of Dustin. ¡°What?¡± They were all left frozen in ce awkwardly, as they had all assumed that Dn was heading toward them, when in fact, he had been heading toward Dustin. ¡°You¡¯re Dustin Rhys?¡± Dn looked down his nose at Dustin arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re quite close with my cousin, Natasha, and that you¡¯ve helped her out of some tough situations. As a token of my appreciation, I¡¯d like to share a drink with you.¡± With that, Dn handed him the ss of wine he was holding. That left Zoey and the rest of them gaping in awe. It was beyond their expectation that someone like Dn, who held a high military position and had a promising future, would offer Dustin a drink. Who was Dustin to deserve such a show of respect? As Zoey, Gordon, and the rest looked on with envy, Dustin nced at the ss of wine and spat icily, ¡°I¡¯m not drinking that. Get lost.¡± A deathly silence fell over the crowd. Chapter 557 ¡°I¡¯m not drinking that. Get lost.¡± Dustin¡¯s words were short and sweet, but he brought a deathly hush over the hall. All eyes were on Dn the moment he entered. There were numerous people present who would do anything to gain his favor, so when they witnessed Dn offering Dustin a drink, the onlookers, including Zoey, Gordon, and Zeke, were astonished. Jealous, even. It was definitely something worth bragging about to have someone like Dn offer you a drink. However, they had never expected Dustin to actually turn him down and even arrogantly dismiss him. What was the meaning of that? Was Dustin really so full of himself? This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Not only were the onlookers surprised, but even Dn couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He was a Harmon, a high¨Crankingmander in the Dark Panther Cavalry, and a future general! No matter where he went, people would fawn over him and go out of their way to please him. Just a smile from him could make someone¡¯s day, so shouldn¡¯t regr people feel honored that he¡¯d offer them a drink? How dare this rascal turn down the wine he had offered? ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I said, get lost,¡± Dustin repeated himself in the same cold manner. ¡°How dare you?¡± ¡°You insolent bastard!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± The crowd was in an uproar. All those who were trying to get into Dn¡¯s good books stood up for him, hurling profanities at Dustin. People who weren¡¯t in the know might have thought they held some deep¨C seated grudge against Dustin. ¡°Is that scoundrel out of his damn mind? How dare he speak so rudely to amander?¡± Zoey was bewildered. She had never imagined that Dustin would be so daring as to behave with such insolence toward Dn. He obviously held no regard for Dn¡¯s status and position. ¡°Hah! He¡¯s going to get what he deserves for being so arrogant! I¡¯d like to see how Dn is going to deal with him!¡± Zeke gloated gleefully at Dustin¡¯s impending misfortune. ¡°What an idiot!¡± Gordon shook his head with a smile on his face. Adriana remained quiet, worry creeping into her eyes. Dustin had left quite a good impression on her, and she could tell he was a responsible and courageous man. However, she had to admit that he had acted too rashly. ¡°You bastard! How dare you disrespect my superior? I¡¯ll shoot you in the head!¡± An adjutant roared furiously, it had taken him a brief moment to react. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you will,¡± Dustin calmly replied. ¡°You!¡± The adjutant choked on his words. Had they been at the borders, he¡¯d already have shot Dustin many times over, but with so many civilian onlookers, he dared not act impulsively. ¡°Do you know who I am, punk? How dare you speak to me like that?¡± Dn asked icily, a menacing glint in his eyes. He was not going to let this scoundrel, who had just humiliated him in public, off so easily. ¡°So what if I do? My answer remains the same. I¡¯m not drinking that, so buzz off.¡± Dustin wasn¡¯t intimidated by him. Dn was so infuriated that he burst outughing. ¡°I see you want to do this the hard way, you bastard! There has never been anyone who¡¯s disgraced me in such a manner before. Let me make it clear, if you don¡¯t finish this ss of wine, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re walking out that door!¡± Dn¡¯s words were clearly a threat. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s an honor to have Mr. Harmon offer you a drink! If you know what¡¯s good for you, just take it, man!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Drink up, or you¡¯ll be sorry!¡± Many of the onlookers chimed in, taking Dn¡¯s side. ¡°Dustin, my cousin has quite a nasty temper. You better drink up, or he¡¯ll be sure to kick up a fuss, ¡°Kate egged him on with a mocking expression. She was dying for things to get out of hand so that Natasha and Dn would be at opposite ends, and she¡¯d be able to reap the greatest benefit out of the fiasco, which was having Dn on her side. Chapter 558 ¡°Whoever wants the drink can have it, but it¡¯s not going to be me.¡± Dustin remained unfazed by the comments and derogatory remarks hurled his way. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not up to you!¡± Dn¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Boys, make him drink it!¡± ¡®Yes, sir!¡± The two adjutants immediately went up to Dustin, ready to force the drink down his throat ¡°Buzz off.¡± With two backhanded ps, Dustin sent the two adjutants sprawling on the ground, blood streaming from their noses and their teeth broken. They scrambled to get back up but failed miserably. ¡°Holy shit! The guy¡¯s getting violent!¡± The onlookers were startled and enraged by what they saw. Assaulting military personnel was a major offense, and when the situation called for it, they were authorized to use their guns. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve got a death wish, you bastard!¡± Dn finally had it when he saw the two adjutants being pped. He swiftly threw a punch at Dustin¡¯s face. As a high¨Crankingmander of the Dark Panther Cavalry, it went without saying that he was skilled in martial arts. Currently, he was an entry level divine martial artist, considered one of the best among his peers. Dustin did not duck or sidestep Dn¡¯s punch. Instead, he grabbed Dn¡¯s iing fist with his bare hand. A dull thud resonated as Dn¡¯s fist made contact with Dustin¡¯s palm. Dn was utterly shocked, struggling toprehend how Dustin could achieve such a feat. Though he had yet to exert his full force, he was a divine¨Clevel martial artist! Just a light punch from him was enough to send a regr person flying. He was certain that Dustin was also a skilled martial artist. ¡°I see you¡¯re well¨Cversed in martial arts too. No wonder you¡¯re so arrogant. I suppose I¡¯ll have to show you what I¡¯m capable of today.¡± Dn dered, removing his coat. He was ready to go all out. Though Dustin had managed to catch his punch, Dn still had the confidence that he¡¯d be able to pulverize him. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting up with you for Natasha¡¯s sake. I do not wish to hurt you, but if you insist on taking advantage of my kindness, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll not be so polite anymore,¡± Dustin said coldly. ¡°Hurt me? Hahaha! What a joke!¡± Dn looked at Dustin contemptuously. ¡°Do you think that you can act so arrogantly just because you think you know some martial arts? Just so you know, I could easily kill you with just a flick of my finger!¡± ¡°Is that so? By all means, go ahead.¡± Dustin remained unfazed. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today that there are always people out there who are better than you!¡± Just as Dn channeled his true energy and was about to attack, a loud voice boomed throughout the hall. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Hector marched in with several others behind him. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? It¡¯s my birthday celebration today, and you¡¯re at each other¡¯s throats?¡± Hector¡¯s burning gaze swept across the hall. Anyone who met his eyes immediately lowered their heads, paying respect to the leader of the Harmon family. ¡°Uncle Hector, this guy started it!¡® Dn pointed an using finger at Dustin. ¡°I offered him a drink as a gesture of appreciation, but not only did he refuse it, he even went so far as to insult me! I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I thought I¡¯d teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Hector¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I can vouch for Dn, Uncle Hector. Dustin was so proud and rude, and he hadpletely no respect for the Harmon family,¡± Kate piped up. ¡°That¡¯s right, we can attest to that too! The rascal had no regard for propriety, and he really crossed the line!¡± The onlookers stood up for Dn. From what they saw, Dustin was clearly the one who picked the fight. ¡°Hang on, there must be some confusion. I don¡¯t believe Dustin would do something like that!¡± Natasha defended Dustin. ¡°Natasha, with so many eyewitnesses here, are you really going to stand up for him?¡± Kate scoffed. ¡°Do you have anything to say about this, Dustin?¡± Hector turned his attention to him. ¡°It¡¯s true that I refused the drink Dn offered me.¡± Hector frowned when he heard that. Even Natasha was caught off guard. ¡°See, Uncle Hector? You heard it from him. He admitted it himself!¡± Dn smirked, shooting Dustin a taunting look. But what Dustin said next left the smirk frozen on his face. ¡°And that¡¯s because he spiked the drinK¡­ Chapter 559 ¡°He spiked the wine?¡± Everyone looked at Dn in shock. If that was the case, then it would make sense for Dustin to refuse the drink. ¡°You What nonsense!¡± Dn had a sinking feeling, but he forced himself to appearposed as he roared, ¡°Do you know who I am? Why would I spike your drink? You¡¯re dragging my reputation through the mud!¡± He had no idea how Dustin could tell that the wine had been spiked, but there was no way he was going to admit to doing it. ¡°That¡¯s right! My cousin offered you a drink, and you not only turned him down, but you even used him of such dirty tricks? You truly are cunning!¡± Kate feigned anger. ¡°Hah! I think someone¡¯s just here to cause trouble!¡± ¡°What a heinous crime to nder a military officer!¡± ¡°We should just kick him out! He¡¯s despicable!¡± In a mor of voices, the crowd used and scolded Dustin. With their preconceived notions, they clearly believed Dn more than they did Dustin. ¡°Dustin, do you have any proof for iming that Dn spiked the wine?¡± Hector asked. ¡°Exactly! Don¡¯t go around making usations without any proof!¡± Some of the Harmons were indignant. ¡°You want proof? It¡¯s simple.¡± Dustin picked up the ss of wine and ced it in front of Dn. Since you im that you didn¡¯t spike it, why don¡¯t you drink this to prove there¡¯s nothing wrong with the wine?¡± Dn¡¯s face fell. He would make a mess of himself if he drank that. ¡°Why should he? Just because you say so? Who do you think you are?¡± Kate defended Dn. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who do you think you are? And what right do you have to make me drink it?¡± Dn challenged. ¡°Oh, so you dare not drink it then?¡± Dustin sniggered. ¡°If the wine hasn¡¯t been spiked, Dn, then what¡¯s the harm in drinking it?¡± Natasha had a slight smile on her face. She could tell from his reaction that Dn had indeed spiked the wine, but Dustin saw through his tricks at once, and that was what gave rise to the conflict between them. ¡°We believe in you, Mr. Harmon! It¡¯s just a ss of wine. Drink it and show him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Prove it to him that you have done no such thing! Put him to shame!¡± ¡°Yes, Dn, drink it! We¡¯re all rooting for you!¡± The crowd began cheering Dn on, acting like they were all that righteous. The corners of Dn¡¯s lips twitched as he sweated profusely. With so many eyes on him, he¡¯d raise suspicion if he refused to drink the wine, but if he did, he¡¯d lose control over his bowels and make a fool of himself. He¡¯d be in such a terrible mess. Caught in a dilemma, he had no way out of the predicament. He had only intended to teach Dustin a lesson. Who¡¯d have guessed he¡¯d put himself in such a difficult position?This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s not cause a scene here!¡± Noticing that something wasn¡¯t right, Trent called out to the crowd to defuse the situation. ¡°Today¡¯s a special day. Let¡¯s not spoil it over some petty issues! Please be seated, everyone. The banquet will start shortly!¡± The crowd quietened down upon hearing his words. Most of them who had their wits around could already guess the truth behind the whole debacle. However, out of respect for the Harmon family, they kept quiet and feigned ignorance. ¡°Consider yourself lucky, you bastard! I¡¯m only letting you off the hook for Uncle Hector¡¯s sake, as it¡¯s his birthday celebration today!¡± Dn spat menacingly before he turned and took his seat. He thanked his lucky stars that his Uncle Trent came out at the right moment to smooth things over, sparing him from an embarrassing situation. But despite the circumstances, he still had to gain an upper hand over Dustin. The disturbance was finally brought to a halt by Trent¡¯s interference. However, Natasha was left disgruntled. ¡°Dad, Dn was obviously the one who started it. Are you just going to let it slide?¡± ¡°We have more important matters to deal with today. We cannot afford to mess up now,¡± Hector said gravely as he shook his head. Of course, he could tell what had transpired, but at this point, they were banking on Dn¡¯s position to put pressure on Tyler, so he could not tell Dn off even if he was at fault. At the moment, it was crucial for the family to stand united. Chapter 560 ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Natasha was extremely displeased. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t willing to swallow her anger when her man was being mistreated. ¡°Natasha, let¡¯s look at the big picture. Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± Hector gave her a look. Then, he led the others to sit at the tables allocated for the Harmons. The ten tables at the very front of the ballroom were designated for the core members of the Harmon family as well as the other bigwigs in the family. The regr guests were relegated to the back. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m sorry for the injustice. I¡¯ll definitely find an opportunity for a payback!¡± Natasha said through gritted teeth. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but a petty issue. Don¡¯t worry about me. Go and keep your fatherpany.¡± Dustin smiled lightly. Her saying that was already good enough for him. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to sit with me?¡± Natasha raised an eyebrow. ¡°No, guests shouldn¡¯t sit with the stars of the evening. I¡¯ll just sit here. Not to mention, sitting too close to Dn might invite trouble.¡± Dustin shook his head. The front seats drew too much attention; he didn¡¯t like being noticed by so many people. ¡°Alright.¡± Natasha didn¡¯t push him further after he expressed his opinion. After greeting a few of her ssmates, she returned to her seat. After she left, Gordon suddenly said out of the blue, ¡°Dustin, if I were you, I¡¯d apologize to Dn right now. You can¡¯t afford to get on the bad side of a golden child like him!¡± ¡°Really? I guess¡­¡± Dustin couldn¡¯t be bothered to entertain the nonsense and gave a half¨Cassed reply. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯ll find out soon enough!¡± Gordon chuckled coldly and said nothing more. In his eyes, with that arrogant attitude, Dustin was bound to face consequences sooner orter. Time slowly ticked by, and more guests arrived to join the celebration. The entire ballroom was alive with chatter. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Mr. Reynolds from the Goldmore Group? I heard he¡¯s worth billions and is also the top yer in the mining industry!¡± ¡°Oh? Even the emerald tycoon, Mr. Dane is here?¡± ¡°Look, I think that¡¯s Mr. Gills from the Royal Pavilion, also known as the all¨Cpowerful lord of the underworld!¡± ¡°As expected of the Harmons. I didn¡¯t expect so many bigshots to show up. This is really impressive!¡± Seeing these local celebrities enter the ballroom, Zoey and the others were bubbling with excitement. They never got to see such an extravagant disy in their everyday lives. Looking across the room, they were met with the presence of prominent figures in their society, whether it was the filthy rich or the magnates in their respective fields. Any one of them could cause a huge ripple in the outside world. Yet, they had all gathered there. Truly, this was an assembly of the elite and the powerful! ¡®Not bad. It seems like our family still holds some influence,¡± Trend said from the front¨Crow seats, observing the lively ballroom with a wide grin. ¡°Why, of course! When our family throws a birthday party, I can¡¯t think of anyone who wouldn¡¯t respect us enough to not attend,¡± Jacob said proudly. As one of the Fabulous Five, certain connotations and pride came with it. ¡°Trent, Jacob, don¡¯t celebrate just yet. With just these people, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to keep Tyler in check,¡± Hector said indifferently. ¡°Uncle Hector, don¡¯t worry. With me here, Tyler wouldn¡¯t dare act out of line!¡± Dn said haughtily. That¡¯s right! My son holds a high position and has the support of the Scarlet Warrior. Even Tyler will have to show him some respect!¡± Jacobughed. When it came to his son, he had unconditional trust in him. At that moment, a butler leaned close and whispered, ¡°Mr. Hector, I just received word that the Grants have begun to make their move.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are they finallying?¡± Hector sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Since we can¡¯t hide, then let¡¯s meet them head¨Con. We will stick to the n!¡± Chapter 561 Meanwhile, at the Grants¡® mansion, Tyler sat in the study, quietly poring over war strategy books. He gave each and every word on the page his undivided attention. Suddenly, there was a series of knocks on the door. ¡°What is it?¡± Tyler asked without turning his head. ¡°Mr. Grant, the big day has arrived, We should head out,¡± an elderly voice said from outside the door Tyler set the book down and got to his feet. After straightening his clothes, he opened the door and walked out. An aged servant stood outside the door, waiting for him with his head bowed. ¡°How are the Harmons reacting?¡± Tyler asked with an indifferent look. ¡°The Harmons haven¡¯t started preparing for the wedding yet. Instead, they¡¯re throwing a birthday party,¡± the man replied. ¡°Birthday party?¡± Tyler¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Is that supposed to put pressure on me? How amusing.¡± ¡°Mr. Grant, should we fetch the bride another day?¡± the man asked tentatively. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Since the engagement is today, it can¡¯t be changed. We¡¯ll follow the schedule as nned,¡± Tyler said coolly. ¡°Also, find me a coffin and bring it straight to the Harmons¡® home.¡± ¡°A coffin?¡± The man was momentarily taken aback. ¡°Mr. Grant, what do you want to do with that?¡± Weren¡¯t they going to pick up the bride? What did the coffin have to do with it? ¡°The wedding carriage is to escort the bride, while the coffin is for bodies. If the Harmon family agrees to the marriage, I¡¯ll naturally use the carriage. If they don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll make themy in the coffin,¡± Tyler said apathetically. Upon hearing that, the man couldn¡¯t help but shudder. He knew that his master was always a man of his word. If the Harmon family didn¡¯t know what was good for them, they might end uppletely destroyed! ¡°Why are you still standing there? Go do as I say.¡± Tyler gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Yes.¡± Not daring to hesitate, the man immediately left. ¡°Hmph, you want to y games with me? Well, let¡¯s see whether you can hold off my army.¡± Tyler laughed coldly. He didn¡¯t mind the Harmons ying tricks, but in the face of absolute power, any wile would be for naught. At that moment, the Harmon estate was still bustling with excitement. Looking across the room, distinguished guests filled the seats. It was a gathering of the exalted; the wealthy and powerful exchanged toasts and chatted among themselves. Meanwhile, Dustin sat quietly in a corner, looking like an outsider. In contrast, Gordon, who was sitting at the other table, wouldn¡¯t stop greeting people. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Bolls! What a pleasure to see you!¡± ¡°Oh, Ms. Pickens, you¡¯re here too. My father talks a lot about you.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Mr. Solinsky, what a surprise to run into you here. It must be fate. Let¡¯s grab a meal together sometime.¡± Gordon stood, chatting andughing with all the guests, showcasing his extensivework. ¡°Gordon, was that Mr. Bolls, the famous jewel tycoon?¡± Zeke couldn¡¯t help but ask, curious. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Bolls has a worth of several billions of dors, and he owns half the jewels in Millsburg. He¡¯s a true titan in the industry!¡± Gordon grinned. ¡°No way! Gordon, you¡¯re really impressive. How did you get to know people of such high caliber?¡± Zoey asked with a look of admiration. Billionaires weren¡¯t the kind of people you could meet just anywhere. ¡°Heh, not just Mr. Bolls, but Ms. Pickens is also no average Joe. She controls a substantial amount of mineral resources¨Cyou could say she¡¯s made of money! Also, there¡¯s Mr. Solinsky. He¡¯s the son of an extremely wealthy man, he¡¯s got a bright future ahead of him and a lot of power!¡± Gordon introduced each of them giddily, his face glowing with pride. ¡°Gordon, who would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d been hiding this all along? I have to admit, it¡¯s amazing!¡± Zeke gave him a thumbs¨Cup. ¡°Exactly! You¡¯re probably the most spectacr one out of all of us!¡± Zoey said, buttering him up. As she spoke, she even snuck a nce at Dustin and continued cynically, ¡°Hey, Dustin, did you see that? This is the difference between you and Gordon. Not only is he rich, but he¡¯s also well- connected. You¡¯ll never reach his level in your entire lifetime!¡± Chapter 562 ¡°She¡¯s right!¡± Zeke added. ¡°Rhys, here¡¯s a word of advice. You¡¯d better leave Natasha as soon as possible, or you¡¯d just be humiliating yourself!¡± Dustin wasn¡¯t bothered enough to entertain them. He simply minded his own business, sipping at his drink. Yet, his lofty attitude pissed them off even more. ¡°Hpmh, weren¡¯t you acting all cool earlier? Has the cat got your tongue? That¡¯s all you¡¯re good for,¡± Zoey said with a coldugh. To her, it was obvious that Dustin was feeling ashamed of himself. ¡°Let it go. Let him keep some of his dignity, or you¡¯ll back him into a corner,¡± Gordon teased with a smile. Dustin was just a brute who knew a move or two, he really didn¡¯t think too highly of him. At that moment, Zoey seemed to have noticed something. She pointed at the door and asked, ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that? He¡¯s really good¨Clooking and even has a certain air about him.¡± The others turned their heads to look, and their gazes fell upon a handsome man walking inside, holding a folding fan. A faint smile adorned his face, and he carried an air of grace, each movement looked effortlessly elegant. ¡°Damn! Isn¡¯t that Patrick Hill, the son of the Hill family? Who would¡¯ve thought that he¡¯d show up too?¡± Zeke couldn¡¯t help but gape at the sight of the man. ¡°Patrick Hill? Isn¡¯t that one of the renowned Ten Princes of the South Province?¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him!¡± Zeke nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the top aristocrat of Millsburg! His status is even higher than Dn¡¯s!¡± ¡°Hahaha, this is great. Who would¡¯ve thought we¡¯d have the chance to see Mr. Hill here? We¡¯ve really hit the jackpot today!¡± Zoey¡¯s face lit up with excitement. The Hill family was one of the Tremendous Three. Their power and influence could overshadow the entire Harmony family from every aspect. Naturally, the son of the Hill family would be of honorable status! ¡°Guys, to tell you the truth, I¡¯m pretty friendly with Patrick,¡± Gordon piped up out of the blue. ¡°What? You actually know Mr. Hill?!¡± Zoey and the others¡® expressions changed. ¡°Of course. We even had a meal and yed golf together,¡± Gordon replied proudly. Last year, he had indeed bumped into Patrick at a golf course. However, their interaction had been limited to exchanging greetings, and that was the extent of it. ¡°What the hell, Gordon? You¡¯re amazing! You actually hit it off with Mr. Hill?¡± Zeke said with envy. ¡°It¡¯s Gordon, after all! He¡¯s friends with everyone and can even get along with the most influential people!¡± Zoey said with a look of excitement. Hearing the two of them praise him, Gordon felt as if he was walking on air. He loved being the center of attention. ¡°Look, Mr. Hill is making his way over!¡± Zoey pointed at him joyfully. ¡°Gordon, is he here to see you?¡± ¡°Well, only Gordon here knows Mr. Hill. Who else could it be? Let¡¯s get ready to greet him,¡± Zeke said, getting excited himself. ¡°He¡¯s actually heading over here?¡± Gordon paused briefly, taken aback. Although they had met each other before, they weren¡¯t particrly close. Could his moment of glory before this have refreshed Patrick¡¯s memory and kindled the desire to befriend him? The thought filled Gordon with joy. He quickly adjusted his tie and approached Patrick with a bright smile. ¡°Mr. Hill, it¡¯s been a while,¡± he greeted, extending his hand. ¡°Huh?¡± Patrick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who are you?¡± That single sentence turned Gordon to stone on the spot, his smile freezing on his face. Zoey and the others were also stunned and confused. Didn¡¯t he say that they were friends? What was going on? Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Without waiting for a response, Patrick simply brushed past Gordon. Clearly, he had no interest in entertaining them. To everyone¡¯s surprise, astonishment, and bewilderment, he approached Dustin and extended his hand with a smile. ¡°Dustin, we meet again. I¡¯m really sorry about what happened before. I hope you can let it go.¡± Chapter 563 ¡°What?¡± Gordon and the others were dumbfounded by how politely and courteously Patrick had spoken to Dustin. Their eyes were round with disbelief. The son of the Hill family¨Cone of the Ten Princes of South Province, dubbed the top aristocrat- had actually greeted that jerk with a smile? How was that even possible?! ¡°No way. Dustin knows Mr. Hill?¡± The smile on Zoey¡¯s face turned to ice. She had initially thought that Patrick had walked over for Gordon, never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that he was there for Dustin. Not to mention, from the way they were acting, it seemed like they were close. ¡°How the hell did that punk climb his way up to be friends with Mr. Hill?!¡± Shock aside, Zeke was more jealous than anything. What right did a loser have to hit it off with the top aristocrat? ¡°How could this be?¡± Gordon was rooted to the spot, astonishment written on his face. It was one thing to be ignored by Patrick, but he couldn¡¯te to terms with how the person he had to suck up to was so polite to Dustin. Wasn¡¯t Dustin just a country doctor? How did he get acquainted with a big shot of this caliber? ¡°It seems like there¡¯s more to Natasha¡¯s boyfriend than meets the eye,¡± Adriana muttered to herself as she observed everything from a distance. Curiosity sparked in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Hill, it¡¯s in the past. Further, it had nothing to do with you,¡± Dustin answered lightly. The Hill family had already personally apologized for beating Edmund up, and Torben had also already paid the price. It would do no one any good to keep dredging things up. ¡°Dustin, you¡¯re truly magnanimous. My grandfather greatly admires stand¨Cup men like you. If you have time, I¡¯d love to host you at my home.¡± Patrick extended the invite with a smile. ¡°Sure. When I have time, I¡¯ll definitely pay Sir Hill a visit,¡± Dustin replied, nodding lightly. He deeply respected the Hill family patriarch, Paul, not just for his power but also for his sense of justice, his willingness to help the needy, and his ability to separate kindness and hatred ¡°Mr. Hill, it¡¯s an honor to have you here, especially since you came from afar!¡± At that moment, Kate approached them. With a slight smile, she continued, ¡°You¡¯re an honored guest, so it¡¯s only fitting that you upy the seat of honor. Please follow me.¡± ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll sit here.¡± Patrick politely declined with a smile before taking a seat next to Dustin. Seeing this, Kate¡¯s smile stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°Of course, Mr. Hill. Please feel free to let me know if you need anything at any time.¡± She didn¡¯t push him. After giving him a final smile, she turned around and returned to her seat. Before she walked away, however, she gave Dustin an inscrutable nce. ¡°Just who is Dustin? How can he get on so well with Mr. Hill?¡± Zoey¡¯s expression turned strange as she watched the two men chatting and smiling at the next table. ¡°Hmph, what¡¯s so impressive about that!¡± Zeke said, his voice dripping with jealousy. ¡°To me, he¡¯s just riding on Natasha¡¯s coattails. Otherwise, why would Mr. Hill hold him in such high regard?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Gordon nodded in agreement. ¡°Mr. Hill is on a different level. If it wasn¡¯t out of respect for the daughter of the Harmon family, would he give a loser like Dustin the time of day?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what it is¡­¡± Zoey suddenly had an epiphany. Disdain colored her face as she said, ¡°I actually thought he was kind of impressive, but in the end, he¡¯s just relying on his rich girlfriend to climb up. Men like him will always struggle to reach the higher circles.¡± The three of them took turns belittling Dustin. The way they saw it, it must be because Natasha was close friends with Patrick, and as the gigolo, Dustin was merely riding on her coattails. All of a sudden, their moods improved. Time slowly ticked by, and the party finally kicked off. After all the guests took their seats, Hector, the birthday celebrant, raised his ss and stood. In a booming voice, he said, ¡°Wee, dear friends, to my birthday celebration. I¡¯m extremely honored. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy the food and drink to your heart¡¯s content!¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 564 ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to propose a toast! Hector raised his ss, swept his gaze over all the quests, and downed his drink. In response, everyone stood and raised their ss to toast in return. After some small talk, it was time for the gift¨Cgiving segment. ¡°Mr. Harmon, here are some golden horses that I forged with my own hands. I wish you nothing. but sess in life!¡± ¡°Mr. Harmon, this crystal ne once belonged to an ancient king. I hope you like it.¡± ¡°Mr. Harmon, this painting is an authentic masterpiece by Pikasso. It¡¯s truly a priceless treasure. That being said, I wish you the best of health and a lifetime full of smiles ahead!¡± One by one, the guests stepped up with their gifts in hand, offering their heartfelt birthday. wishes. There were numerous rich and respected people among them, and this gift¨Cgiving segment was also a subtle disy ofparison andpetition. The one with the rarest and most expensive gift got to show off. They could disy their power and foster closer connections with the Harmons. Thus, each gift, consisting of precious treasures or rare items, was carefully chosen. Not to mention, a lot of them couldn¡¯t be bought with money alone. Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts.¡± Hector smiled, responding to all the people who had presented him with a gift. As the room was filled with a joyous atmosphere, a loud voice suddenly rang out, ¡°The Grant family has arrived!¡± Instantly, all eyes turned toward the entrance. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, a tall, handsome man strutted in with huge strides with a servant in tow. His face was cold, and his gaze was razor- sharp. He gave off a terrifying aura¨Chis entire body was radiating with an intense desire to kill. All the guests shuddered, not daring to face him directly. ¡°Tyler Grant? It¡¯s actually Tyler Grant?!¡± ¡°Oh my god! Who would¡¯ve thought that the Harmons were so respected? Even General Lionheart, Tyler Grant, personally showed up to celebrate!¡± When the guests caught sight of the neer, they instantly burst into chatter. Who in the South Province didn¡¯t know Tyler¡¯s name? He was widely regarded as a legendary figure. He hadn¡¯t even hit thirty yet, but he was already fraternizing with the high¨Cranking officials and commanded a massive army. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. In the entire South Province, he was the best of the best. No one coulde close to him, leaving any other genius in his shadow. For someone like him, no matter where he went, everyone kissed the ground he walked on! ¡°As expected of the number one prodigy of the South Province and the top of the Ten Princes! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes sparkled, and her heart began to flutter. In front of Tyler, Dn and Patrick weren¡¯t even worth mentioning! The man before them was the true prince! ¡°He¡¯s finally here.¡± Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly as her pretty face turned serious. She knew that this matter had to end today. ¡°Tyler, now that you¡¯re here, please take a seat.¡± Hector stood up to wee him, smiling as though nothing had happened. ¡°No need,¡± Tyler responded with indifference. ¡°I came here today not to celebrate your birthday but to im my bride. I want to marry Natasha Hamon!¡± As he spoke, he made a few gestures with his hands. With that, eight people carried arge red carriage into the room. Chapter 565 ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The crowd nced at each other and broke out in whispers at the sight of the wedding carriage being brought in. Wasn¡¯t it Hector¡¯s 50th birthday? It seemed like Tyler was deliberately stirring up trouble. ¡°Tyler, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Hector¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. He didn¡¯t expect Tyler to cut straight to the chase right after his arrival. He was truly relentless. ¡°In ordance with our marriage contract, I¡¯m picking up my bride today,¡± Tyler stated calmly. ¡°Marriage contract? Bride?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. Tyler and Natasha are engaged?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both talented and good¨Clooking, so it¡¯s not surprising for them to be betrothed. However, this manner of retrieving the bride seems rather abrupt.¡± The crowd was buzzing in surprise, confusion, jealousy, and curiosity. Picking up the bride at a birthday party was an unprecedented move. Hector stayed calm andposed. ¡°Tyler, we¡¯ll discuss the details of the marriage agreementter on. It¡¯s my birthday celebration today, so I would appreciate a little consideration.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, and nobody can change my mind.¡± Tyler refused immediately without hesitation. ¡± Since I¡¯vee today, I must take her away. Natasha, please get on.¡± As soon as he said that, the crowd was in an uproar. Nobody had anticipated Tyler to be that domineering. He was not only inconsiderate, he was also kidnapping the bride. This hardly resembled a conventional bride pick¨Cup; it was a forced marriage! ¡°Aren¡¯t you going too far, Tyler?¡± Hector¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Marriage has always been a matter of mutual consent. Aren¡¯t you afraid of public ridicule by resorting to force?¡± ¡°I have always acted without concern for others¡® opinions. Today, whether through invitation or coercion, I will marry her!¡± Tyler raised his voice. ¡°What if my daughter won¡¯t get married?¡± Hector frowned slightly. ¡°She won¡¯t get married?¡± Tyler¡¯s lips twitched, and he snapped his fingers. Very soon, arge, ck coffin was carried in by eight people. With a loud thud, they ced it down so that it was in line with the carriage and also pointed at Hector. Tyler stood in the middle, the coffin on his left. and the carriage on his right. The difference in colors was striking. ¡°These are my presents.¡± With an expressionless face, he dered, ¡°You have two choices. Either Natasha gets on the carriage, or you¡¯re going toy down in this coffin on your own.¡± ¡°The audacity!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Tyler Grant, you¡¯re crossing the line!¡± The Harmons protested in righteous indignation at the sight. Gifting a coffin at a birthday party was a tant insult and provocation. ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s too much! He¡¯s totally disrespecting the Harmons!¡± ¡°Though he may be domineering, he undeniably can afford to act that way. It seems like trouble is looming for the Harmons!¡± Although many were upset with his behavior, nobody dared to voice it out openly. That was because no one dared to make an enemy out of the Grants. ¡°Tyler, are you truly intending to have a fall out with us Harmons in the presence of all my esteemed guests?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°I told you. You have two choices. Either Natasha marries me, or you die.¡± Tyler stood with his hands behind his back, a look of arrogance on his face, showingplete disregard for the crowd. ¡°What insolence!¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 566 At that moment, Dn suddenly shot up as he mmed the table. He bellowed, ¡°Tyler Grant, don¡¯t think you can act as you please just because you have some talent. We¡¯re not easy targets!¡± ¡°Who are you? Do you have the right to talk to me?¡± Tyler gave him a cold nce. ¡°Hmph! Listen up!¡± Dn straightened his chest and held his head up high. ¡°My name is Dn Harmon I¡¯m currently a high¨Crankingmander of the Dark Panther Cavalry. I¡¯ve fought over a dozen wars and in hundreds of men!¡± ¡°A meremander is challenging me? Where did you get your courage? You¡¯re not even a deputy general. Tyler spoke indifferently. ¡°Even though I¡¯m only amander, Scarlet Spanner is my general! I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d dare challenge the Goddess of War!¡± Dn responded arrogantly. ¡°Scarlet Spanner? Tyler frowned slightly, finally betraying a hint of emotion. As Dragonmarsh¡¯s first Goddess of War, Scarlet had not only achieved incredible feats, she came from an influential background and possessed unparalleled martial skills. He indeed considered himself inferior to her. However, that was only for now. He was confident of surpassing her within ten years. ¡°What? Are you afraid?¡± Dn was pleased. ¡°Are your legs weak just by hearing her name? Let me tell you. Don¡¯t think you can look down on people just because of your little achievements. Just so you know, the world is a big ce, and there are many people better than you out there!¡± As soon as he said that, the Harmons pped in agreement. ¡°Nicely said!¡± ¡°So what if he¡¯s General Lionheart? He still needs to bow down to the Goddess of War!¡± ¡°Ha! You must feel ashamed now after acting so outrageously, huh?¡± Seeing Tyler being humiliated, the Harmons were filled with renewed spirits,ing out of their distress. ¡°He¡¯s indeed my son. He managed to put Tyler in his ce with a few words.¡± Standing in the front rows, Jacob had a proud look on his face. As his son stood in the limelight, he also basked in the glory. ¡°That¡¯s right. Without Dn here today, nobody would have been able to go up against Tyler.¡± Trent shed a wide smile. A few other older Harmon family members were also filled with awe. ¡°With a son like him, the Harmons would be elevated to a higher standing!¡± For a moment, Dn became the center of attention, iparable to anyone else. Everyone present thought highly of him. ¡°Hey! What are you still standing there for? Take your men and leave immediately! Don¡¯t disrupt the party!¡± Dn stepped forward and gestured with his chin, a look of arrogance on his face. A talented genius? General Lionheart? In the end, he still ended up stepping all over Tyler. Suddenly, Tyler dissolved intoughter. ¡°Do you think you can scare me by using Scarlet¡¯s name?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you going to show deference to the Goddess of War?¡± Dn rebuked sharply. ¡°Scarlet Spanner is different from you. You¡¯re nothing but her dog! What makes you think you can show off here?¡± Tyler sneered. ¡°Y¨Cyou, you dare humiliate me?¡± Dn¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°So what if I do? Get lost before I slice your head off!¡± Tyler eximed. Dn erupted in fury. ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± He stepped lightly,unching a powerful punch as he shot forward. He knew Tyler was a formidable opponent and had exerted all his strength into the punch. He nned on striking first and ending the fight with a single blow. ¡°Dn, no!¡± Hector¡¯s expression shifted as he tried to stop him, but it was toote. ¡°What a fool.¡± In the face of Dn¡¯s attack, Tyler only looked at him in contempt. With a simple point of the finger, he struck Dn¡¯s chest. A muffled explosion was heard as Dn flew a good 30 feet back before crashing on the floor. It was as if he was hit by a truck. For a moment, he turned pale and spat out blood. Chapter 567 ¡°What?¡± The crowd was shocked as they took in Dn¡¯s seriously injured figureying on the ground. Nobody expected Tyler to defeat a high¨Crankingmander of the Dark Panther Cavalry with just a finger. He was too powerful. The concerning thing was that Dn had Scarlet backing him. When Tyler injured Dn in public, it was akin to pping Scarlet. The crowd wondered if he was just tyrannically arrogant or fearlessly confident ¡°How dare you injure one of us! Do you really think we are easy targets?¡± After recovering from the shock, the Harmons shot up in anger. They could no longer tolerate being bullied to such an extent Tyler Grant! I am amander of the Dark Panther Cavalry. If you hurt me, Scarlet will never forgive your Dn struggled to stand up, feeling shock and anger. Gifted with extraordinary talents and sharp perceptions since he was a child, he had trained into a divine¨Clevel martial artist at a young age. Armed with the abilities he was proud of, he never expected to turn out that weak against Tyler. It appears like you haven¡¯t figured out where you stand.¡± Tyler looked at him in contempt. ¡°I¡¯d naturally give deference to Scarlet if she were here. But what are you? You¡¯re just a worthless piece of trash hiding behind someone else¡¯s power. How dare you threaten me? Not to mention, the Dark Panther Cavalry has two hundred thousand troops, and over a hundred of them are high- rankingmanders. With Scarlet¡¯s position, she probably doesn¡¯t even know who you are. What makes you think you can unt your power here?¡± Dn¡¯s expression shifted with his words. He couldn¡¯t believe Tyler saw through him. He was indeed a high¨Crankingmander of the Dark Panther Cavalry. However, he wasn¡¯t even qualified to meet Scarlet on a typical day. As part of the Dark Panther Cavalry, he had gotten used to using Scarlet¡¯s name to boast. No matter where he went, he could act as he pleased. However, he hadn¡¯t anticipated encountering such a difficult person like Tyler today. He couldn¡¯t win against him in a fight and failed to intimidate him. For a moment, he was at a loss. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Why are you silent? Have I hit the mark? What useless trash.¡± Tyler shook his head in disdain. ¡°C¨Ccut the crap! I¡¯m her trusted aide!¡± Dn yelled as he hid his cowardice. He could only continue the act for now. ¡°Trusted aide?¡± The corner of Tyler¡¯s lips curved up into a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a chance. I¡¯ll let the Harmons go if you can get Scarlet toe here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s stationed at the border. How can she juste here at will?¡± Dn yelled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to show up, then. Give her a call. If the line connects, I¡¯ll consider it a win.¡± Tyler settled on apromise. ¡°I..¡± Dn¡¯s expression froze. With his status, he couldn¡¯t even interact with Scarlet, let alone have her personal contact information ¡°Dn, stop holding back! Just give her a call. I¡¯d like to see if Tyler would still dare stir up trouble, Jacob said in discontent. ¡°That¡¯s right, show him the power of Dragonmarsh¡¯s Goddess of War!¡± The Harmons started moring. They knew asking her to appear would be difficult, but making a call would be easy. After all, Dn was a high¨Crankingmander. He would definitely be taken seriously. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll make the call!¡± Realizing that he couldn¡¯t avoid it, Dn immediately took out his phone and started his act of needing help. ¡°Don¡¯t try to tell me that Scarlet is too busy and can¡¯t answer your call,¡± Tyler interrupted him coldly. Dn turned red as he was caught off guard by his words. He was indeed about to make an excuse to deceive him. After being exposed, he stood there dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s not connecting?¡± Tyler grew impatient: ¡°The Goddess of War is extremely busy with work, so it¡¯s expected for her to not pick up. I¡¯ll try again later,¡± Dn bit the bullet. ¡°Stop acting! Get lost!¡± Chapter 568 Tyler stomped on the ground heavily, causing a violent surge of energy to strike Dn Dn staggered backward from the impact, spitting out another mouthful of blood. ¡°You¡± He gritted his teeth, not daring to utter another sound. He knew he had beenpletely defeated ¡°Tyler, you are too much!¡± Jacob erupted in fury at the sight of his son injured once again ¡°Cut the crap! Make a choice¨CThe carriage or the coffin?¡± With his hands behind his back, Tyler gave off an imposing air. ¡°Tyler Grant! Do you think you can suppress the entire Harmon family alone? You¡¯re absolutely crazy!¡± Jacob retorted angrily. ¡°Who said I¡¯m alone?¡± Tyler raised his hand and snapped his fingers. ¡°Come in.¡± On his orders, the sound of synchronized marching could be heard by the door. As they approached, the noise grew louder. Even the liquids on the table rippled slightly. To everyone¡¯s astonishment, following the sound was a group of ck¨Cd, masked, and fully armed guards striding in with confidence. The guards were tall and muscr with sharp gazes and carried a strong presence. They looked like they had gone through numerous bloodshed, a clear indication of them being seasoned fighters. Their presence subdued the crowd, and the number of dark barrels especially left them feeling terrified. ¡°Huh?¡± The Harmons¡® expression shifted at the sight. Nobody expected Tyler to deploy a group of armed guards as backup on the day to pick up his bride. It was a terrifying sight to behold! ¡°Whoever is unhappy can step forward.¡± Tyler scanned his surroundings, looking at the crowd in arrogance and contempt. Anyone that met his gaze dropped their heads unwittingly. Who would dare step out when the armed guards have appeared? They would be seeking their own demise. Hector frowned slightly, upset. The thing he feared the most had happened atst. ¡°This guy is truly outrageous!¡± Jacob and the rest of the Harmons gritted their teeth, but there was nothing they could do. Today seemed like the day the Harmons would face their greatest cmity. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Oh my God, that¡¯s how General Lionheart is? He¡¯s too much for deploying the armed guards for a small disagreement.¡± ¡°Looking at the current situation, it seems like the Harmons are in for a rough time today.¡± ¡°Either submit or be suppressed. I wonder what the Harmons would choose.* The guests whispered and discussed among themselves. They truly hadn¡¯t anticipated a birthday celebration to turn into a forced marriage scene. ¡°Natasha Harmon, nobody can help you today. You are destined to be my woman. Let¡¯s go.¡± Tyler walked up, his gaze threatening. When he moved, the armed guards followed. His menacing demeanor made the Harmons turn pale as they trembled in fear. Just when everyone thought Natasha would be taken by force, a tall figure blocked Tyler¡¯s path, standing right before him with a cutting gaze. ¡°Have you asked me before taking her away?¡± Chapter 569 ¡°Have you asked me for permission before taking her away?¡± Dustin stood in front of Tyler, blocking his path. He had a frosty expression as he stood unyielding. ¡°Huh?¡± The guests were dumbfounded and in shock. They could not believe someone would dare to challenge Tyler This person must¡¯ve had nerves of steel. Zoey¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s Dustin doing up front? Doesn¡¯t he value his life?¡± Even if they disregarded Tyler¡¯s background, the armed guards behind him were terrifying enough. Zeke sneered. ¡°Hmph, he must have a death wish to challenge General Lionheart!¡± Tylermanded the armed guards with an air of dominance. With just a singlemand, he could have Dustin shot into oblivion ¡°Fool! He thinks he can show off in front of Tyler just because he¡¯s friends with Patrick. What a joke.¡± Gordon looked like he was looking at a corpse. While Patrick held a high social standing, he had no official position. He was absolutely iparable to Tyler. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°This is spelling trouble.¡± Adrianna frowned slightly. Even though she admired Dustin¡¯s courage in standing up for the woman he loved, it was too dangerous in this situation. You dare stop me?¡± With his hands still behind his back, Tyler sized him up. His chilling gaze fixed on him, like that of a predator locking onto his prey. ¡°Why not? Natasha has every right to refuse to marry you. I won¡¯t allow you to force her to marry you in public,¡± Dustin stated calmly. ¡°You won¡¯t agree?¡± Tyler raised an eyebrow. ¡°So what? Do you really think you can stop me?¡± ¡°You can try. But I strongly advise against it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat the shit out of you,¡± Dustin spat, word for word. ¡°What?¡± The guests erupted in an uproar at his words. ¡°Damn! Is this kid insane? He¡¯s incredibly daring.¡± ¡°He¡¯s too brave for his own good!¡± ¡°He¡¯s openly challenging General Lionheart! He must have a death wish.¡± The guests broke out into a discussion, with Dustin appearing like an idiot to them. Even the Harmons were pressured into silence at Tyler¡¯s appearance. Where did this insignificant kid get the courage to act so boldly in front of such an influential figure? ¡°Hmph! What an idiot!¡± Dn sneered. He wasn¡¯t a match for Tyler, let alone that loser Dustin ¡°He hasmendable courage. Sadly, he won¡¯t be living for long.¡± Kate rejoiced in his misfortune. She had always disliked Dustin, especially considering her brother¡¯s death had something to do with him. That was why she desperately wished for a tragedy to befall him. ¡°Hector, you didn¡¯t n this, did you? What can an insignificant brat like him aplish?¡± Trent was frustrated. Dustin was only making things worse by challenging Tyler. Hector¡¯s brows were locked in a frown as he remained silent. The time was not right, and he had to keep waiting. Natasha, on the other hand, sat beside him in worry, at a loss for words. In the face of his boastful statement, Tyler let out a chuckle. ¡°Do you know what you just said?¡± ¡°No matter what I said, I¡¯ve given you a warning. So stop whatever you¡¯re nning. Don¡¯t make me hit you.¡± Dustin¡¯s expression was unwavering. ¡°You¡¯ve got balls.¡± Tyler nodded. ¡°I admire your bravery. Sadly, you¡¯re not qualified to y the hero in front of me. I¡¯ll give you three seconds. Get lost! Or die!¡± The armed guards behind him raised their guns at his words, rows of gun barrels aimed directly at every part of Dustin. They would immediately shoot their target into oblivion upon their general¡¯s orders. ¡°Hold it!¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± Chapter 570 Seeing that Tyler was serious, Natasha and Patrick stood up and stopped him. ¡°Tyler, speak and behave as you wish, but he is my friend. You better not act recklessly.¡± Patrick stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Dustin, clearly taking his side. His actions shocked many. It finally dawned on them why Dustin acted without restraint¨Che had someone backing him. ¡°Patrick, no one can stop me from killing my target, not even you.¡± Tyler¡¯s expression remained cold, not showing any sign of yielding. A rich yboy was nothing in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to go that far. You should forgive sometimes.¡± Patrick frowned slightly. Tyler spat out, ¡°Get lost. My bullets don¡¯t discriminate.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You-¡± Patrick¡¯s expression darkened. Even though they were both sons of affluent families, he could neverpare to Tyler in terms of status and authority. If Tyler decided to use force, he would be powerless to stop him. ¡°Mr. Grant, why are you so angry? Can¡¯t things be discussed nicely at a table?¡± At that moment, a middle¨Caged man dressed in luxurious clothing walked in with his head held high. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Roderick, Big Bucks Brooks? I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s here.¡± The crowd gasped silently in shock. As the person who controlled the economy in Millsburg, Roderick was undoubtedly the wealthiest man there! His words carried immense weight in the business world, and hemanded deep respect from everyone. As he walked in, he naturally took a spot beside Dustin, clearly expressing his stance. ¡°What? Are you going against me too?¡± Tyler gave him the side eye. Roderick responded calmly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I simply hope Mr. Grant could mitigate the circumstances.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I may need to reconsider my annual donation of one billion for your military spending.¡± Roderick shed a smile. ¡°Ha! A lowly businessman is threatening me? Beat it, or I¡¯ll kill you too!¡± Tyler¡¯s face grew cold. He was getting impatient. What was going on today? Why were all these mediocre people bravely acting up against him? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from General Lionheart. You sure are mighty!¡± Suddenly, a commanding voice was heard by the door. Everyone turned their attention toward the sound and saw a middle¨Caged man in an army uniform adorned with stars, indicating his high rank. He strode confidently with a group of armed guards following behind him. ¡°The hell? That¡¯s Sir Moran! What brings such an influential figure here?¡± The crowd buzzed with excitement at his appearance, curious and astonished expressions filling their faces. Sir Moran was a lieutenant general. He controlled nearly half of the army in the Southern Province. In terms of official rank, he stood half a notch higher than Tyler, who was only a major general. He sat at the top of the Southern Province! The unexpected presence of a high¨Cranking official left everyone wondering, as it was a rare sight to witness him gracing any event. ¡°Keith Moran?¡± Tyler frowned slightly, seemingly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect the Harmons to have the influence to bring forth Southern Province¡¯s regional deputy chief. ¡°He¡¯s finally here!¡± Hector couldn¡¯t conceal his joy as the tension in his forehead gradually eased. Hector had bided his time in silence, waiting for the opportune moment. He had reached out to Keith a few days ago, uncertain if he would stand up for the Harmons. Seeing him arrive, Hector was relieved. With Keith Moran as the regional deputy chief in attendance, Tyler wouldn¡¯t be able to act as he pleased. This was Hector¡¯s trump card! Chapter 571 ¡°Hahaha! Sir Moran is here! The Harmons are saved!¡± ¡°With Sir Moran present, I doubt Tyler would continue his reckless behavior!¡± Keith¡¯s appearance uplifted the Harmons¡® spirits, and they felt inexplicably happy, finally feeling at ease after their previous feelings of repression. So what if Tyler was General Lionheart? He was only a major general. Sir Moran, as a lieutenant general and the one who controlled the army, held greater authority than Tyler. Even a talented genius like Tyler had to show deference in the presence of Sir Moran. Trent shed a wide smile. ¡°Hector, I can¡¯t believe you actually got Sir Moran toe. That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Trent, you got it all wrong. Sir Moran¡¯s appearance should have something to do with my son¡¯s identity,¡± Jacob said proudly. Kate chimed in, ¡°That makes sense. Dn is a part of the Dark Panther Cavalry and is backed by the Goddess of War. With such a bright future, Sir Moran must have recognized his talent.¡± Trent chuckled with realization. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ Dn is our true talented genius.¡± Considering the Harmons¡® standing, it wasn¡¯t easy to have Keith confront Tyler. However, things were different if they factored in Scarlet, the Goddess of War¡¯s connection. ¡°Ha! Let¡¯s see if Tyler will continue to act as he pleases!¡± Dn reveled in the praises, epting the credit without hesitation. Hector didn¡¯t correct them either. As long as they could resolve the situation, it didn¡¯t matter who invited Keith. ¡°I believe this is just a birthday celebration. Why have you brought so many guards, General Lionheart?¡± Keith¡¯s tone was frosty as he questioned Tyler, walking up to him slowly. The guards from both sides faced off against each other, creating a tense atmosphere. ¡°Sir Moran, this matter has nothing to do with you. I hope you won¡¯t interfere,¡± Tyler was indifferent. Despite Keith¡¯s higher rank, he remained fearless. ¡°Millsburg falls under my jurisdiction. Its safety is my responsibility. If you stir up trouble here, it¡¯s only natural for me to step in,¡± Keith dered with conviction. ¡°You¡¯re just a local general while I was bestowed my title by the royal family. Do you have authority over me?¡± Tyler retorted coldly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whomits the crime. As long as they do so, I will not stand idly by!¡± Keith confidently confronted him. ¡°Ha! I¡¯m afraid the number of people you brought with you is not enough to stop my army,¡± Tyler said, maintaining his advantage. ¡°If Sir Mason¡¯s forces are insufficient, what if I join in?¡± At that moment, they heard an elderly yet commanding voice. It wasn¡¯t loud, yet it reverberated through the entire ce. Following the voice, an elderly man with a white beard and matching eyebrows strolled in leisurely. He exuded a strong presence and had a piercing gaze, evoking an overwhelming air with his every move. Though unintentional, it was intimidating. As he walked through the doors, a palpable weight seemed to descend upon the crowd, like rocks pressing down on their chests. It was hard to even breathe. ¡°T¨Cthat¡­ Isn¡¯t that Sir Paul Hill?¡± ¡°Oh my God! It really is him! What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Everyone present erupted in a frenzy at his appearance. He was the patriarch of the Hill family, a highly skilled grandmaster, and a master of Balerno martial arts. Hemanded immense respect and admiration in the marital world. In the entire seven provinces in Balerno, 100 thousand martial artists followed hismand. He was a true leader, revered by countless Original from N?velDrama.Org. followers. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Sir Hill is actually here?¡± The Harmon family members looked at each other in genuine surprise. Paul was a reserved man with an air of mystery surrounding him. He rarely made appearances for anyone, and their families weren¡¯t acquainted. Why would a martial arts master like him step up for the Harmon family? ¡°Hector, did you invite Sir Hill?¡± Trent was dumbfounded. Hector shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Chapter 572 ¡°Who could it be then?¡± The Harmons were shocked once again. Who had the power to bring forth Sir Hill? Hector shook his head again. Paul¡¯s appearance was indeed unexpected. ¡°Tyler Grant, do you think I can¡¯t stop your army?¡± Paul stood unwavering like a tall mountain, his presence overwhelming. Even the guards behind Tyler began trembling as they held their guns. Not everyone could handle the imposing presence of a grandmaster. ¡°Hmm?¡± At that moment, Tyler, who had been indifferent the whole time, finally furrowed his brow. Of course, Paul could stop his army. A martial artist at the level of a grandmaster had transcended the limits of human capabilities. He had the power to single¨Chandedly take on tens of thousands of men. Tyler¡¯s army was naturally not enough to stop him. The important thing was that Paul not only had exceptional skills, but he also had an extremely high standing in the martial world. A hundred thousand martial artists in Balerno would never dare to defy any of his orders. ¡°Sir Hill, this is my personal grievance with the Harmons. I hope you will stay out of it.¡± Tyler remained unyielding. ¡°I love meddling in people¡¯s affairs and will help out if I witness injustice. And since I¡¯vee across one today, naturally, I won¡¯t sit idly by,¡± Paul responded calmly. Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is it worth bing an enemy of the Grants for the Harmons?¡± Both families were part of the Tremendous Three, and each family had their own strengths. While they weren¡¯t afraid of the other, Tyler was unwilling to sour their rtionship with the Hills. ¡°I owe a favor, and I must repay it today. The grievances between your families can be dealt with next time. For now, you will not stir up trouble,¡± Paul warned him. ¡°And if I refuse to back down?¡± Tyler countered. He had gone this far, and it would be like a p to his face if he backed down so easily now. ¡°You refuse to back down? Then let¡¯s see if your army can withstand my power.¡± As Paul spoke, he forcefully stomped on the ground. The impact caused a resounding explosion, leaving a crater in its wake, and the entire banquet hall shook violently. At the same time, a violent surge of energy rushed toward Tyler¡¯s armed guards like an avnche. The ck¨Cd, armed guards staggered backward like they were struck by lightning. Their faces turned pale and they broke out in cold sweat. They couldn¡¯t even hold their guns steady. The crowd was left utterly speechless at the terrifying sight. That was a grandmaster¡¯s ability! With just one foot, he nearly defeated a hundred armed guards. Tyler¡¯s brow furrowed. He didn¡¯t expect Paul to truly strike. Wasn¡¯t the crazy old man afraid of instigating a war between the two families? ¡°Hahaha¡­ Sir Hill is truly domineering. No wonder he¡¯s a martial arts master!¡± ¡°With the support of both Sir Moran and Sir Hill, I doubt Tyler would act recklessly!¡± ¡°If you think about it, only those two could hold Tyler back.¡± Pauls¡¯s single stomp increased the Harmons¡® confidence. It didn¡¯t matter if he was Tyler Grant,Original from N?velDrama.Org. General Lionheart, or the great legend. He was no longer a threat to the Harmons. Chapter 573 ¡°Are you going to back down or not?¡± Paul stood proudly and imposingly. ¡°Tyler, that¡¯s enough.¡± Keith stepped forward as well, standing next to Paul. He alone might not be able to hold Tyler back, but with Paul¡¯s power in the martial world, it should be enough to make Tyler wary. He believed that Tyler would be smart enough to back down. ¡°Looks like Tyler is about to be forced to submit.¡± ¡°Who can stand against two highly influential figures when theye together?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Harmons held such influence. They were actually able to force Tyler into a tough spot.¡± Taking in the sight of both parties at the height of their confrontation, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but murmur among themselves. Tyler was an undeniably outstanding individual with a formidable background. No one dared to confront him, even when he publicly stirred up trouble at the Harmons¡® birthday celebration. However, no matter how excellent or talented he was, he still had to show deference in the face of both Keith¡¯s and Paul¡¯s superiority. ¡°Seems like both of you have made up your minds to go against me. However, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be that easy to make me back down.¡± Tyler¡¯s expression gradually grew colder. To be able to climb up to where he was now, he naturally had his connections. ¡°Wise individuals know how to adapt to their circumstances. Going against the tide is not a wise move,¡± Keithmented casually. ¡°So we¡¯re resorting to disys of power now, huh? Fine, I¡¯m curious to see who holds the highest authority here,¡± Tyler said, taking out his phone and sending a message. After a moment, the sound of orderly marching outside could be heard outside the door. The sound grew louder as they approached nearer. The resonating sound struck fear in people¡¯s hearts. Following the noise, the Harmon family¡¯s butler rushed in, shouting anxiously, ¡°Mr. Harmon, things are looking bad! An army is forcing their way in.¡± ¡°An army?¡± Hector frowned. ¡°Whose army is it?¡± A clear voice resounded, ¡°That would be me!¡± A burly, middle¨Caged man in a general¡¯s uniform strode in confidently. Keith¡¯s expression shifted slightly at the sight of the man. Even Paul, who stood beside him, was surprised. ¡°It can¡¯t be. Even Regional Chief Roger Leinonen is here?¡± ¡°This situation has gone out of hand! It really is Sir Leinonen!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, what¡¯s going on today? This is such an epic sh!¡± Roger Leinonen was the regional chief of one of the provinces. As a second¨Cranked military official, he sat in the highest position in localw enforcement. Except for the viceroy who controlled the entire military and government, no one else couldpare to him in the whole of Southern Province. He held true power. Even Keith had to show him deference. After all, one was the regional chief, while the other was the regional deputy chief. The word ¡°deputy¡± made all the difference in terms of power and influence. ¡°This is spelling trouble. I can¡¯t believe Tyler was able to invite Sir Leinonen.¡± ¡°What now? All our previous ns have gone to waste with his arrival!¡± The Harmons were shocked and broke out in cold sweat upon Roger¡¯s arrival. Each and every one of them looked anxious. Tyler alone was already a formidable opponent. With Sir Leinonen Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. backing him, they were unstoppable. Trouble was brewing for the Harmons. ¡°Sir Moran, General Lionheart is the pir of our nation. Are you really going to confront him today?¡± Roger targeted Keith upon his arrival, his sharp tone establishing his authority. Keith frowned without uttering a word. He never got along with Roger. Unfortunately, Roger held a higher position than he did. ¡°Sir Paul, you are highly respected, and I admire you greatly. I hope you will let this matter go on my behalf.¡± Roger turned his attention to Paul, appearing polite. After all, he didn¡¯t wish to sever ties with a martial arts master unless absolutely necessary. Paul narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sir Leinonen, are you here to back Tyler?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good friends with General Lionheart. Naturally, I¡¯m going to offer him my full support,¡± Roger responded bluntly. Chapter 574 Paul responded calmly, ¡°It¡¯s two against two. We¡¯re not exactly at a disadvantage.¡± ¡°Sir Paul, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s two against one. You should ask Sir Moran if he¡¯s still willing to open this can of worms,¡± Roger spoke profoundly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Paul turned to Keith and realized he seemed upset. It appeared like he had decided to back out with his silence. Keith was able to go up against Tyler alone, but with Roger backing him, it was a different story. After all, he wasn¡¯t too acquainted with the Harmons. There was no need to jeopardize his career over this. The Harmons feel dejected by Keith¡¯s silence. Once he backed out, it would be hard for the Harmons to escape the situation unscathed. ¡°Mr. Harmon, I was indeed taken by surprise by your nning. Sadly, it isn¡¯t enough. So, what is your decision?¡± Tyler looked up slightly, his gaze directed at Hector. With Roger¡¯s army, Paul alone wouldn¡¯t be able to save the Harmons. Hector furrowed his brow, his expression solemn. Was he to give in to the Grants? As the situation grew increasingly dire, Trent stood up to mediate. ¡°General Lionheart, we can discuss this. There¡¯s no need to escte things this far.¡± The Harmons had used up their trump cards. They could only give in if they didn¡¯t wish to receive their wrath. ¡°Of course, but I have a condition,¡± Tyler said calmly. Trent responded, ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°I want this brat¡¯s life!¡± Tyler eximed unexpectedly, pointing a finger at Dustin. A plebeian who dared challenge the authority of the Grants should pay a price. He was going to set an example today. Trent froze, shifting his gaze toward Hector, who was beside him. Hector was silent. No one knew what he was thinking. ¡°Tyler Grant! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Natasha finally reached her breaking point. ¡°You should take responsibility for your actions. You were the ones who made the decision,¡± Tyler said indifferently. ¡°You-¡± Natasha¡¯s expression grew increasingly cold. ¡°Seems like this Dustin guy is done for.¡± Zoey, who was among the crowd, sighed. Zeke sneered. ¡°Hmph! This is the consequence for daring to challenge General Lionheart.¡± ¡°If you think about it, he brought this upon himself.¡± Gordon was silently happy about it. ¡°Tyler Grant, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re still not worthy of taking my life.¡± Dustin remained calm. ¡°What? Do you think anyone else can save you today?¡± Tyler uttered coldly. As soon as he spoke, a guard rushed in anxiously. He reported, ¡°Sir Leinonen, there¡¯s trouble! A group of guards have barged in!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see that I am here with General Lionheart? Why are you so panicked?¡± Roger¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Even if the emperor himself were here, it wouldn¡¯t change a thing, let alone a small group of guards! Drive them out!¡± The guard¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°W¨Cwe can¡¯t. They are the viceroy¡¯s personal guards.¡± ¡°So what if they are the viceroy¡¯s personal guards? I-¡± Roger was halfway through his tirade when he froze. His words were stuck in his throat. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The viceroy and his personal guards? It couldn¡¯t be¡­ The viceroy was here? Before Roger could fully comprehend the situation, he saw someone walk through the door. It was a well¨Cdressed, middle¨Caged man. The man had a handsome face and a dignified posture. Even when he was calm, he carried an air of authority, and every move of his was imposing. ¡°Lord¡­ Lord Xenos?¡± Roger¡¯s expression turned for the worst immediately at the sight of the man. Chapter 575 ¡°Lord Xenos! It¡¯s Lord Xenos!¡± ¡°Damn, even Lord Xenos has shown up! The world is turning upside down!¡± ¡°Who was able to bring forth Lord Xenos?¡± The crowd broke out into a frenzy at the sight of the distinguished man. Lord Xenos was no ordinary man; he was the viceroy! The influential figure who held control over the entire military and government of Southern province! He was an official of the first rank and a true authority figure! A single action of his could shake up Millsburg in its entirety. Sir Leinonen and General Lionheart were mere shadows compared to him. ¡°Why is Lord Xenos here? Did Tyler invite him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s all over¡­ There¡¯s no one to save us now!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the most powerful official in all of Southern province. Who else canpare to him?¡± The Harmons were shaken, their faces filled with fear and despair. Given their status, it was evident that they weren¡¯t the ones to invite the viceroy. So there was only one possibility¨Che was on Tyler¡¯s side. At that moment, not only were the Harmons shaken, but Tyler was also surprised and puzzled. He wasn¡¯t exactly acquainted with the viceroy. ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± When Dustin saw him arrive, he finally revealed a flicker of emotion. It wasn¡¯t the person¡¯s title that stirred him, but it was because he recognized him. It was none other than Ruby¡¯s father¨CGeorge Xenos. When he first met him at the hospital a few days ago, he wasn¡¯t aware of his identity. He didn¡¯t expect him to be the viceroy who controlled the entire Southern province. ¡°Oh, Lord Xenos, what brings you here?¡± After a momentary daze, Roger approached and greeted him with a smile. Lord Xenos was, after all, his direct superior. ¡°Roger, I heard you were nning to drive away my men. Is that true?¡± George asked nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding ¡­ It¡¯s all just a misunderstanding!¡± Roger smiled apologetically. ¡°I would wee them with open arms. I would never dare to drive them away.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± George surveyed his surroundings. ¡°Then why have you brought so many of your men here?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Roger froze, unsure of how to respond. He couldn¡¯t possibly admit that he was helping the Grants tyrannize the Harmons, could he? Tyler intervened, ¡°Lord Xenos, what brings you to this ce?¡± ¡°What, do I need to report my movements to you?¡± George countered. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Tyler lowered his head slightly. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m just curious, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Hector is celebrating his birthday today. I¡¯m here to wish him a happy birthday.¡± George¡¯s voice was loud and clear. ¡°Wish him a happy birthday?¡± All eyes turned to Hector at George¡¯s words. The Harmons were acquainted with Lord Xenos? Trent¡¯s voice began to quiver as he asked, ¡°H¨CHector, did you really invite Lord Xenos?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Hector found himself at a loss for words. If he had indeed invited Lord Xenos, he wouldn¡¯t have feared the Grants. However, Lord Xenos seemed unmistakably on their side from his statement. Hector couldn¡¯t figure out who could possibly have the influence to bring forth Lord Xenos¡® presence. ¡°Roger, you must be here to send your wishes too, I reckon?¡± George suddenly asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Roger was momentarily stunned before nodding. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m here to send my wishes!¡± He wouldn¡¯t dare continue acting rashly with Lord Xenos backing the Harmons. He could only use the pretext to act as if nothing had happened. ¡°How about you?¡± George turned his attention to Tyler, his tone slightly imposing. ¡°I¡¯m here to send my wishes and pick up my bride,¡± Tyler answered bluntly. ¡°Pick up your bride? Who is she?¡± Tyler answered, ¡°Mr. Hector¡¯s daughter and I have long been engaged. Today is the day of our marriage ording to the marriage contract.¡± Chapter 576 ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± George nced at Hector. Hector spoke truthfully, ¡°They were indeed engaged in the past. But there were some problems recently that warranted further discussion regarding the engagement.¡± ¡°Problems should be solved round the table. Why be so hostile?¡± George expressed his dissatisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m open to discussion, but the Harmons are not respecting me,¡± Tyler responded. ¡°Marriage should be based on mutual consent. It¡¯s criminal behavior for you to force my hand in marriage by publicly deploying your army!¡± Natasha suddenly cried out. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± George agreed. ¡°A marriage should be between two willing parties. If one party is unwilling, you shouldn¡¯t force it.¡± Tyler frowned slightly at his words. It appeared as if George was adamant about standing with the Harmons. ¡°Lord Xenos, what did the Harmons promise you? I¡¯m willing to pay tenfold,¡± Tyler unexpectedly said to George. ¡°How dare you!¡± George¡¯s expression darkened, and he bellowed, ¡°Tyler Grant! Is this how you see the viceroy? A corrupt official?¡± ¡°No, no. Not at all¡­ Tyler misspoke. Please forgive him!¡± Roger attempted to defuse the situation immediately. ¡°You are too young to know how the world works and are too impulsive and aggressive. Take your men with you, and get out of here!¡± George bellowed. He had thought of saving Tyler the embarrassment but didn¡¯t expect him to not know his ce. ¡°Tyler, let it go. We can talk about matters at ater time.¡± Roger gave Tyler a meaningful look. Both of them were nothing in front of the viceroy. Typer might be talented with a bright future ahead, but he wasn¡¯t strong enough to challenge George at this time. Tyler narrowed his eyes. ¡°Lord Xenos, are you really going to support the Harmons?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m definitely supporting them! If anyone has a problem with it, feel free to talk to me.¡± George¡¯s tone was domineering. The Harmons were ecstatic upon hearing his deration, while Tyler¡¯s expression turned unusually resentful. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason George would publicly challenge the Grants in favor of the Harmons. Even though he was upset, he could only give in for now. George was a first¨Cranked official and controlled the army, Tyler couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. However, he was confident he would overshadow George in under five years. ¡°Lord Xenos, since you have a higher rank, I¡¯ll concede for now. However, the world is a small ce, and things don¡¯t always go as you want. We¡¯ll meet again!¡± With a scoff, Tyler strutted out of the ce with his entourage. He promised there woulde a day when he would crush George beneath his feet. ¡°Lord Xenos, the younger generation can be impulsive at times. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart. I Chapter Sire shall take my leave as well.¡± With a nod of acknowledgment, Roger followed Tyler out the door. He had to admit they hit a brick wall today. ¡°Lord Xenos is amazing. He was able to drive Tyler away with just a few words.¡± ¡°Of course! He¡¯s the viceroy entrusted with a region. It¡¯s not merely an empty title.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I envy the Harmons. They actually have Lord Xenos backing them.¡± The discussion among the guests grew increasingly heated with Tyler¡¯s departure. Nobody expected a mere birthday celebration to bring forth that many influential figures. The contest between the two families was akin to an epic sh ¡°Lord Xenos, Sir Paul, Sir Moran, thank you for your help. We will forever be grateful.¡± Hector walked up to them and shook their hands. Without their appearance, disaster would¡¯ve befallen the Harmons. George smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr. Harmon. The main reason I came was to return a favor.¡± As he spoke, he stole a nce at Dustin. ¡°Return a favor?¡± Hector was puzzled, Lord Xenos was not only an extremely influential figure, but he also held the highest authority and answered to no one. Who could Lord Xenos owe a favor to among the Harmons? Paul chuckled as he stroked his beard. ¡°What a coincidence; I¡¯m also here to return a favor, just like you, Lord Xenos.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hector widened his eyes, growing even more confused. One was the viceroy, while the other was a renowned martial arts master. Who exactly could have both influential figures owe them a favor at the same time? ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Harmon. With such an outstanding son¨Cinw, the Harmons are destined for a prosperous future.¡± George gave him a meaningful smile. ¡°Son¨Cinw?¡± It didn¡¯t make sense to Hector. Both of his daughters were not yet married, so which son¨Cinw did he mean? Hector was hit by a sudden realization. Could it be Dustin? Chapter 577 Hector was astonished at the thought. He turned his head and looked toward Dustin, finding him calm and collected. It appeared as if he were an outsider in the situation. However, that was exactly what made him indiscernible. Upon deep reflection, Hector realized that the Harmons¡® situation had taken a turn for the better when Dustin started challenging Tyler. Was this young man in front of him really the person who turned the tide? It would be frightening if that were the case! ¡°Mr. Hector, I¡¯m needed elsewhere, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave first.¡± George left after saying his goodbyes. He didn¡¯t expose Dustin¡¯s identity as he was worried about making thingsplicated for him. Some things were better left untold. ¡°Guess there¡¯s no more fighting. I¡¯ll be leaving too.¡± Paul gave Dustin a knowing look before leaving with his head held high. ¡°Mr. Hector, see you next time.¡± Sir Moran shook his hand and left as well. As the influential figures departed, the ballroom livened up even more. Not only did the guests discuss among themselves, but even the Harmons were making their own spections. ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re influential enough to be able to invite Sir Paul and Lord Xenos over. You¡¯re amazing!¡± Natasha walked up with a huge smile on her face. With two influential figures backing them, she was sure Tyler wouldn¡¯t dare force her hand in marriage any longer. She considered herself to have broken free from him. ¡°Hector, it seems you have more tricks hidden up your sleeves. I¡¯m impressed!¡± Trent and a few of his people went up to Hector as well. Each of them looked proud, their faces brimming with excitement. With Lord Xenos and Sir Paul backing them, the Harmons would be unstoppable. ¡°Trent, it wasn¡¯t me. I don¡¯t have that kind of influence.¡± Hector remained modest and shook his Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. head. ¡°Then who could it be if it wasn¡¯t you?¡± Trent was puzzled and confused. ¡°I¡¯m wondering the same thing¡­¡± Hector rubbed his chin and nced at Dustin once again. He asked meaningfully, ¡°Dustin, do you know who could have invited them?¡± Before Dustin could respond, a clear and loud voice interjected, ¡°Uncle Hector, there¡¯s no need to specte any longer, as that would be me!¡± The crowd turned their heads in the direction of the voice and saw Dn walking over proudly. ¡°Dn, are you acquainted with Lord Xenos and Sir Paul?¡± Trent was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know them personally, they appeared because of me.¡± Dn was confident. ¡°Oh? Why do you say so?¡± Trent was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m associated with the Dark Panther Cavalry, and I have the backing of the Goddess of War. It¡¯s likely that they recognized my potential and talent and decided to help out.¡± Dn¡¯s head was held high. ¡°That¡¯s right! Dn is the Scarlet Warrior¡¯s trusted aide. It¡¯s natural for Lord Xenos to take a liking to him,¡± Kate chimed in. ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­ No wonder Lord Xenos was that enthusiastic.¡± ¡°Dn truly is exceptional to have gained the favor of the two influential figures.¡± ¡°Dn, I didn¡¯t know you had such powerful connections. You¡¯re amazing!¡± At that moment, the crowd showered him with praises, hailing him as their savior. Jacobughed heartily and was filled with pride. ¡°My son is so talented!¡± He was clued in on Sir Moran¡¯s appearance. However, he didn¡¯t expect his son to be so skilled that he would garner Lord Xenos and Sir Paul¡¯s attention. ¡°I think there¡¯s more to this. Dn¡¯s status is not enough to impress the viceroy,¡± Natasha said after thoughtful consideration. She noticed George never even nced at Dn throughout the entire ordeal. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re just jealous!¡± Chapter 578 Kate snorted. ¡°You sure are jealous of Dn, even when you are talentless. How petty is that? If you are unhappy about Dn, tell me, who else is better than him?¡± Kate¡¯s remark caught Natasha off guard. Dn was indeed the best among other family members in their generation because of his government ranks. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Is it that hard to admit that Dn¡¯s better than you?¡± Kate sneered at her. ¡°Natasha, you dodged a bullet today, all thanks to me! You¡¯d better show some gratitude,¡± Dn chimed in, much to Natasha¡¯s dismay. He and Kate seemed to be working together to bring her down. ¡°All thanks to you? How?¡± Dustin did not like it when theyughed at Natasha. ¡°Lord Xenos is a viceroy, and you¡¯re just a colonel. You¡¯re nowhere near his level, so why did you think he showed up for you?¡± ¡°Are you iming that he showed up for you?¡± Dn scoffed. ¡°You guessed right. He came here because of me.¡± Dustin nodded, much to everyone¡¯s surprise. But the surprise soon turned into dismissiveughter. ¡°Hahaha! Have you lost your mind? Why would you even say that?¡± ¡°Dustin Rhys, who do you think you are? What do you have to invite the viceroy?¡± ¡°Hmph! You seemed to have forgotten your ce after tasting a little bit of power!¡± The members of the Harmon family looked at him disdainfully as though he was aplete fool. How dare a country doctor and a kept man make such an outrageous im? ¡°Dustin, do you really know Lord Xenos?¡± Natasha was quite dumbstruck. ¡°I saved Mrs. Xenos¡® life a few days ago. He owed me a favor,¡± he confessed. ¡°He owed you a favor? Hah! You really tter yourself! With Lord Xenos¡® rank, he can call on any reputable doctor he wants from the military. Why does he need the help of a country doctor who¡¯s more form than substance?¡± Dn sneered at Dustin. ¡°Exactly! Dustin, you¡¯re too presumptuous. The audacity to name¨Cdrop Lord Xenos so casually! You have no shame at all!¡± Kate smirked. ¡°Believe it or not, that¡¯s the truth.¡± Dustin dropped another bombshell, ¡°I cured Mrs. Xenos¡® illness This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. and saved Sir Paul from death!¡± Upon hearing this statement, the people around him burst into even louderughter, staring at Dustin as if he were aplete clown. ¡°Are you seriously telling me that Sir Paul came here because of you?¡± Dn snickered. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Dustin nodded matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. Dn threw his head back as heughed. ¡°Oh, Dustin, I never thought you could be so thick- skinned! That was eye¨Copening!¡± ¡°Natasha, I never thought you¡¯d fall for an ipetent man who bluffs,¡± Kate made a cynical jab, jumping on the opportunity to insult her cousin. ¡°That was embarrassing! I felt second¨Chand embarrassment just watching!¡± Zoey shook her head from the crowd. Zeke, with a derisive look on his face, added, ¡°To be honest, I kind of admire his ability to lie with a straight face.¡± Gordon snickered. ¡°Well, a thick¨Cskinned man is practically invincible.¡± No one believed that a loser like Dustin, who had neither authority nor influence, was somehow acquainted with a big shot like Paul Hill. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Dustin asked nonchntly. ¡°What¡¯s not funny about the entire thing? Sir Paul is a legendary figure in the martial arts field and a grandmaster. It¡¯s rather ridiculous to boast about saving his life, don¡¯t you think?¡± Without a word, Dustin mmed an ornate silver badge onto the table. Engraved on it was the Hill family¡¯sst name¨Ca Consultant Badge! When the crowd took a good look at the badge, they collectively gasped as their smiles froze. ¡°I thought you guys love tough at others. Why aren¡¯t youughing now?¡± Chapter 579 ¡°I thought you guys love tough at others. Why aren¡¯t youughing now?¡± After Dustin disyed his Consultant Badge, he openly confronted those who had looked down upon him. Dn, Kate, and Natasha¡¯s friends gaped at the sight of the silver Consultant Badge on the table. They were smiling no more. After all, a Consultant Badge from the Hill family was a rare treasure coveted by many. With that badge in hand, one would have the backing of the Hill family, which also came with the perks of essing and utilizing the family resources. It was not an understatement to describe the badge as priceless! However, it raised another question¨Chow did the badge end up in Dustin¡¯s possession? Was he telling the truth when he said that he had saved Sir Paul¡¯s life? At the thought, everyone looked at Dustin differently. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°T¨Cthat¡¯s impossible! Why would you have the Consultant Badge from the Hill family?¡± Kate was still reeling from the shock, even though she was rather doubtful. ¡°I exined it clearly to you earlier, and I don¡¯t want to repeat myself,¡± Dustin brushed her off coldly. He wouldn¡¯t have disyed the badge if Dn and Kate hadn¡¯t harrassed Natasha. ¡°Kate Harmon, what do you say? Is there anything wrong with my boyfriend now?¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t resist taking a jab at Kate after she regained her confidence. She finally had the chance to relieve her frustration from being ridiculed and bullied just now. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t get ahead of yourselves! The Consultant Badge means nothing!¡± Kate¡¯s face scrunched up into a scowl. ¡°Exactly!¡± Dn chimed in, ¡°How did you get your hands on the Consultant Badge of the Hill family with your social standing? I bet the badge is a fake!¡± ¡°A fake?¡± Everyone exchanged cautious nces. It was public knowledge that the badge represented the Hill family. Whoever faked it would be courting death. ¡°Dn, that¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Natasha red at him. ¡°The Hill family crest is clearly engraved on the badge. Everyone sees it clearly. How can this be a fake?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you fake a family crest?¡± Dn boastfully assumed, ¡°It¡¯s just a silver badge. I can get a duplicate with ten thousand dors. What¡¯s so special about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a load of bull. No one would fake the Consultant Badge of the Hill family!¡± Natasha argued. ¡°Dustin Rhys was bold enough to face Tyler Grant. Faking a badge is child¡¯s y for him.¡± Dn chuckled ¡°Nonsense! And what proof do you have?¡± Natasha roared at him. ¡°Do you want proof? Fine.¡± Dn grinned and picked up the badge from the table. He gave it a squeeze with his hand, and the silver badge cracked as it contorted into the shape of a silver bar. Dustin frowned at Dn¡¯s act, while Natasha yelled, aghast, ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Ignoring the two, Dn showed off the crushed silver badge. ¡°Everyone knows that the Hill family Consultant Badge is made of special bulletproof, waterproof, and fireproof materials. But look at this thing. It falls apart like jelly when you squeeze it. How can this be authentic?¡° Chapter 580 ¡°That¡¯s right! The Hill family¡¯s Consultant Badge is as hard as steel. Only a counterfeit would be that brittle! Kate supported Dn¡¯s im, and everyone else nodded in realization. ¡°So, it¡¯s a fake after all. That gave me a good shock.¡± ¡°This guy knows no shame! I can¡¯t believe he created a counterfeit badge just for show. He¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s fortunate that Sir Dn was smart enough to see through him. Otherwise, we¡¯d all have been fooled!¡± Most of the crowd started berating Dustin. They trusted a wealthy son more than a lowlymoner. It was ironic how a sessful person could bber nonsense, and it would be taken as the absolute truth. While that same person, before bing sessful, could tell the absolute truth, and his words would be treated as garbage. Dustin spoke to Dn coldly, ¡°Dn Harmon, have you thought of the consequences of destroying the Consultant Badge and distorting the truth in public?¡± ¡°The consequences? Ha! You¡¯re the one tricking people with counterfeit items. I¡¯m just doing what is right,¡± Dn countered righteously. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve been kind enough to not hold you ountable. How dare you start a fuss with us?¡± Kate snorted. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t push it, you two!¡± Natasha was getting angry. Naturally, she hadplete trust in Dn. That was why she was certain Dn was distorting the truth earlier and ndering Dustin on purpose. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. We¡¯re all family. It¡¯s not a good look to be fighting here.¡± Trent intervened at the right time. It would be an embarrassment to the Harmons if their children broke out into a fight in front of their esteemed guests. ¡°I¡¯m going to put this matter aside on behalf of my uncle, Dustin.¡± Dn walked up to Dustin and passed him the ruined Consultant Badge. He mocked him, saying, ¡°Here, take your fake badge Original from N?velDrama.Org. back.¡± ¡°You know very well if it¡¯s fake or not.¡± Dustin was indifferent. Dn chuckled and whispered in his ear, ¡°Does it even matter? My words carry weight here. It¡¯s a fake if I say so. It doesn¡¯t matter if you feel wronged, Fucking keep it in. The world revolves around power and position, brat. A loser like you will only be worthy of being trampled by me. Remember, you¡¯re just an ant. Act like one. There are people you can¡¯t afford to offend, so suck it up!¡± Near the end, Dn gave up the pretense as his lips gradually widened into a winner¡¯s smile. ¡°My, my ¡­ You¡¯re not about to cry, are you? Please don¡¯t cry, or I¡¯ll beughing my ass off.¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes. ¡°People like you truly deserve a beating.¡± ¡°What? Are you angry? Come on, I¡¯m right here. Why don¡¯t you hit me? Do you dare?¡± Dn said provokingly. ¡°I¡¯m just going to dirty my hands if I hit you. But not to worry. I¡¯ll make you pay,¡± Dustin said nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me pay? Oh, I¡¯m looking forward to it. What are you nning on doing?¡± Dn chuckled teasingly. Instead of responding directly, Dustin patted Dn¡¯s shoulder. He said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Dn sneered. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be waiting. I¡¯m curious to see what tricks you have up your sleeves.¡± ¡°Dn, there¡¯s no need to waste your breath on him. Let¡¯s go back to our seats.¡± Kate nced at Dustin, her expression full of disdain. ¡°Kate, someone is threatening me. I¡¯m so scared¡­ Hahahaha!¡± Dn first put on a terrified, shaking act before dissolving into a loud cackle. However, hisughter suddenly ceased, and he froze; his expression betrayed his pain. He crumpled to the floor, blood spurting out of his mouth, and his body convulsed as his eyes rolled back in his head Chapter 581 ¡°Dn!¡± The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned. Nobody expected Dn to copse and spurt blood when he was stillughing a second ago. ¡°Get him to the hospital, quickly!¡± Hector made a prompt decision and ordered someone to carry Dn out ¡°Hey, brat! Did you do this?¡± Jacob was about to leave when he thought of something and turned back, his expression menacing. ¡°What does it have to do with me? It¡¯s his old injuries that resurfaced. If you¡¯re looking for someone to me, you should me Tyler since he attacked him earlier.¡± Dustin shrugged. ¡°You- Jacob was exasperated. However, he couldn¡¯t start a scene without evidence. ¡°Jacob. You should go now. It¡¯s more important to save Dn,¡± Hector reminded him. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jacob red at Dustin and left angrily, not wanting to waste any more time. Trent and Kate followed behind them. As the Harmons¡® most talented genius, Dn¡¯s safety would affect their future. He was already considered equal in standing to Hector, the family patriarch. ¡°Dear, what did you do to him?¡± Natasha got closer to Dustin and asked in a lowered voice. Something unusual clearly urred for Dn to suddenly copse and spurt blood. ¡°What could I do? It was mainly because of Tyler,¡± Dustin said seriously. ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that?¡± Natasha rolled her eyes. ¡°Nobody can hear us, so you¡¯d better tell me the truth.¡± ¡°Alright, I just aggravated his injuries and made it worse.¡± Dustin smiled. Dn had sustained internal injuries from Tyler¡¯s attack earlier. And when Dustin patted Dn¡¯s shoulder, he channeled another bout of violent true energy into his body. His unstable condition red up instantly. ¡°Will he die?¡± Natasha asked cautiously. Even though she didn¡¯t get along with Dn, he was still her uncle¡¯s only son. As they were rted by blood, she didn¡¯t wish for him to lose his life. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t die, but he¡¯ll be suffering for a while. Perhaps, he might even haveplications from it,¡± Dustin said meaningfully. In essence, Dn would grow weak and constantly struggle with illnesses. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t die, it doesn¡¯t matter. Serves him right!¡± Natasha was indignant. She was still upset about the time he spiked the wine. Since he was terrorizing others again, naturally, he should be taught a lesson. ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± Hector, who was standing not far away, suddenly interjected. ¡°Nothing.¡± Natasha grinned and changed the subject. ¡°Dad, if it weren¡¯t for Dustin, we would have been in big trouble!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Not bad. Seems like we¡¯re indebted to you again.¡± Hector nodded, looking impressed. He believed Dustin despite the skepticism from others. And that was because of what George said before he left. ¡°Not at all, Mr. Harmon. I didn¡¯t do much,¡± Dustin responded politely. ¡°Dad, are you not going to do anything as a show of appreciation?¡± Natasha was slightly upset. ¡°What do you suggest? How about I give him your hand in marriage?¡± Hector joked. ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 582 While Dustin froze, Natasha blushed. ¡°This¡­ this is too sudden. I¡¯m not prepared for it!¡± She followed that up by asking, ¡°Have you chosen a date? When are we getting married?¡± ¡°Hey, you thought I was for real? You should be embarrassed!¡± Hector red at her. Natasha pouted. ¡°You said it yourself. Why are you yelling at me instead?¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to get serious.¡± Hector¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. ¡°Even though we overcame the situation for now, this matter is far from over. With Tyler¡¯s personality, he will not take this sitting down.¡± ¡°Will Tyler still act recklessly with Lord Xenos and $ir Paul behind us?¡± Natasha raised an eyebrow. ¡°Tyler might not confront us directly, but he will definitely act behind the scenes.¡± Hector was solemn as he continued, ¡°Lord Xenos and Sir Paul have also repaid their favor. They won¡¯t help us a second time. We can only face him ourselves now.¡± ¡°Does that mean trouble will continue brewing for us?¡± Natasha looked pensive. ¡°There will be trouble, but the most important thing is Dustin¡¯s safety.¡± Hector turned his attention toward Dustin and warned him, ¡°Tyler is an unsympathetic and prideful man. Whether it was your involvement in Ja¡¯s death or your public confrontation with him, they were all unforgivable acts for him. You will be in danger going forward.¡± ¡°Thank you for the warning, Uncle Hector. I will take note.¡± Dustin nodded. He knew Tyler woulde after him to get revenge. But as long as Natasha was safe, there was nothing he feared. ¡°During this period, I¡¯ll deploy team one of our shadow guards to protect you. That should lessen some of your troubles.¡± Hector dered. ¡°Team one? They¡¯re your personal bodyguards, aren¡¯t they?¡± Natasha was astonished. The Harmons had six shadow guard teams. Team one was the most skilled, with a divine¨Clevel martial artist leading them. They were considered the Harmon family¡¯s trump card. However, since team one¡¯s responsibility was specifically to oversee the patriarch¡¯s safety, they weren¡¯t deployed easily. Hector responded, ¡°I don¡¯t need them for now. Let them protect Dustin.¡± ¡°Uncle Harmon, actually, I don¡¯t need protecting,¡± Dustin tried to decline. ¡°There are times when we slip up. With team one protecting you, they will act as an extra precaution to ensure your safety. Consider this our sincere gift to you. Don¡¯t refuse it.¡± Hector was Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. serious. Natasha nodded in agreement. ¡°My dad is right. Your safetyes first.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Since Hector had put it that way, there was no reason for Dustin to refuse any longer. Even though he wasn¡¯t afraid of Tyler, it would affect him slightly if Tyler decided to assassinate him. At least he could avoid unnecessary trouble with the shadow guards keeping watch on him. In the meantime, inside the Grant family mansion, Roger was seated on the sofa, appearing pensive. ¡°Tyler, The Harmons have Lord Xenos backing them now. It won¡¯t be easy to target them.¡± ¡°Even though we can¡¯t touch them publicly, no one said anything about acting in the dark.¡± Tyler stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze was unusually cold as he stared at a bird perched. on a tree outside the window. ? What ¡°Oh? What are your ns?¡± Roger was curious. ¡°I have a few friends in the martial arts world. I¡¯m going to get them to act and create chaos within the Harmon family!¡± Tyler spat out coldly. ¡°But, that¡¯s Paul¡¯s territory ¡­ ¡± Roger was at a loss for words. Paul was highly influential as a martial arts master. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s just an old man nearing death. While his words hold a certain weight, it won¡¯t be enough to stop me!¡± Tyler had a look of arrogance. ¡°It seems like you have everything arranged. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Roger asked cautiously. ¡°Just keep an eye on George¡¯s movements for me. As long as he doesn¡¯t enter the picture, I will y with the Harmons as I please!¡± Tyler clenched his fist. ¡¤ ¡°No problem. Leave it to me,¡± Roger vouched as he patted his chest. He wasn¡¯t brave enough to challenge Lord Xenos. However, it would be nothing if he just had to monitor his movements. After sending Roger off, Tyler suddenly turned around and faced a corner. ¡°That Dustin brat irritated me today. I asked you to kill him thest time, but I changed my mind. I want him to go. through a living hell!¡± ¡°Right away!¡± A shadow disappeared from the corner. Chapter 583 The next morning, at Nicholson Corp. Dustin reported to work as usual. As Chief Security Officer, his work was rtively easy. He would punch in in the morning and patrol the area with a few officers, and he would have free time after that. He could do anything he wanted since no one was there to keep watch on him Dustin had just sat down in his office when someone knocked on his door. He looked up and found that it was the Vice Chairman, Hank Hoffman. ¡°Mr. Rhys, are you free? Can I have a word with you?¡± Hank walked in the door with a smile. Remaining in his seat, Dustin greeted him. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Mr. Rhys, I had my friend bring back this aged Narcissus Tea from Mount Woui. I hope you like it. Hank took out a delicate gift box and ced it on his table. Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aged Narcissus Tea? This must be pretty expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just over a million dors.¡± Hank smiled Dustin declined his gift. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, this is too valuable. I can¡¯t afford to take it, you should keep it for yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t like to drink tea. I have another present prepared. Still smiling, he took out a check from his pocket and said, ¡°Here are three million dors. Consider it a kind gesture of mine. I hope you ept it.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you¡¯re giving me gifts and money. What exactly is the meaning of this?¡± Dustin questioned him straightforwardly. Hank chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d like to be friends with you, Mr. Rhys.¡± He shed Dustin a meaningful smile. ¡°I know you are close to Dahlia, but you won¡¯t have a future if you continue working for her. She¡¯s just ady. She won¡¯t be able to aplish great things.¡± Dustin¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, I hope you can help me out. I¡¯ll treat you well. The gifts I¡¯ve given you today are just the start of many. There¡¯ll be more benefits for you going forward.¡± Hank started revealing his true intentions. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for you to ask me to betray Ms. Nicholson,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°Mr. Rhys, the world revolves around gains. Dahlia pays you only a measly sry. Why would you still be loyal to her?¡± Seeing hisck of reaction, Hank continued to persuade him. ¡°As long as you agree to my terms, I¡¯ll make sure you end up as Vice Chairman when I be the Chairman!¡± The only reason Hank gave him such a lucrative offer was due to his identity as the me Dragon gang leader. He knew that with Dustin backing Dahlia, it would be difficult to remove her from her position. That was why he needed to get Dustin on his side to achieve his goals. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you sure have confidence in me. Sadly, I¡¯m not interested in your terms.¡± Dustin gave him an ambiguous smile. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What are you interested in, then? I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill it as long as it¡¯s within my means. Hank responded hastily. ¡°Nothing. I just want you to obediently stay as Vice Chairman and not push the boundaries.¡± Dustin¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. ¡°What?¡± Hank furrowed his brows. ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Rhys?¡± Dustin responded coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t get it? Let me make it clearer. Going forward, Dahlia will always remain the Chairman of thispany. Anyone who wishes to dispose of her will answer to me, understood?¡± Hank¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Mr. Rhys, does that mean this is out of discussion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in discussing anything with you. Now, get out. I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡± Dustin waved his hand in annoyance. ¡°Fine, I hope you don¡¯te to regret it!¡± Hank let out an audible scoff and left the room after packing up. He could only seek other methods since he was unsessful in bribing Dustin. ¡°He wants to bribe me with a few million dors? Does he think I¡¯m poor?¡± Dustin was annoyed. He was a billionaire. That small amount of money was insignificant to him. Suddenly, Dustin¡¯s phone rang. Chapter 584 Dustin answered the call and instantly heard Julie¡¯s voice ring through the speakers, ¡°Dustin, Dahlia got into a traffic ident! Come and help us out, quick!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°An ident?¡± Startled, Dustin probed for more information. ¡°What happened? Is she hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll send you our location. Come here right now!¡± Julie urged. ¡°Okay!¡± Without wasting any time,, Dustin ended the call and rushed out the door. Over at Dahlia¡¯s side, a Maserati and a Bentley had run into each other on the streets. Both cars were heavily damaged, and there were shards of car ss scattered around the point of collision. After the collision, several young men and women came out of the Bentley, and at the forefront of the group was a youngdy with hair that was dyed a bright red, and d in luxurious branded goods from head to toe. After she got out of her car, she immediately went up to Dahlia¡¯s car and began banging on the window, yelling rudely, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you fucking drive? Get out of the goddamn car right now!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Yeah, get the hell out, woman!¡± The rest of them, who were together with the red¨Chaireddy, also began kicking and banging on Dahlia¡¯s car threateningly. ¡°Stop it!¡± Julie opened the car door and got out, shouting at them, ¡°Why are you behaving like such hooligans? You were the ones who made an illegal U¨Cturn and broke thew! You are fully responsible for the ident!¡± ¡°Full responsibility, my ass!¡± The red¨Chaireddy gave Julie a hard p across the face. ¡°Quit running your mouth here! You ran into my car, so pay up!¡± ¡°Y¨Cyou hit me? Have you any idea who I am?¡± Julie was shocked and enraged as she cupped her stinging cheek in her hand. ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re trying to challenge me, aren¡¯t you? Very well, tell me, who are you?¡± The red¨Chaired lady sniggered. ¡°You¡¯d be terrified!¡± Julie said haughtily, ¡°She¡¯s Dahlia Nicholson, chairperson of Nicholson Corp! And I am her cousin¨Ccum¨Csecretary!¡± ¡°Nicholson Corp.?¡± The red¨Chaireddy made a face when she heard that. ¡°What trash is that? I¡¯ve never even heard of it before!¡± ¡°That¡¯s only because you¡¯re ignorant! I¡¯m warning you, if you do not wish things to blow out of hand, you better pay up and apologize or you¡¯ll be sorry!¡± Julie threatened her meanly. ¡°Fucking hell! How dare you threaten me, you bitch?¡± With a nasty re, the red¨Chaireddy struck Julie across the face once again. The resounding smack sent Julie staggering backward and falling t on the ground, breaking a tooth in the process. ¡°Y¨Cyou¨Cyou! How dare you strike me again? You¡¯re going to regret this!¡± Fuming, Julie scrambled up to her feet beforeunching herself at the red¨Chaireddy, ready to get down and dirty. ¡°You insolent fool!¡± She smirked as she sent a punch straight to Julie¡¯s guts. With a horrifying shriek, Julie fell to her knees and everything she had left in her stomach came rushing out. ¡°Stop this!¡± Seeing that things were about to get ugly, Dahlia swiftly went forward to help Julie up before she turned around and shouted at the red¨Chaireddy, ¡°Who gave you the right to hit others? ¡± ¡°I do as I please! What, are you not happy? Why don¡¯t I give you a good beating too, huh?¡± She shot Dahlia a re. ¡°You¡¯re going too far!¡± Dahlia was infuriated. She didn¡¯t expect these people to be so rude and aggressive. They were clearly the ones who were in the wrong, and yet they showed no remorse and even resorted to physically assaulting others. They were way too arrogant! Chapter 585 ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going too far now, am I? Well, so what if I am? What are you going to do about it?¡± The red- haireddy stood with arms akimbo as she red daggers at Dahlia. ¡°I¡¯ve called the cops! You better not act rashly!¡± Dahlia warned. She had Julie make several calls. as soon as they had the ident. ¡°The cops?¡± The red¨Chaired girlughed obnoxiously as her friends behind her watched on. unkindly, obviously having no regard for the authorities. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯d be daunted by mere cops? I¡¯ll have you know, I can kill you right this instant and chuck you into the ocean as fish food, and no one will be able to do anything about it!¡± Sheughed nastily. ¡°Surely you can¡¯t be above thew!¡± Dahlia shook her head with a frown, her brows furrowed. ¡°Thew? Haha! I am the fuckingw! Now, pay me ten million dors, or I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of!¡± The red¨Chaireddy threatened. ¡°Ten million dors? That¡¯s daylight robbery!¡± Julie was aggravated. Even if she had bought that car in cash, it¡¯d only amount to slightly over two million at best, so if they were to pay for the repair cost, several hundred thousand would be more than enough. For her to demand ten million dors aspensation was pure extortion, and most importantly, she was the one who was in the wrong, so why should they be the ones paying her? ¡°Cut the crap!¡± The red¨Chaireddy shot them a re. ¡°You have only two options. One, you pay me; or two, I break your legs!¡± ¡°You! That¡¯s just robbery!¡± Julie was exasperated. ¡°So what if I am?¡± She delivered a kick to Julie which sent her sprawling to the ground once again. ¡°Keep running your mouth and see if I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Dahlia stepped between them, hiding Julie behind her. ¡°Youy another finger on her and you¡¯ll pay dearly for it!¡± she roared. The red¨Chaireddy raised her hand and pped Dahlia hard on the face. ¡°Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?¡± ¡°You!¡± Dahlia held her red and swollen face in her hand, her expression livid. These people were downright barbaric! ¡°I¡¯ll say this onest time, pay up, or you¡¯ll be sorry!¡± ¡°We did nothing wrong! Why should we pay?¡± Dahlia argued. ¡°You¡¯re not paying? Then I guess I¡¯ll just sh your face up!¡± With a vicious smile, the red¨Chaireddy continued, ¡°It¡¯d be a pity for you to lose your pretty little face! I¡¯d like to see if you¡¯d dare to show up in public again after I¡¯m done with you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Try me!¡± With a wave of her hand, the red¨Chaireddy called out to her friends, ¡°Guys, hold her still!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Her friends came forward with mean smiles on their faces as they pinned Dahlia to the Chapt¨¦ 595 hood of the car. ¡°I must say, you¡¯ve got a perfect face!¡± The red¨Chaireddy took out a pocket knife and began gently grazing it on Dahlia¡¯s face. ¡°But I do not like seeing things perfect, so I guess I¡¯ll just have to ruin it!¡± And then she raised her hand and brought it down to Dahlia¡¯s face quickly. But before the knife came in contact with Dahlia¡¯s face, a loud ng was heard as a silver needle flew through the air, urately hitting the knife¡¯s de. A sharp pain shot through the red- haireddy¡¯s hand, and the pocket knife she had in her hand ttered to the ground. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who did that?¡± She whipped her head around quickly with a dark expression. ¡°What gave you the guts to assault others in broad daylight?¡± A handsome man walked out from behind the car. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Dustin?¡± Dahlia and Julie were both ted to see him. It was as though he was their savior, as they had yet to see him lose in a fight. When Dustin noticed Dahlia¡¯s swollen cheeks, his expression darkened and his gaze became sharp. ¡°Where did youe from? And why are you sticking your nose in other people¡¯s business?¡± the red¨C haireddy asked hostilely. ¡°You wretched bitch! That man is the head of security for ourpany! You¡¯re in deep trouble today!¡± Julie shouted haughtily now that Dustin was there. ¡°Hah! And here I was wondering who this rascal was. So it turns out that he¡¯s nothing but a security guard?¡± The red¨Chaireddy scoffed contemptuously. ¡°Looks like someone is trying to be the hero here to save the day now? Take a look in the mirror! If you know what¡¯s good for you, you better get lost, or I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you too!¡° Chapter 586 The young men and women, who were with the red¨Chaireddy, began moring, disregarding Dustin¡¯s presence. ¡°Get down on your knees and apologize, or I¡¯ll break your arms and legs!¡± Dustin demanded coldly. ¡°My! cocky, aren¡¯t you?¡± One of the men walked up to Dustin and poked him in the chest rudely, taunting him as he did so, ¡°Do you know who we are, loser? How dare you act so arrogantly with us? I¡¯ll-¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he was struck with full force across the face. A loud p could be heard as he was sent flying through the air, crashing through a car window head¨Cfirst. The top half of his body went right through the window and into the car, whereas the other half of his body dangled outside of the car. ¡°How dare you p my friend? Do you have a death wish?¡± Thedy with the red hair was infuriated by Dustin¡¯s actions. In one swift motion, sheunched herself toward Dustin at an unbelievable speed. When she got near, she threw a punch at Dustin with all her might, making a whooshing sound. She was obviously a trained martial artist. Then, without even the slightest change in expression, Dustin grabbed her fist and gave it a firm tug. A loud cracking sound was heard, and her arm was instantly fractured. Shocked by what had happened, she stood there, frozen in ce. It wasn¡¯t until the pain hit her that she finally let out a blood¨Ccurdling shriek. But midway through her shriek, she was cut off by a hand grabbing at her throat. ¡°Since your parents didn¡¯t raise you right, I¡¯ll educate you on some manners today.¡± Without saying anything else, Dustin went ahead and gave her two hard ps on the face. Thedy with the red hair saw stars, and her nose bled from the impact. ¡°Y¨Cyou hit me? Do you even know who I am? I¡¯m Maggie Doyle from the prestigious Doyle family! Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°The red¨Chaireddy red fiercely at Dustin. ¡°The Doyle family?¡± Julie, who had been gloating over Maggie¡¯s misfortune, immediately paled. The Doyle family was one of the Fabulous Five and had deep roots in Millsburg. They also had strong connections, making them incredibly powerful. With the level of influence the Doyle family possessed, Julie knew that none of them could afford to offend her. ¡°What?¡± Dahlia frowned slightly as her expression turned grave. No wonder she was acting so arrogantly! It was because she had the Doyle family backing her up! That made things difficult. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Miss Doyle! This is all just a misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t be mad; we¡¯ll pay you for your loss!¡± Julie immediately apologized to Maggie respectfully once she wrapped her head around the piece of information. After she was done apologizing, she shouted at Dustin, ¡°Hey Dustin! What are you doing? Let go of Miss Doyle right this instant!¡± ¡°Hahaha! So you¡¯re scared now? I told you that you were going to regret it!¡± Maggie smirked sinisterly. ¡°And you bastard, weren¡¯t you all high and mighty just a while ago? Where¡¯s your arrogant attitude now? You crossed a line when you ced your hands on me! You better get down Chapter of on your knees and apologize to us. And break your arms yourself, or I¡¯ll see to it that you die such a horrible death that you regret the day you were born!¡± ¡°Quick, Dustin! Get on your knees and apologize! I do not want to be implicated!¡± Julie urged. ¡°Down on your knees!¡± ¡°Get down!¡± ¡°Go on, down on your knees!¡± Maggie¡¯s friends yelled at Dustin. They were already used to seeing such situations because, no matter who it was, as long as they found out Maggie¡¯s identity, they would bend to her will. And that was a show of true power. ¡°On my knees, was it? Very well.¡± Dustin nodded. Then he grabbed a hold of Maggie, mming her to the ground. With a dull thud, Maggie fell heavily to her knees. Instantly, her knees were a bloody mess of flesh, blood, and bones. Everyone fell silent. Chapter 587 ¡°Ahhh!¡± Maggie, who had her kneecaps fractured, let out an ear¨Cpiercing scream. She fell t on the ground and rolled around in pain. ¡°What?¡± Everyone was shocked by what they saw. None of them had expected Dustin to hurt Maggie, even after she revealed her identity. He truly showed her no mercy. But she was the daughter of the great Doyle family! No matter where she went, people always tried their best to please her, and nobody dared cross her. It was beyond everyone¡¯sprehension that Dustin would actually break her kneecaps! It was insane! ¡°Are you out of your flipping mind, Dustin? Do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± After the initial shock wore off, Julie leaped to her feet, her face white as a sheet. ¡°You! How dare you hurt Miss Doyle? You¡¯re done for! All of you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The Doyles aren¡¯t ever going to let you go! This is no longer about the money!¡± Maggie¡¯s friends mored in fury. As scions of wealthy families, they were all used to bullying others; never the other way around. This rascal had bit off more than he could chew! Original from N?velDrama.Org. You arrogant, overbearing bullies. I¡¯m just teaching you a lesson for bullying those weaker than you. If you¡¯re not happy with it,e at me anytime,¡± Dustin said indifferently. This was not the first time he had crossed a Doyle. He had beaten Duncan Doyle up not too long ago, and it didn¡¯t make much of a difference to him anymore to offend Maggie, who was also a Doyle. ¡°You¡¯re a gutsy one, bastard! We¡¯re not done with you!¡± And with that, Maggie¡¯s friends quickly helped her up and ran away. If even Maggie, who came from a family with a strong martial arts background, could not go against Dustin, they¡¯d be done for if they challenged him. ¡°You¨Cyou¨Cyou! You¡¯re a nutjob! You¡¯ve put all of us in trouble now by messing with Miss Doyle!¡± Julie was terrified. Now that Maggie was in such a state, the Doyles were certainly not going to back off. And not only was Dustin going to be in trouble, but Julie would also be implicated. Influential and wealthy families like the Doyles were impossible to reason with once they decided to seek revenge. ¡°Dustin! You were too impulsive!¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows were tightly knitted, and her expression was dark. She had yet to make a name for herself in Millsburg, and things would only be more difficult for her now that they had offended such a powerful family as the Doyles. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m not afraid of their retaliation.¡± Dustin was unbothered by their reactions. ¡°Hah! You say that now! The Doyles are such an influential and wealthy family! How can you afford to get on their bad side?¡± Julie screamed at him. ¡°It¡¯s true, I can¡¯t. But some people can. I know some people in Millburg who can easily deal with this,¡± Dustin said calmly. ¡°You mean Natasha Harmon, don¡¯t you?¡± Dahlia asked huffily, her wordsced with sarcasm. Well, if you have her help, things might just work out fine. After all, you¡¯re such lovebirds, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chacte 587 ¡°What are you thinking, Dahlia? Do I look like such a boy toy who gets a woman to protect me?¡± Dustin rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Both Dahlia and Julie eximed in unison. Dustin was left speechless. Why did everyone think that he was a boy toy? When, in fact, he had worked hard and honestly for all his aplishments? Maybe he really shouldn¡¯t have kept such a low profile all this time. Just then, Julie¡¯s phone rang. She picked it up, and soon after, her face fell. ¡°What? You¡¯ve found Terrence? Where is he? Sure. We¡¯ll be there right away!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dahlia asked. Chapter 588 ¡°Mom just called me to say that someone spotted Terrence having a meal at Saffron Restaurant. She¡¯s heading over with Aunt Florence and wants us toe along to catch the swindler too!¡± Julie told Dahlia. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Terrence Stone? How dare that cheat show his face in public again?¡± Dahlia was furious. He had nearly made her family go bankrupt because of the issue with the abandoned building. In the end, it was Dustin who took one for the family and bought it over. Hence, she had nothing good to say about Terrence. ¡°Stop being idle, Dustin! Go, get a car! We need to make Terrence give back all the money he ripped us off!¡± Julie said resentfully. ¡°I¡¯ve bought over the abandoned building, so neither of you made any losses. Why are you both so worked up?¡± Dustin couldn¡¯tprehend their anger. ¡°Hey! What do you mean? A con man like Terrence needs to be taught a lesson! We should act for justice!¡± Julie dered righteously. ¡°Is that so?¡± Dustin smiled. He knew very well what was going on in Julie¡¯s head. Her deration of justice was bullshit. She was just peeved that she was scammed, so she wanted to get some form ofpensation from Terrence. Taking a different car, the three of them hurried off to Saffron Restaurant. Saffron Restaurant was a nice eatery with a good ambiance, excellent service, and exquisite food, so it was only to be expected that a ce like that would charge exorbitant prices. Over in a private room at Saffron Restaurant, Terrence, who had dressed up shily, was having a meal with the wrong kind of people. ¡°I¡¯ve got good news for you, Terrence.¡± After having one too many drinks, a man with a rounded face said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard from some official sources that the abandoned construction site will be developed as a key project. Its value is rapidly increasing now!¡± ¡°What did you say? Key project?¡± Terrence was stunned by what he heard. ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you, Richie? That ce¡¯s trash! Why would anyone invest money in developing it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± The man with the rounded face said, ¡°My father works with the relevant department, and the information has been confirmed! There¡¯s no mistaking that!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy that plot ofnd where the abandoned construction is, Terrence?¡± Someone asked. ¡°That¡¯s right! I recall that too! I could not understand why Terrence would buy that piece ofnd back then! In hindsight, I guess you already knew about it then, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re something else, Terrence! How could you predict where the developments would be? Do you have some sort of insider information?¡± ¡°Congrattions, Terrence! You¡¯ve struck gold this time around! Don¡¯t forget about us when you make it big!¡± Terrence¡¯s friend ttered him and tried to court his favor. Terrence, however, sat frozen where he was for a long time. Never had he dreamed that the abandoned construction site that nobody wanted anything to do with would suddenly transform into such a valuable piece ofnd overnight! ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Terrence? Are you feeling alright?¡± Terrence¡¯s friend asked. ¡°Hahaha! He must be having problemsing to terms with the fact that he¡¯s going to be filthy rich!¡± Someone jested. ¡°Ri¨CRichie, how much does that abandoned building cost now?¡± Terrence asked tentatively. ¡°At least two billion!¡± Richie said. ¡°Two billion?¡± Terrence felt like he¡¯d been struck by lightning, and he nched. Under everyone¡¯s disbelieving gaze, Terrence gave himself two ps on the face. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m the greatest idiot!¡± How could he have just sold off a plot ofnd worth two billion dors? Was there anyone out there more dumb than him? Just as everyone wondered what was wrong with Terrence, the door of the private room was kicked open with a loud bang. Then, Florence, Victoria, and a few others barged in through the door. And they were fuming. ¡°Terrence Stone! There you are!¡± ¡°Give me back my money! Give me all the money that you¡¯ve swindled off me!¡± Chapter 589 ¡°You swindler! Give me back my money!¡± Florence began shouting aggressively the moment she entered. She had even gotten several stout and burly women toe along with her to back her 1. up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± A sudden feeling of guilt came over Terrence, and his expression changed. He had not expected them to barge in while he was having a meal. ¡°How are we going to catch the swindler if we didn¡¯te here personally?¡± Victoria shot him a re. ¡°That¡¯s right! How dare you enjoy dining in such a luxurious ce after cheating us of our money? You¡¯re utterly shameless!¡± Florence demanded with her hands on her hips. ¡°Who are these shrews, Terrence? Should we throw them out?¡± Terrence¡¯s friends asked meanly. Terrence was about to be the wealthiest one among them, so they were all dying to suck up to him. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I know them.¡± An idea came to Terrence, and he quickly told his friends, ¡°You guys head on back for now. I¡¯ve got some personal matters to deal with. I¡¯ll buy you all a meal some other day.¡± And with that, he urged his friends to leave the private room. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about what tricks you have up your sleeves, Terrence. Give me my money now! ¡°Victoria was not about to back off any time soon. ¡°Victoria, let¡¯s sit down and talk, shall we? Don¡¯t get all worked up.¡± With a smile on his face, he poured everyone a cup of tea. ¡°Cut the crap, you swindler!¡± Not wishing to waste her time on him, Victoria knocked the cup of tea over. ¡°I don¡¯t think I follow, Victoria. When have I swindled you?¡± Terrence pretended not to understand what she was going on about. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re still trying to deny what you¡¯ve done?¡± Victoria shot daggers at him with her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re ying the fool with us, are you? Here, I¡¯ll help jog your memory. A week ago, you swindled us into purchasing the plot ofnd where the abandoned building was, for a total of a hundred million dors. Do you remember now?¡± Florence¡¯s piercing gaze bore into Terrence. That piece ofnd had nearly caused her to go bankrupt, and she still had recurring nightmares about it. ¡°You¡¯re both mistaken!¡± Terrence sighed and acted like he had been wronged. ¡°About that piece of land, that was all because of my friend. I¡¯m a victim just like you! I¡¯d been cheated out of my money too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s rubbish! Do you think we¡¯d buy that?¡± Victoria had a skeptical expression. ¡°She¡¯s right! Why did you disappear for the past few days if you¡¯re a victim too? We couldn¡¯t find you, nor could we contact you. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve conspired against us together with your friend! ¡°Florence shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I really am a victim too!¡± With the most miserable look he could manage, Terrence said, ¡°I haven¡¯t shown myself for the past few days because I was too ashamed to face you! Besides, I¡¯ve Terrence¡¯s friend ttered him and tried to court his favor. Terrence, however, sat frozen where he was for a long time. Never had he dreamed that the abandoned construction site that nobody wanted anything to do with would suddenly transform into such a valuable piece ofnd overnight! ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Terrence? Are you feeling alright?¡± Terrence¡¯s friend asked. ¡°Hahaha! He must be having problemsing to terms with the fact that he¡¯s going to be filthy rich!¡± Someone jested. ¡°Ri¨CRichie, how much does that abandoned building cost now?¡± Terrence asked tentatively. ¡°At least two billion!¡± Richie said. ¡°Two billion?¡± Terrence felt like he¡¯d been struck by lightning, and he nched. Under everyone¡¯s disbelieving gaze, Terrence gave himself two ps on the face. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m the greatest idiot!¡± How could he have just sold off a plot ofnd worth two billion dors? Was there anyone out there more dumb than him? Just as everyone wondered what was wrong with Terrence, the door of the private room was kicked open with a loud bang. Then, Florence, Victoria, and a few others barged in through the door. And they were fuming. ¡°Terrence Stone! There you are!¡± ¡°Give me back my money! Give me all the money that you¡¯ve swindled off me!¡± ¡°You swindler! Give me back my money!¡± Florence began shouting aggressively the moment she entered. She had even gotten several stout and burly women toe along with her to back her 1. up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± A sudden feeling of guilt came over Terrence, and his expression changed. He had not expected them to barge in while he was having a meal. ¡°How are we going to catch the swindler if we didn¡¯te here personally?¡± Victoria shot him a re. ¡°That¡¯s right! How dare you enjoy dining in such a luxurious ce after cheating us of our money? You¡¯re utterly shameless!¡± Florence demanded with her hands on her hips. ¡°Who are these shrews, Terrence? Should we throw them out?¡± Terrence¡¯s friends asked meanly. Terrence was about to be the wealthiest one among them, so they were all dying to suck up to him. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I know them.¡± An idea came to Terrence, and he quickly told his friends, ¡°You guys head on back for now. I¡¯ve got some personal matters to deal with. I¡¯ll buy you all a meal some other day.¡± And with that, he urged his friends to leave the private room. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about what tricks you have up your sleeves, Terrence. Give me my money now! ¡°Victoria was not about to back off any time soon. ¡°Victoria, let¡¯s sit down and talk, shall we? Don¡¯t get all worked up.¡± With a smile on his face, he poured everyone a cup of tea. ¡°Cut the crap, you swindler!¡± Not wishing to waste her time on him, Victoria knocked the cup of tea over. ¡°I don¡¯t think I follow, Victoria. When have I swindled you?¡± Terrence pretended not to understand what she was going on about. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re still trying to deny what you¡¯ve done?¡± Victoria shot daggers at him with her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re ying the fool with us, are you? Here, I¡¯ll help jog your memory. A week ago, you swindled us into purchasing the plot ofnd where the abandoned building was, for a total of a hundred million dors. Do you remember now?¡± Florence¡¯s piercing gaze bore into Terrence. That piece ofnd had nearly caused her to go bankrupt, and she still had recurring nightmares about it. ¡°You¡¯re both mistaken!¡± Terrence sighed and acted like he had been wronged. ¡°About that piece of land, that was all because of my friend. I¡¯m a victim just like you! I¡¯d been cheated out of my money too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s rubbish! Do you think we¡¯d buy that?¡± Victoria had a skeptical expression. ¡°She¡¯s right! Why did you disappear for the past few days if you¡¯re a victim too? We couldn¡¯t find you, nor could we contact you. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve conspired against us together with your friend! ¡°Florence shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I really am a victim too!¡± With the most miserable look he could manage, Terrence said, ¡°I haven¡¯t shown myself for the past few days because I was too ashamed to face you! Besides, I¡¯ve Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. been trying to locate my friend to get him to pay back the money that he ripped off of you! I¡¯ve been doing that for you!¡± ¡°You im to be so righteous, but where¡¯s our money?¡± Florence demanded. She wasn¡¯t going to believe his big talk anymore. If he did not return their money, everything he said was as good as trash. ¡°My friend has disappeared without a trace. I suspect that he has long since fled to another city.¡± Terrence sighed deeply. ¡°Hah! I knew you were going to say that!¡± Florence smiled sardonically. ¡°Although my friend has run off with your money, I¡¯ll take full responsibility for the money you¡¯ve lost!¡± He dered righteously with a resolute demeanor. Everyone was taken aback by his words, and they all had an astonished expression on their faces. It was beyond their expectation that he would take responsibility for the matter, as they thought that he would deny everything. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯ll pay us our money?¡± Victoria asked tentatively. ¡°Of course!¡± Terrence nodded earnestly. ¡°I may be a victim too, but at the end of the day, all of you were implicated only because of me, so I¡¯ll pay you what you lost in full!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Florence and Victoria exchanged a sheepish nce. For a moment, neither of them knew how to react. Chapter 590 Florence and Victoria came for Terrence to get their money back. In fact, they were prepared to resort to violence to get things done, ready to teach him a lesson the moment Terrence tried to pull anything funny. However, they had not foreseen that he would readily admit his mistakes and even humbly tell them that he would pay them for their loss. For a moment, both of them were unsure if he really was a swindler. Could it be possible that Terrence was indeed innocent? ¡°If you truly are a victim too, Terrence, where would you get the money to pay us back?¡± Florence was doubtful. ¡°Indeed, I do not have the money right now, but I can borrow some from people around me.¡± Terrence sighed before he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve got some connections here in Millsburg, and I have plenty of friends. Did you see those people who were here with me earlier on? I invited them here for a meal so that I could borrow some money from them to pay you your loss.¡± Florence and Victoria were moved by his words. They were impressed by his resolution to pay them their money and even went as far as to borrow money from others. From the looks of things, they had misunderstood him. ¡°Have you gotten any money from them yet, Terrence?¡± Victoria mellowed down and asked cautiously. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°I have, and it¡¯s just enough to cover your loss.¡± Terrence nodded. ¡°Well, we¡¯re not in a rush to get the money back. You can take your time. It¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re fine.¡± Victoria smiled sheepishly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! We were too impulsive and misunderstood you. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Florence quickly added. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s brought you trouble. A man should make right what he¡¯s done wrong. I¡¯ll transfer you the money now.¡± Terrence took out his phone and was about to make the transaction. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re all family! What¡¯s the rush?¡± Florence smiled radiantly at him. ¡°My bank ount number is 622700030¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Terrence suddenly stopped midway through typing in his password and pretended as if he had just thought of something. I can give you your money back, but the ownership of the plot ofnd with the abandoned construction should be transferred back to me.¡± ¡°Why would you want that? It¡¯s basically worthless, Victoria asked. ¡°It¡¯s not about how much it¡¯s worth. Since I¡¯m borrowing money from my friends, it only makes sense that I give them something as coteral, and I think that piece ofnd will work just fine.¡± Terrence exined earnestly. ¡°I see¡­¡± Victoria nodded and continued, ¡°But the ownership of that piece ofnd is no longer with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not with you?¡± Terrence¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did you sell it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Victoria grinned gleefully. ¡°We sold that piece ofnd to a gullible person.¡± ¡°Who was it? Who was the one that bought it?¡± Terrence leaped out of his seat anxiously. Damn it! been trying to locate my friend to get him to pay back the money that he ripped off of you! I¡¯ve been doing that for you!¡± ¡°You im to be so righteous, but where¡¯s our money?¡± Florence demanded. She wasn¡¯t going to believe his big talk anymore. If he did not return their money, everything he said was as good as trash. ¡°My friend has disappeared without a trace. I suspect that he has long since fled to another city.¡± Terrence sighed deeply. ¡°Hah! I knew you were going to say that!¡± Florence smiled sardonically. ¡°Although my friend has run off with your money, I¡¯ll take full responsibility for the money you¡¯ve lost!¡± He dered righteously with a resolute demeanor. Everyone was taken aback by his words, and they all had an astonished expression on their faces. It was beyond their expectation that he would take responsibility for the matter, as they thought that he would deny everything. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯ll pay us our money?¡± Victoria asked tentatively. ¡°Of course!¡± Terrence nodded earnestly. ¡°I may be a victim too, but at the end of the day, all of you were implicated only because of me, so I¡¯ll pay you what you lost in full!¡± Well. Florence and Victoria exchanged a sheepish nce. For a moment, neither of them knew how to react. Chapter 591 ¡°Speak of the devil! The simpleton is here!¡± Florence had barely finished her sentence when a group of three came in through the doors of Saffron Restaurant. It was none other than Dustin, Dahlia, and Julie. ¡°Terrence Stone!¡± Julie¡¯s eyes swept the ce once she entered. She quickly spotted Terrence in the private room and stormed over angrily. ¡°Julie, hear me out!¡± Terrence was just about to exin himself with an awkward smile on his face when, without any prior warning, Julie pped him across the face. Caught off guard, he cupped his cheek with his hand, unable to react. ¡°Why are you being so aggressive, Julie?¡± Victoria reprimanded her immediately. ¡°Why are you defending him, Mom? Did he not deserve that?¡± Beside herself with anger, Julie saw nothing wrong with her actions. He deserved that p very much for cheating her money and taking advantage of her feelings for him. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken! Terrence isn¡¯t a swindler!¡± Victoria swiftly pulled Julie aside. ¡°He¡¯s not a swindler? Well, if he isn¡¯t a swindler, are you implying that I¡¯m the liar? Has something gotten into you, Mom? Why are you defending him? Julie¡¯s fury was unabated. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Listen to me, I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­¡± Without any room for hesitation, Victoria exined to Julie in detail everything that Terrence had told them earlier. She made the whole thing sound so reasonable and made Terrence out to be the most considerate person, convincing Julie with her genuine and sincere words. When paired with Terrence¡¯s miserable expression, Julie could not help but be convinced. ¡°What? So Terrence is innocent? I was wrong in hitting him, then?¡± Julie was convinced by the story that Victoria told her and quickly realized that she was wrong. ¡°Exactly! You acted too impulsively. Quick, apologize to Terrence!¡± Victoria instructed her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Terrence; I didn¡¯t mean to do that. Does it still hurt? Here, I¡¯ll rub the pain away.¡± Julie¡¯s attitude took a 180¨Cdegree turn, and she apologized gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I was the one who did not tell you the full story, that¡¯s why you thought I was a swindler.¡± Terrence forced a smile. ¡°You should have told me earlier how things were We can always face problems together. It hurts me to see you in such turmoil,¡± Julie said emotionally as she sped Terrence¡¯s hand in her own. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Dustin was left speechless when he saw how lovey¨Cdovey they were acting. Were these people dimwits? How could they be fooled by Terrence with just a few words? Too ashamed to meet them? Went around borrowing money from others just to pay them back? How could anyone buy such garbage? Dustin thought, ¡°No wonder they were swindled.¡± How else would Terrence be able to trick them if it weren¡¯t for them being such foolish people? At the thought of that, Dustin took a nce at Dahlia beside him and noticed that she had a doubtful and wary expression. It seemed like she did not believe a single word Terrence said. ¡°Alright, alright. Now that we have got everything straight, we¡¯re all still family,¡± Victoria said. Joyfully. She was pleased with Terrence as a person. He was a promising young man who was very considerate. She deemed him a good catch for her daughter. ¡°Ah, right. Terrence suddenly turned to Dustin. ¡°Dustin, I heard from Victoria that they sold the abandoned construction site to you. Is that true?¡± ¡°It is What about it?¡± Dustin did nothing to hide the fact that he¡¯d bought thend. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Terrence heaved a sigh of relief. Then, with a smile on his face, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like taking advantage of others. Since I was the one who brought this problem upon all of you, I can¡¯t continue to let you bear the loss. I¡¯ll purchase the piece ofnd from you at the original price that you bought it for.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll purchase it?¡± Julie¡¯s face fell when she heard that. In a hushed tone, she whispered, ¡± Terrence, have you lost your mind? It wasn¡¯t easy selling off that trashy piece ofnd! Why are you even buying it back? Why would you bring such loss upon yourself?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that, Julie!¡± Terrence put on a righteous facade. ¡°Dustin is my friend. Since something as bad as this has happened, we cannot take advantage of him! We must be righteous and hold fast to our principles!¡± ¡°But-¡± Julie was about to retort, but Terrence waved her off. ¡°Say no more. A real man must stand up for his actions. We should not lose our principles just for a little benefit!¡± With Terrence¡¯s little righteous speech, almost everyone looked at him with admiration. Especially Julie, who looked at him like he had a halo over his head. Chapter 592 That was the mannerism of a true gentleman! At that moment, Terrence appeared heroic. ¡°You¡¯re in luck, Dustin! What are you waiting for? Why aren¡¯t you thanking Terrence? He decided to buy that rubbish off your hands!¡± Julie announced proudly. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. We¡¯re all friends. I can¡¯t bear to see you suffer such a loss. Just give me the ownership of that piece ofnd, and we¡¯ve got a deal,¡± Terrence said with an amiable smile. ¡°When did I agree to the deal?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°What?¡± Terrence thought that he had heard Dustin wrong. He never thought that he would be rejected. Julie and the rest of them were astonished too. Unable toprehend what was going on in Dustin¡¯s head, they assumed that he had lost his marbles. After all, who would turn down money and choose to hold on to a piece of trash? ¡°Dustin, did you not hear what I said? The abandoned construction site is worth nothing, and you have no use for it! Why don¡¯t you just sell it to me?¡± Terrence tried to talk some sense into Dustin. ¡°Why do you want it if it¡¯s worth nothing?¡± Dustin countered. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your sake, of course!¡± Terrence said with all earnestness. ¡°The reason all this happened was because of me. I trusted someone who I should not have trusted, but I should not have pulled you all into it. Therefore, I shall bear full responsibility for this at all costs!¡± ¡°Oh, how nice.¡± Dustin smiled faintly. ¡°I thank you for your thoughtful gesture, but no thanks. I¡¯m not selling it.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Terrence could not believe his ears. ¡°Because we¡¯re friends. Just as you do not wish to take advantage of me, I refuse to do the same!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right; I do not mind bearing the loss.¡± ¡°But I do. So, forget about it.¡± ¡°No! We cannot forget about it! If you think that my offer isn¡¯t enough, I can add a bit more to the original price that you bought it for!¡± ¡°This is not about money. It¡¯s about principles. You said it yourself, we must be righteous and stay true to our principles.¡± ¡°You!¡± Terrence was a hair¡¯s breadth away from losing hisposure. Damn it! Why was the idiot so stubborn? He had said everything he could to convince him to sell the piece ofnd, but nothing seemed to work. Exasperated, Terrence was left speechless. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. I have some things to handle back at thepany, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave with Dahlia now. You guys carry on.¡± Dustin could not be bothered to converse with them any longer, so he exchanged a look with Dahlia, and they got out of the restaurant as fast as they could. ¡°Hey, Dustin! You¡­¡± Refusing to let Dustin go just like that, Terrence was about to give chase but was held back by Julie. ¡°Terrence, you cannot be too kind. Since that idiot turned you down, let¡¯s not push it. Why would you give him money when he doesn¡¯t even appreciate it?¡± ¡°Exactly! We all saw how sincere you were. He was the one who rejected your kindness. Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself,¡± Victoria echoed. In her eyes, Terrence was every bit of the perfect son¨Cin-w. His only drawback was that he was too righteous, which made him an easy target for others. to take advantage of. ¡°If you¡¯re still feeling bad about it, Terrence, why don¡¯t you use the money and buy me some branded handbags?¡± Julie asked coquettishly. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Handbags? Fuck you and your handbags!¡± Terrence finally flipped and shoved her aside. ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve just lost two billion dors?¡± ¡°Two billion dors? What do you mean?¡± Shocked, Julie could not make heads or tails of Terrence¡¯s words. ¡°Truth be told, thend with the abandoned construction has been officially listed as the prime location for a key development. Its value has now gone up to two billion dors! I¡¯d given you wealth beyond measure when I sold you that plot ofnd. But look what you¡¯ve done! You gave Dustin Rhys the perfect opportunity to get filthy rich! I can¡¯t believe how stupid you all are!¡± Terrence roared frustratedly, growling almost. He was so close to ripping his hair out of vexation. ¡°Key development?¡± ¡°Two billion?¡± ¡°Immeasurable wealth?¡± ¡°Quick! Go after him!¡± After a momentary stun, it finally dawned on Julie and the rest of them how big of a loss they had made. Without a moment to spare, they immediately rushed out of the restaurant. But Dustin was no longer anywhere to be seen. Chapter 593 On the way back, Dustin could tell that Dahlia had questions for him but was battling herself against questioning him. He smiled to himself at her curiosity and decided to give her an opening. ¡°Shoot away if you¡¯ve got any questions. There¡¯s no need to hold them in.¡± ¡°I do not understand why you turned down Terrence¡¯s offer to purchase the site of the abandoned building!¡± Dahlia blurted out. ¡°Everyone knows that it¡¯s worthless now, so there¡¯s no point holding onto it. You would have been better off selling it and recovering your loss!¡± Though she had promised and was determined to not concern herself with Dustin¡¯s business anymore, she still could not help but feel bad that he had missed out on a good opportunity to make up for the loss he had made. ¡°Well, why would Terrence want to buy that piece ofnd when everyone knows that it¡¯s worthless?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t he just say that he doesn¡¯t want to take advantage of you because you¡¯re friends?¡± Dahlia retorted. ¡°Haha! Do you really think that Terrence would be so kind?¡± Dustin smiled meaningfully. ¡°If he is as righteous and responsible as he ims to be, he would not have disappeared without a trace for the past few days. ¡°Well¡­¡± Dahlia¡¯s brows knitted together as she fell deep into thought. It was true that she had her doubts about Terrence¡¯s integrity. But after seeing how sincere he appeared, even offering to buy back the abandoned construction site, she wavered and started to believe his words. ¡°Let me tell you the truth. The reason Terrence offered to buy the plot ofnd was not because of his conscience or his righteousness. It was only because he knew that its value had skyrocketed. Dustin chuckled. ¡°Skyrocket? The abandoned construction site has been sitting there for almost a decade, and nobody wanted anything to do with it. How could it possibly increase in value?¡± Dahlia wondered aloud. ¡°Nothing is impossible, Dahlia. Haven¡¯t I told you that that plot ofnd has officially been listed as an area for a key development? Terrence must have received some news about it that caused him to change his mind. Do you really think that he¡¯d be so kind?¡± Dustin had a faint smile on his face. ¡°How much is that piece ofnd worth now?¡± Dahlia asked tentatively. ¡°Two billion dors at least. And that¡¯s a conservative estimation.¡± Dustin dropped a bombshell. ¡°Two billion?¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. It was bewildering to think that a piece ofnd could go from absolutely worthless to worth two billion dors overnight. She had toiled hard for years on end, and in the end, she had not even made as much as Dustin did in a single day. His uncanny luck was infuriating, to say the least. All of a sudden, Dustin¡¯s phone rang. He pulled it out to see that the call was from Florence. He paused and gave it some thought before answering the call and putting it on speaker mode. ¡°Hey Dustin, where are you? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you about.¡± An unbelievably kind and gentle voice came through the speakers. Dahlia felt her skin crawl at how cloyingly sweet her mother sounded. When has she ever been so soft¨Cspoken? ¡°We¡¯re on the way back to the office, Florence. Is anything the matter? You can just tell me through the phone,¡± Dustin said. Clearing her throat, Florence asked awkwardly, ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯d like to buy back the abandoned construction site. Would that be possible?¡± ¡°Why would you want to spend your money on something so worthless? You¡¯ll clearly be making a loss. A hint of humor could be heard in Dustin¡¯s tone. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So be it. As your ex¨Cmother¨Cinw, I cannot watch you suffer the loss and do nothing about it. Better me than you to take the loss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal for me. I¡¯ve still got some disposable ie. I¡¯ll survive.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t do! I¡¯m a person who stands firm in and upholds my moral values! I¡¯ve been losing sleep over selling it to you at a high price. I feel like I¡¯ve cheated you out of your money. I feel so bad for that, so I have a mind to buy it back to atone for my mistake.¡± ¡°That really won¡¯t be necessary. After all, you mortgaged your house to get the money. If you lose that, you won¡¯t even have a roof over your head! That¡¯d be terrible!¡± Chapter 594 ¡°That¡¯s alright, I can move into a smaller house. You, youngsters, are way too stressed out these days. As an elder, it¡¯s only right for me to help you out however I can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stressed out. Life is as breezy as it can get for me.¡± Dustin and Florence bantered back and forth through the phone, neither of theming clean with the truth. Since Florence took him as an idiot, Dustin dly went along with the act and pretended to not know any better. It was Dahlia, however, who found the conversation unbearable. She now fully believed what Dustin had told her. Her mother would not be so nice to Dustin otherwise. What she said about atoning for her wrongdoings and relieving Dustin of his burdens was all bullshit! Florence had been grinning from ear to ear when she managed to scam Dustin into buying that piece ofnd! Now that she knew she had made a loss by selling it, she chose to put on a righteous and upright facade to buy it back instead of being honest with Dustin. She was despicable and greedy! ¡°Hey! Why are you so stubborn? I¡¯m only doing this for your good, so hurry up and sell me that piece of land!¡± As the conversation progressed, Florence began to lose her patience. Had it not been for the money, she would never have wasted so much effort coaxing him gently, and would immediately start shouting and cursing at him instead. ¡°Florence, why are you in such a hurry to purchase the abandoned construction site?¡± Dustin pressed. This was Florence¡¯sst chance toe clean. If she told him the truth, he would willingly let her have a share of the profit. ¡°Have I not made myself clear yet? I can¡¯t bear to see you lose money! I¡¯d rather bear the burden myself!¡± Florence stubbornly refused to spill the truth. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mom!¡± Dahlia finally could take it no more. ¡°Are you still going to keep on cheating people out of their money?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean? When have I cheated others of their money?¡± Florence raised her voice. ¡°Dustin already knows the truth. That piece ofnd is worth at least two billion dors! You¡¯ll never be able to buy it back at the original price!¡± Dahlia eximed. ¡°What?¡± All was quiet for a while before Florence said sheepishly, ¡°Oh, so you already knew? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°Florence, I¡¯ve already reminded you repeatedly since a week ago! It was you who refused to believe me,¡± Dustin retorted calmly. ¡°Oh, look how forgetful I am. I think my age is catching up on me!¡± Florence eximed regretfully. ¡°Dustin, I was wrong. I¡¯ll listen to all your advice from now on. Can you please sell the piece ofnd to me?¡± ¡°Had you shown just the slightest bit of honesty earlier on and did not intend to trick me out of my money, I¡¯d have readily shared a part of what I profited from it with you. But your actions have truly disappointed me, so I will not be selling it to you,¡± Dustin told her truthfully. ¡°You¡¯re not selling it?¡± Florence¡¯s voice raised an octave when she heard what Dustin said. ¡°That belongs to me! What right have you got to not sell it to me?¡° ¡°The ownership of thend belongs to me. I can handle it however I please,¡± Dustin said matter¨Cof- factly. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You better give me back what belongs to me, or I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Florence threatened menacingly. Just a few minutes ago, she had spoken so gently and kindly, but now her true colors showed ¡°Behaving like this won¡¯t get you anything,¡± Dustin said. ¡°You¨Cyou bastard! You vile, shameless scumbag! I¡¯ll sue you! I¡¯ll sue you for swindling me of my money! You-¡± Florence spewed a torrent of curses through the phone with no care in the world. But she was cut off when Dahlia ended the call. How aggravating! She was the one who bore bad intentions, and she had the gall to berate Dustin? Utterly unreasonable! As Florence¡¯s daughter, Dahlia felt ashamed of her actions, Chapter 595 James was happily engrossed in a game of Taxus Poker at an illegal casino that evening. Beside him sat a youngdy with short hair who was dressed in revealing attire. Judging from the casino chips on the table, it looked like they had been winning a lot. ¡°I have a pair of Queens. Show your hand!¡± A man with a hooked nose who sat opposite James revealed his hand Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You dare challenge me with just ¨¤ pair of Queens? Keep your eyes open, buddy. I¡¯ve got Three of a Kind James grinned, flipping his cards over to show a pair of sixes. Since there was a six in one of the fivemunity cards, they made a set of three sixes, also known as three of a kind. The rules of Taxus Poker are simple. There were fivemunity cards, and each yer was dealt two hole cards. These can then bebined in any way to form the best five¨Ccard hand. The highest¨Cranking hand is a Royal Flush, followed by Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and finally, a High Card. *James, you¡¯ve won again! You¡¯re amazing!¡± Thedy with short hair cheered excitedly, admiration evident in her eyes. Hahaha! Well, luck isn¡¯t the only factor in a game of Taxus Poker. It¡¯s a matter of skill too. I can see through all his tricks! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d lose to him!¡± James bragged gleefully. ¡°I say, based on your chips, you¡¯ve probably won at least a million dors, haven¡¯t you, James?¡± The youngdy asked as her eyes shone brightly. ¡°More or less. Here, this is for you.¡± James pressed a chip worth 20 thousand dors into her hand with a chuckle. ¡°Thank you, James!¡± The youngdy shed him a radiant smile before nting a kiss on his cheek ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go enjoy ourselves!¡± James reached out to hook an arm around thedy¡¯s neck. He was happy with how much he¡¯d won and was ready to leave to enjoy the rest of the night. ¡°You have a winning streak tonight, James. Why don¡¯t you y some more while you¡¯re winning? It¡¯s a good opportunity for you to make some more money while Lady Luck is on your side!¡± The young lady did not seem to want to leave yet. ¡°Oi, rascal! Are you running off after winning just so little? What a loser! Would you dare y another game with me?¡± The man with the hooked nose who sat opposite James taunted. ¡°This is a golden opportunity, James. Think of all the money you can win off of him. You shouldn¡¯t miss the chance!¡± The youngdy persuaded him in a hushed whisper. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point there.¡± James nodded and looked at the man with a smirk. ¡°It looks like you enjoy losing money. I¡¯ll see to it that you walk out without a single cent today! Deal the cards!¡± With a wave of his hand, another roundmenced. Half an hourter. ¡°Oops, a Straight. I think I¡¯ve won again.¡± The man opposite James showed his hand, revealing a set of Straight. Change pok ¡°Damn it! I lost again!¡± Losing his temper, James threw the pair of Kings in his hand on the table. With beads of sweat on his forehead and red, bloodshot eyes, he looked irritated. Just half an hour ago, he had been basking in the joy of winning continuously, making himself more than a million dors without breaking a sweat. But now, it seemed as though Lady Luck had frowned on him, and he had lost everything that he had won earlier in the evening. What terrible luck! ¡°Again!¡± Unwilling to ept defeat, James gestured for the dealer to start a new round. ¡°You¡¯re out of chips, James.¡± The youngdy reminded him. ¡°What?¡± James looked down at the table to see that he had indeed run out of chips. ¡°Hahaha! Is that all you¡¯ve got? What a cheapo!¡± The man with the hooked nose ridiculed James, Get lost then if you haven¡¯t got any more money. Quit making an embarrassment of yourself here!¡± ¡°The fuck did you just say?¡± James mmed his hands on the table as he bolted straight up in his seat, fury written on his face. ¡°What? Did I say anything wrong? Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re a big shot if you don¡¯t have the money, loser! ¡± Then, with a contemptuous expression, he called out to the youngdy, ¡°Hey, hot stuff, what are you doing with a loser like that? Why don¡¯t you join me instead? I¡¯ll make sure you have the best of everything!¡± ¡°You-!¡± James was so vexed that he ground his teeth together. But there was nothing much he could do. ¡°James, I heard that they allow yers to borrow money from them here. Do you want to give it a try?¡± The youngdy asked. ¡°Let¡¯s do it! I¡¯ll win back everything I lost tonight!¡± James roared. He could never look past the other man¡¯s taunts. Especially not in front of a woman he fancied. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll get it done immediately.¡± With a quick nod, the youngdy got up and left. Not longter, she came back with two million dors worth of chips and a promissory note. Chapter 596 Without even looking at what was typed out on the promissory note, James proceeded to sign it and immediately joined the next round of the game. But in less than 15 minutes, he lost all two billion dors worth of chips again. ¡°We¡¯re out of chips again, James¡® Should we borrow more? The youngdy asked once again. ¡°Yes! Get as much as you can! James growled. At that moment, he hadpletely lost control of his senses, his actions only driven by the relentless desire to win back what he lost and make the man with the hooked nose regret what he said. Two hourster, James was drenched in sweat and panting uncontrobly, his eyes were bloodshot. His expression was somewhat horrifying ¡°Sorry man, Three of a Kind and One Pair. That makes a Full House. You¡¯ve lost again. ¡°The man opposite him showed his hand and smiled meanly. ¡°Go! Borrow some more! I refuse to believe that I¡¯ll keep losing today! James shouted. ¡°You¡¯ve already lost too much, James. They refuse to lend you anymore,¡± The youngdy answered ¡°They¡¯re not lending me anymore? Why not? Do they think that I can¡¯t afford to pay them back? I¡¯ll have you know that my sister is the chairperson of Nicholson Corp.! She has assets worth over a hundred billion dors! James dered proudly, ¡°Hey, buddy, my boss would like to speak with you.¡± Out of nowhere, a calloused hand rested on James¡® shoulder from behind. ¡°Who the hell is touching me? James whipped around immediately. Just as he was about to start acting aggressively, he froze. Behind him stood several insanely buff men who were wearing suits and looked like they were henchmen, staring at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± James put on a calm facade. ¡°You borrowed quite a huge sum of money throughout the night. My boss would like to talk to you about your payment. Come with us.¡± As the leader of the group of henchmen spoke, he inconspicuously shed the gun fastened to his belt. James¡® eyes widened. As he dared not go against their wishes, he had no choice but to follow them upstairs to the VIP room Over in the VIP room, there was a paunchy man with a cigar perched on his lips and one ankle resting lazily over a knee. ¡°He¡¯s here, Mr. Doyle.¡± Two henchmen pushed James into the room and locked the door from outside. James gulped dryly when he saw the room full of menacing and fierce henchmen. His anxiety was unconceble. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± The paunchy man asked before taking a long swig of his cigar and slowly exhaling, releasing a puff of smoke. ¡°You look very familiar, Sir. Have we met? James asked cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m Doyle. Duncan Doyle,¡± The man said. ¡°Duncan Doyle? From the prestigious Doyle family?¡± James was astonished. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know me. Now, let¡¯s talk about my money. So, you borrowed a total of 38 million dors tonight. How are you going to pay it back?¡± As Duncan spoke, he pped a thick stack of promissory notes on the table. Every piece of it had James¡® signature on it. ¡°38 million? That much?¡± James could not believe his ears and quickly flipped through the notes to check. By then, he was already thoroughly drenched in sweat. ¡°M¨CMr. Doyle, these notes prove that I¡¯ve only borrowed 30 million. Where did the extra 8 millione from?¡± James asked Original from N?velDrama.Org. miserably. ¡°Why would I be lending out money if not for the interest?¡± Duncan asked frostily. ¡°B¨Cbut isn¡¯t the interest too high?¡± James asked warily. ¡°Cut the crap! You either pay me what you owe or I¡¯ll chop your limbs off!¡± Duncan red at him. ¡°N¨Cno, don¡¯t! I¡¯ll pay!¡± James was flustered by the situation he was in. ¡°Can you please give me a few more days to pay up, Mr. Doyle? I promise I¡¯ll pay you in full.¡± ¡°No! You are to pay me tonight. Where am I going to find you if you escape?¡± Duncan demanded. ¡°But how am I supposed to produce this much money in one night?¡± James cowered in fear. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your sister is the chairperson of Nicholson Corp.? Several million dors are considered peanuts to her!¡± Duncan smirked sinisterly. ¡°What?¡± James froze up for a while before he continued sheepishly, ¡°Mr. Doyle, knowing my sister, she will most likely refuse to pay my debts. She usually helped him out of most of the trouble he got himself into, but once they had anything to do with gambling or drugs, it was the end of the discussion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Duncan smiled venomously. ¡°Help me? How will you help me?¡± James was taken aback by Duncan¡¯s offer to help. But Duncan did not give him a straightforward reply. Instead, he simply gestured to his henchmen and took an axe that they handed him. As James watched on with terror in his eyes, Duncan swung the axe down in the direction of his wrist. Chapter 597 In the president¡¯s office at Nicholson Corp, Dahlia took a sip of coffee and continued immersing. herself in work. Although Hank didn¡¯t show it, he was facing all sorts of obstacles in private. He pushed every matter to her, regardless of whether it was big or small, which caused her to be so busy that she had to work overtime every day till midnight. ¡°Ms. Nicholson¡­.¡± Right then, a young female assistant knocked on the door all of a sudden. ¡°What is it?¡± Dahlia looked up at her. Because Julie wasn¡¯t a very reliable secretary, she hired another assistant, Kelly Porch, to share the workload. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, someone sent you a parcel and asked me to pass it to you directly. The person mentioned that it¡¯s a surprise,¡± Kelly said, holding a gift box. ¡°Okay, put it on the desk.¡± Dahlia nodded, then a thought struck her. ¡°Kelly, it¡¯s gettingte. You should head home first. You don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Nicholson.¡± Kelly turned around and left. Dahlia rubbed her eyes and finally finished her work. She turned her gaze to the gift box and decided to open it. However, the moment she opened it, she was so frightened that her face went deathly pale. Whaty inside the gift box was a bloody hand! It was very obvious that the hand had just been cut off not long ago because the blood had not clotted yet. It was a very shocking sight. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. While she was still in shock, her phone suddenly rang. When she answered it, she immediately heard Duncan¡¯s voice. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, you must have already received my gift.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression went cold. ¡°Who I am is not important. What¡¯s important is that your brother owes me 38 million dors, and you have to repay his debt,¡± Duncan said inly. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Dahlia frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Then listen for yourself.¡± Duncan said. ¡°Dahlia! Save me! Hurry up and save me! They cut my hand off!¡± James shouted, his voice full of fear and misery. ¡°James! What¡¯s going on? Why would you owe someone money?¡± Dahlia hurriedly demanded. ¡°Dahlia! This isn¡¯t the time to ask these questions. Hurry up ande here with the money, or I¡¯m going to die!¡± James sobbed over the phone. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, did you hear that? Bring me the money in exchange for him. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what other extreme things I¡¯ll do to your brother.¡± Duncan threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything! You just want money, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± said Dahlia in panic. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll be awaiting your grand arrival,¡± Duncan said with augh. After hanging up, Dahlia dared not waste another second and, without hesitation, immediately rushed to the casino. She couldn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing when her brother was in danger. While driving, she called Dustin, but he didn¡¯t pick up. She had no choice but to send him a text along with the address 20 minutester, Dahlia arrived at the underground casino. After she told someone her name, at gangster led her to a VIP room on the second floor. A bunch of violent¨Clooking gangsters were standing around inside the room. James was kneeling on the floor and trembling, his face streaked with tears and snot. Someone. had simply bandaged the stub of his arm where his hand should be, temporarily stopping the bleeding ¡°Sis¡® You¡¯re finally here!¡± When James saw Dahlia walk in, he immediately wept tears of joy as if he saw his savior ¡°How dare you! Who taught you to gamble?¡± Dahlia pped James across the face. She knew that her brother liked to gamble. She had always warned him against it in all sorts of ways and had even given him a beating before. She had thought that he would have changed his ways, but who would have thought that he would get himself into more serious trouble now. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, I won¡¯t meddle with you disciplining your brother, but you must give me the money first,¡± Duncan said with a cigar between his lips. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± The moment Dahlia saw him, she immediately remembered something. She quickly realized that she had seen Duncan before. Previously, when she was eating at a restaurant, he had led a gang of people to look for trouble with Dustin but had gotten beaten up instead. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s me. Now, can you give me the money?¡± Duncan said with a mirthless smile. ¡°This is a bank check for 38 million dors, not a penny less.¡± Dahlia ced a check on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t want a check. I want the payment in cash,¡± Duncan said with a shake of his head. Chapter 598 ¡°Cash?¡± Dahlia frowned and said, ¡°Where will I get so much cash at such short notice? ¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out. We only ept cash here,¡± Duncan said casually. ¡°You¡¯re just making things difficult for me on purpose!¡± Dahlia¡¯s expression was icy. She would probably need a truck to transport 38 million dors worth of cash. ¡°Ms. Nicholson, mind your words, Does your brother still want to keep his other hand?¡± Duncan swept his gaze toward James. ¡°You!¡± Dahlia gritted her teeth and managed to control herself. ¡°Can you give me two days? I¡¯ll bring you the cash as fast as I can.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say no, but you have to have a few drinks with me first.¡± Duncan stood up slowly and took two sses out from the drinks cab. He filled them with whisky and handed one to Dahlia. ¡°Drink this, and I¡¯ll consider giving you two days.¡± ¡°What?¡± Looking at the ss full of whisky, Dahlia couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly. Duncan obviously didn¡¯t have good intentions. She didn¡¯t know if she could still leave that ce after she drank it. ¡°You refuse? Then you¡¯re just disrespecting me.¡± Duncan¡¯s smile disappeared slowly as he said, It¡¯s only right for one to repay their debt if they owe money. If they can¡¯t, then I have no choice but to cut their limbs off. Guys, chop James¡® other hand off!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Two gangstersughed evilly and immediately pressed James against the floor. ¡°No! Don¡¯t chop my hand off!¡± James was scared out of his wits as he begged for mercy. ¡°Dahlia! Save me! Save me, quick! I¡¯m your brother! I don¡¯t want to be handicapped. I¡¯m begging you. Hurry up and drink the whisky!¡± ¡°Chop it off!¡± Duncan shouted. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wait!¡± Just as the ax was about to strike, Dahlia shouted hastily, ¡°I¡¯ll drink!¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s more like it ¡­ Drink up,¡± Duncan said with a sly smile. Dahlia took a deep breath, picked up the ss, and downed the whiskey in one go. Even though. she knew that something was wrong with it, she had no choice but to drink it because her brother¡¯s life was in Duncan¡¯s hands. Now, she could only pray that she would hold up. ¡°Nice! You really are an impressive woman. Come on, let¡¯s have another drink!¡± Duncan filled her ss again. Dahlia frowned deeply, and she hesitated for a moment. But she still finished the ss of whisky. After downing two sses, she felt lightheaded quickly and felt herself burning 1. up. ¡°Shit!¡± Dahlia thought. Knowing something was off, she tried to fight the feeling and force herself out the door. However, before she could take more than two steps, her vision went ck, and she fainted on the floor. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯ll see how you try to run away from me,¡± Duncan said while stroking his chin, his expression perverted. Chappe SNE ¡°Mr. Doyle, wasn¡¯t our deal just about money? How could you break your promise?¡± As he witnessed his sister get drugged, James immediately panicked. Even a fool would know what was going to happen next. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You want to avenge your sister?¡± Duncanughed wickedly. ¡°Sure, if you chop off your other hand, then I¡¯ll let your sister go. How does that sound?¡± ¡°I.. James¡® expression stiffened, and he immediately hung his head. His gaze flitted around as he dared not look at Dahlia, who was lying out cold on the floor. ¡°A coward, just as I thought. Get lost!¡± Duncan shouted, and he kicked James to the floor. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll get lost right away.¡± James looked as if he had just been spared a gruesome death. He dared not hesitate and scrambled out of the room instantly. His pathetic behavior made the whole gangugh loudly. ¡°Okay, you guys get out too. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Duncan waved his hand and dismissed hisckeys from the room. Then, a thought struck him, and he fished out Dahlia¡¯s phone. He called Dustin and said, ¡°Hey, Rhys! Do you know who I am? That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me, Duncan Doyle! Your woman is in my bed right now. I¡¯ll show her a good time tonight.¡± The moment he finished speaking, a loud bang sounded as someone kicked the door open. Then, a figure with a cold expression came into sight. ¡°You¡¯ll show who a good time?¡± Chapter 599 Dustin stepped through the door, his gaze terrifyingly cold. From the moment he saw Dahlia¡¯s text, he knew something was wrong, so he rushed here as fast as he.could ¡°W¨Cwhat are you doing here?!¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes widened, and he staggered backward in fear. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call me to ask me toe over? Well, now I¡¯m here. What are you going to do?¡± Dustin began approaching him. ¡°Someone,e quick!¡± Duncan screamed. However, strangely enough, no one outside responded. It was as though those men stationed outside had disappeared into thin air. ¡°Where the fuck are you all? Hello?!¡± Duncan continued hollering But no matter how much he yelled, there was no response. ¡°I warned you before not to cross me again. Or else, you¡¯ll die a miserable death. What, did you think I was bullshitting you?¡± Dustin was getting closer and closer. ¡°Rhys, you¡¯re on my territory. I¡¯m warning you to note any closer, or you won¡¯t step out of this ce ever again!¡± Duncan shouted, putting on a fierce front. ¡°Tell me, how do you want to die?¡± Dustin asked coldly. ¡°Take another step, and I¡¯ll blow your brains out!¡± At that moment, Duncan suddenly took a gun from the drawer and pointed it right at Dustin¡¯s head. Now that Duncan had a weapon with him, he believed that he had the upper hand. ¡°Really? You can try.¡± Dustin continued to approach Duncan without a hint of fear. ¡°You¡¯re fucking asking for it!¡± Duncan pulled the trigger without a second thought. ¡°Bang!¡± There was the sound of a shot being fired. Yet, Dustin was still standing in the same spot and did not move a single inch. He waspletely unharmed from head to toe. ¡°I missed?¡± Duncan frowned. He pulled the trigger two more times. Yet, it was the same as before. However, Dustin still looked unruffled and unhurt in the slightest. ¡°Fuck, I refuse to believe that I can¡¯t kill you!¡± Duncan clenched his jaw and began to shoot madly until there were no more bullets left. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± After a series of gunshots, Dustin was still standing in the same spot. His body was uninjured; heck, even his clothes weren¡¯t damaged. ¡°Is this guy a ghost?¡± Duncan was so scared that cold sweat began to pour from his temples. At this distance, there was no way Duncan would miss, even if he closed his eyes. Yet, he¡¯d fired over a dozen bullets, but he didn¡¯t so much as leave a scratch on Dustin. It was absolutely insane. ¡°Were you trying to kill me with these things?¡± Dustin slowly opened his fist to reveal a handful of misshapen bullets in his palm. ¡°H¨Chow did you do that?¡± Duncan¡¯s expression turned into one of horror. Could it be that his opponent had caught all the bullets that he¡¯d shot earlier with his bare hand? Was he even fucking human?! ¡°Do you want to know? I¡¯ll tell you once you¡¯re dead With that, Dustin kicked Duncan in the stomach Duncan flew backward like a bullet leaving the barrel. He mmed into the wall harshly, leaving a spider crack on the wall. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth on impact. ¡°1-1 am a member of the Doyle family, one of the fabulous five! If you darey a hand on me, my family will never forgive you!¡± Duncan threatened, his face twisting into a ferocious snarl. Dustin hummed before giving him another kick in the chest. There was the sound of bones cracking, and Duncan once again coughed up a mouthful of blood. His entire rib cage copsed on itself. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°D¨Cdon¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m begging you not to kill me! I know I was wrong! I¡¯ll never do it again! I swear, I won¡¯t annoy you ever again!¡± Duncan begged in between fits of coughing up blood. This time, he was truly afraid. ¡°Anyst words?¡± Dustin slowly raised his foot. This time, he lifted it right over Duncan¡¯s head. ¡°Wait! Someone intentionally wanted to make you suffer today. It has nothing to do with me. I¡¯m just the runner!¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± Dustin asked coolly. Chapter 600 ¡°If you promise not to kill me, I¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡± Duncan said, attempting to negotiate terms. ¡°No thanks. You can just go die.¡± As soon as Dustin finished speaking, he stomped his foot hard on Duncan¡¯s head ¡°No-¡± Duncan tried to wail before his head exploded into pieces. And just like that, he was dead. ¡°Mr Rhys, the people outside have been taken care of ¡± At that moment, two masked martial artists dressed in ck garments walked in. They were elite. shadow guards. ¡°Excellent. Clean this ce up, and send the body straight to the Doyle home,¡± Dustin ordered. The two exchanged nces, but in the end, they still nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Dustin said nothing more. He carried the unconscious Dahlia and briskly walked out of the underground casino. The moment he stepped out the doors, he noticed a suspicious figure lurking in a corner. It was none other than James, who had managed to escape earlier. ¡°Come out!¡± Dustin threw a nce over his shoulder. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you. You scared me.¡± James couldn¡¯t help but let out a breath of relief when he saw Dustin¡¯s face. At the same time, he began to criticize him. ¡°Hey, Rhys, why didn¡¯t youe earlier? Don¡¯t you know how much danger my sister was in just now? Also, if you weren¡¯t so slow toe to the rescue, my hand wouldn¡¯t have been chopped off. How are you going topensate me? I¡¯m telling you, without at least eighteen million dors, I won¡¯t-¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Dustin had already raised his hand and pped him hard across the face. James stumbled backward from the impact, almost falling over. His cheek began to swell rapidly. ¡°Are¨Care you crazy? What did you hit me for?!¡± James cupped his stinging cheek, his entire body radiating shock and fury. ¡°That was for your insolent remarks!¡± With a cold face, Dustin raised his hand and gave him another p. ¡°This one is for yourck of repentance!¡± p! ¡°This one is for your cowardice!¡± p! ¡°And this one is for throwing Dahlia under the bus!¡± Each p made a loud ringing sound as itnded on James¡® face. He was smacked so hard that his head began to spin, and blood began to drip from his nose and mouth. His face was so swollen that he now looked like a pig. ¡°Stop!¡± Suddenly, an SUV pulled over to the side of the road, and Florence immediately jumped off the car and dashed over. Chank Sp ¡°Mom, you¡¯re finally here!¡± When James saw his mother, he immediately ran into her arms, crying. He wailed. ¡°That bastard Dustin is crazy! Look at what he did to my face!¡± ¡°Rhys, why did you hit my son?!¡± Florence flew into a rage. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him what he did?¡± Dustin shouted back. ¡°No matter what, you can¡¯t hit my son!¡± Florence screamed, ring at Dustin. ¡°That¡¯s right! Hitting people is wrong! Not to mention, why did you have to beat him so terribly?¡± Julie added. ¡°Terribly? He should be grateful that I didn¡¯t ughter him!¡± Dustin roared with a frigid look. If James hadn¡¯t gotten into trouble in the first ce, Dahlia wouldn¡¯t have gotten dragged down. with him. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Even more despicably, that bastard had abandoned his sister and ran for his life alone! ¡°James, what in the world happened? Tell me everything, and I¡¯ll make sure to do right by you!¡± Florence demanded, her face darkening. ¡°Mom, this is all because of Dustin!¡± James pointed his finger at Dustin, getting his side of the story out first. ¡°He colluded with the owner of the casino to punish me and put me in a crushing gambling debt. Then, he even lied to Dahlia to get her here, drugged her, and was going to do something to her. I couldn¡¯t bear to watch her get hurt, so I risked my safety and tried to stop him. Humiliated, that asshole blew his top and beat me into a pulp. Look at my face¨Clook at what he did to me!¡± As soon as James finished speaking, Dustin¡¯s face instantly turned stormy. Chapter 601 As Dustin watched James run his mouth, his face became darker than a storm cloud. He never expected that James would shift the me to the victim instead. Not only did he feel no remorse for his wrongdoing, he even dumped all the me on Dustin. His actions made Dustin¡¯s blood boil! ¡°How dare you, Dustin! I never thought you could sink to such lows. You couldn¡¯t woo my daughter, so you decided to resort to such abominable actions? You¡¯re a demon wearing a human¡¯s face!¡± Florence screamed hatefully. ¡°Hmph, I saw through your faux gentlemanly demeanor a long time ago! Not only did you try to steal our money, you¡¯ve even tried to harm my cousin. You¡¯re an animal!¡± Julie roared, her eyes wide with rage. ¡°After all that happened, are you still not repentant?¡± Dustin frowned. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°What do I have to repent for? This is clearly your fault! You¡¯re the one who tried to hurt my sister! ¡°James said indignantly. With his mother backing him, he had nothing to fear. ¡°You animal, don¡¯t touch my daughter again!¡± Florence gave Dustin a fierce shove before forcefully snatching the unconscious Dahlia from his arms. ¡°Mom, this bastard is truly wretched. Not only was he harboring repulsive intentions toward Dahlia, he even had someone chop my hand off. This time, you need to do right by me!¡± James wailed, ying the victim. ¡°You really need a good beating!¡± Dustin finally reached his breaking point. He raised his hand and pped James across the face. James was hit so hard that he was lifted off the ground. His nose and mouth twisted to one side as his head cracked against the wall, and he passed out. ¡°Asshole, how dare you continue hurting people?!¡± Florence yelled, her face furious. ¡°Rhys, you¡¯re a huge bully!¡± Both Julie and Florence were ame with righteous indignation. However, they knew they couldn¡¯t beat him. Otherwise, they would have gotten violent from the very start. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my breath talking to you. Once Dahlia wakes up, she¡¯ll tell you the truth. Now get out of my sight and take that piece of shit with you!¡± Dustin roared. This time, James had truly pissed him off. He was as cowardly as a mouse, yet he bullied those weaker than him. When James had to confront Duncan, he didn¡¯t even dare to make a noise; he was quick to abandon his sister and run. And now, after being rescued, he was still trying to manipte the truth to frame Dustin and throw him under the bus. Lowly scum like him deserved to be taught a lesson. ¡°Rhys, just wait! This isn¡¯t over. You beat my son and hurt my daughter. I will get justice!¡± After a series of animated curses, Florence finally left indignantly with her family. She knew that Dustin was very skilled inbat, so she only dared to use her mouth and not her hands. Of course, she had made up her mind to ckmail him miserably after this. In the best¨Ccase scenario, she might be able to get that piece ofnd where the buildings were. The night flew by. The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight filtered through the windows of one of the rooms in the Ansdale South Hospital, Dahlia finally opened her eyes after a night of being unconscious. At that moment, Florence happened to walk in with a tray of breakfast. ¡°Dahlia, you¡¯re awake? How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Mom, what am I doing here?¡± Dahlia rubbed her head, feeling woozy. ¡°Dahlia, you were drugged yesterday. I was worried about you, so I brought you to the hospital,¡± Florence exined. ¡°Drugged?¡± Chapter 602 Dahlia thought about it long and hard before finally recalling what happened in the casinost night. She had drank two sses and passed out with no recollection of what happened afterward, but it seemed like she was safe. ¡°This is all that bastard¡¯s fault! If Dustin didn¡¯t harbor any ill intentions toward you and your brother, none of this would have happened to the both of you!¡± Florence exploded. ¡°Dustin? What does any of this have to do with him?¡± Dahlia was puzzled. ¡°I bet you still have no idea that he conspired with the owner of the casino to drug you. He was going to take advantage of you. Fortunately, James fought back and managed to save you,¡± Florence replied. ¡°Mom, there must be some kind of mistake.¡± Dahlia smiled. ¡°Dustin would never hurt me, much less use such dirty tactics. You¡¯ve got it all wrong.¡± ¡°Oh, Dahlia. You get tricked all the time because of how naive you are.¡± Florence retorted, her face serious. ¡°You should never judge a book by its cover. Dustin may look like a good man, but he¡¯s actually rotten to the core!¡± ¡°Mom, Dustin isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡± Dahlia frowned in displeasure. She knew what kind of man Dustin was, and he definitely wasn¡¯t the kind of person Florence was describing. ¡°You didn¡¯t get to witness how disgusting he truly isst night. He didn¡¯t just touch you; he also beat James up. Thanks to that, your brother is still unconscious in the hospital right now!¡± Florence fumed. ¡°Dustin beat up James? No way.¡± Dahlia was skeptical. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Why would I lie to you? Your aunt and cousin were there too. You can ask them if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Florence retorted confidently. ¡°I know Dustin very well. If he hit James, then James must have done something wrong,¡± Dahlia quickly replied. ¡°Hey! How could you defend an outsider? James is the victim here, yet you¡¯re defending that bastard! What on earth are you thinking?¡± Florence shrieked. ¡°Mom, there must be a misunderstanding. I refuse to believe that Dustin would hit someone for no reason.¡± Dahlia shook her head adamantly. Although she wasn¡¯t sure about what happened yesterday night, Dustin clearly helped get her to safety because she had left him a text before going to the casino as a precaution. ¡°Hmph! That brute hit James because he was angry that his tricks got exposed!¡± Florence seethed. ¡°I still-¡± Before Dahlia could continue her sentence, Julie barged into the room anxiously, yelling, ¡°Aunt Florence, bad news! James¡® condition suddenly took a turn for the worse, and he¡¯s been sent to the operating room!¡± ¡°What? The operating room?¡± Florence was shocked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t he finest night? Why did his condition suddenly worsen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either, but the doctor said that things were very serious. You should hurry over immediately!¡± Julie urged. ¡°Right! Let¡¯s go!¡± Florence quickly dashed out of the room. Dahlia immediately put on her shoes and followed after her mother. When they reached the operating room waiting room, they could do nothing but pace and wait anxiously for the results. It wasn¡¯t until three hourster that the doors opened again, and several doctors and nurses emerged, looking drained. ¡°Doctor, how is my son doing? Is he alright?¡± Florence asked fearfully. The surgeon sighed regretfully and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We tried our best, but we were unable to bring the patient back. He has passed away.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Everyone was shocked, their faces frozen in disbelief. ¡°D¨Cdead?¡± As if struck by lightning, Florence¡¯s knees went weak, and she sank to the floor, devastated. Chapter 603 James¡® death shocked everyone. They couldn¡¯t believe that the man who had been so full of lifest night was now dead. ¡°N¨Cno! It can¡¯t be! How could my brother be dead?¡± Dahlia shook her head repeatedly, her face full of disbelief. ¡°Please try and save my brother again! I¡¯m willing to pay any price!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Our deepest condolences.¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°But how could this be?¡± Tears streamed down Dahlia¡¯s face, and she staggered backward. She couldn¡¯t believe that her brother had died just like that. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, James! My son!¡± Florence wailed in anguish as James¡® body was wheeled out. She burst into tears at the sight of the lifeless body. She couldn¡¯t believe that her only son, whom she babied endlessly, had died so suddenly. What a tragic oue! ¡°Doctor, my nephew was fine yesterday, so why did he die? Did you guys make a mistake during surgery?¡± Victoria questioned. The patient suffered a severe head injury that resulted in intracranial bleeding. We¡¯ve done everything we could.¡± The surgeon quickly exined. Hearing this, Florence sprung up and swore. ¡°It¡¯s Dustin! That fucker did this! He killed my son!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. James must have died because of Dustin¡¯s violent assaultst night. He even hit James on the head!¡± Julie eximed, a sudden realization dawning on her. ¡°That goddamn bastard! How dare he kill my son! I¡¯ll make him pay!¡± Florence roared. ¡°I¨Cit can¡¯t be Dustin!¡± Dahlia was still in denial. ¡°Dahlia Nicholson! Your brother is dead! Are you still going to defend that piece of shit?¡± Florence was furious. ¡°There must be a misunderstanding. There must be!¡± Dahlia kept shaking her head, unable to ept this shocking reality. ¡°Dahlia, it¡¯s true that Dustin did it. We saw the whole thing happenst night.¡± Julie stated gravely. ¡°I was there too. This happened because Dustin assaulted James.¡± Victoria echoed. ¡°Open your eyes and look at your brother¡¯s body. Look at what that bastard did to James¡® face!¡± Florence grabbed Dahlia by the cor and dragged her toward James¡® lifeless body. The bruises and swelling on his face that indicated his brutal assault were still clearly visible. ¡°Why? Why did this happen?¡± Dahlia sobbed in anguish. Her brother¡¯s death was already a huge blow to her, but the fact that Dustin was the person who killed James hurt her far worse. Although she wanted to deny this truth, all evidence pointed at Dustin, so she had no choice but to ept it. Now, she was at a loss for what to do. Why had it been Dustin? Why did he hurt her brother? What will happen to her and Dustin? ¡°Oh God, why are you doing this to me? Why?¡± Dahlia screamed in her head. She clutched her chest and felt as her heart shattered into a million pieces as she sobbed heartbreakingly. Dahlia was eventually so overwhelmed that she copsed, passing out on the spot. In the afternoon, inside one of the hospital¡¯s wards, Florence and the others had started handling. things rted to James¡® passing. Chapter 604 Meanwhile, Dahlia sat alone on the hospital bed with a dull gaze and a haggard face. All the crying had tired her out, and her head was so hazy she felt like a zombie. Today¡¯s blow hadpletely overwhelmed her. ¡°Dahlia Dustin suddenly walked into the room. His tone was concerned as he asked, ¡°I heard you were admitted to the hospital. Which part of your body is the diforting from? Do you want me to take a look at it?¡± Unresponsive, Dahlia sat still like a statue. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dahlia?¡± Dustin waved a hand in front of Dahlia¡¯s face, whose expression remained as emotionless as a lifeless doll. Usually, only devastated people who had lost all hope showed such an expression Dustin frowned and immediately felt her pulse, only to realize that it was irregr and extremely weak, like a candle that was going to blow out at any moment. ¡°How did this happen?¡± Dustin was shocked. He quickly took out his silver needles and began treating Dahlia A stream of true energy started flowing into her body as more needles pierced her. ¡°Dahlia, wake up!¡± Dustin yelled as he kept inserting more needles into her body. He had no idea what caused her to turn this way, but he did know that if her condition was not treated soon, she was either going to die or go crazy! ¡°Wake up!¡± As he stabbed thest needle into Dahlia¡¯s skin, an abundant stream of true energy flowed out of his body and into Dahlia¡¯s. It took a moment for Dahlia toe back to her senses and for light to return to her eyes. ¡°Great!¡± Dustin let out a breath of relief. He asked worriedly, ¡°What happened, Dahlia? You were-¡± Before he could finish his words, Dahlia swiped her hand across his face fiercely, shocking him. ¡°What?¡± Dustin frowned and turned to look at her, only to see her trembling as tears filled her eyes. ¡°Why are you here? I don¡¯t want to see you. Get out!¡± Dahlia wailed, pping him again. This time, however, Dustin caught her hand gently. ¡°What on earth happened, Dahlia?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How dare you ask me! Don¡¯t you know what you did?¡± Dahlia seethed. ¡°I really don¡¯t. Was there a misunderstanding?¡± Dustin asked hesitantly. ¡°Misunderstanding? My brother is dead, yet you tell me there was a misunderstanding?¡± Dahlia practically roared. ¡°James is dead?¡± Dustin paled. ¡°How could this be?¡± ¡°You murderer! You killed my brother! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!¡± Fists rained down on Dustin as Dahlia vented all her anger at him. ¡°Me? No way.¡± Dustin was bbergasted. ¡°Don¡¯t even try denying it. My brother was hospitalized because of what you didst night. They failed to save him this morning, so he¡¯s dead now!¡± Dahlia¡¯s face was full of agony. ¡°Impossible!¡± Dustin immediately shook his head. ¡°I did p him a few timesst night, but I made sure to control my strength. It was nowhere near enough to kill him!¡± Despite his hatred for James, Dustin would never kill the other man. Yesterday¡¯s actions were merely to teach James a lesson, so how could they have caused his death? Chapter 605 ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses! Your palm prints are all over my brother¡¯s face, and the doctors said he suffered severe head trauma. If you weren¡¯t the one who caused it, who else could it be? Why? Why did you have to hit him so hard? Even if he did something wrong, you shouldn¡¯t have killed him!¡± Dahlia bawled, her fist pounding on Dustin¡¯s chest. Although Dustin should be the one in pain, the person who ended up with tears streaking down. their face was Dahlia. ¡°Dahlia, I think that there¡¯s something fishy with James¡® sudden death. Please believe me. I would never kill him!¡± Dustin responded gravely. ¡°Believe you? How am I supposed to do that when all evidence is pointing at you?¡± Dahlia roared. It has been proven that Dustin was the person who hit James, causing thetter to be hospitalized. Doctors have also confirmed that the cause of James¡® death was head trauma. These answers were concrete evidence that pointed to Dustin as the murderer. So even if Dahlia was willing to believe that this hadn¡¯t been Dustin¡¯s intention, it was an undeniable fact that Dustin had identally killed her brother. ¡°Calm down, Dahlia. We haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom of this incident yet. Please give me some time.¡± Dustin¡¯s brows were furrowed deeply. ¡°How am I supposed to calm down when my brother¡¯s dead body isying in the morgue? Dustin, from today onward, we are over! I don¡¯t want to ever see you again, so get out!¡± Losing control of her emotions, Dahlia pped and wed at him. There was no way she could ever forgive him for killing her brother, which meant that from now on, they were enemies. ¡°Take care of yourself, Dahlia. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this soon.¡± Realizing that nothing he said. was getting to her, Dustin stopped trying to exin himself and got up to leave. Instead of leaving, he headed straight to the hospital morgue. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t so confident. anymore. Although his strikes hadn¡¯t been too powerful, it was true that he hit James, so there was still a chance that things had gone wrong. Still, who knew? Maybe James had terrible luck and identally fell to his death instead. Dustin was determined to check things out for himself. He pretended to be one of James¡® family members and entered the hospital morgue. Dustin found the container where James¡® body was being kept and pulled the drawer out, revealing a face that was blue and ck. All the marks from yesterday were still clearly visible. Dustin steeled himself and began examining James¡® body carefully. ¡°Visible injuries on the face, bloodshot eyes, forceful impact on the forehead, damage to the back. of the head, and blood clots in the nostrils. It seems like intracranial bleeding is the cause of his death¡­¡± Dustin mumbled to himself, his frown deepening as he realized that James¡® death was indeed caused by head trauma. Could it be that he identally killed the other man? Dustin¡¯s heart sank at the thought. He was sure that if that were the case, Dahlia would hate him for the rest of her life.1 Dustin became lost in thought as he tried to think of what to do next. Suddenly, Dustin thought of something. He leaned closer and examined James¡® body again, paying more attention to the top of the man¡¯s head this time and carefullybing through each strand of hair. After a while, he finally found something out of the ordinary. At the center of James¡® scalp, there was a minuscule ck dot hidden in the dense forest of hair. The dot, which was the size of a pinprick, was so small that others could have easily missed it. Dustin reached out, and a force sucked a ck needle the width of a strand of hair out of James¡® head. ¡°I knew something was wrong.¡± A shiver ran down Dustin¡¯s back as he studied the ck needle in his hand.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 606 It was obvious that someone was trying to frame Dustin for James¡® death, but who? Was it the Doyle family or the Grant family? Or perhaps someone he had never met before. And why would they do this? Were they trying to turn Dahlia against him? Dustin stared at the ck needle he was holding. He wanted to exin everything to Dahlia but stopped himself. He knew that in her current state, she would never believe him. Besides, all he had was the needle, which wasn¡¯t enough to prove anything. He would only be able to prove his innocence when he found the real killer. Just then, the sound of the phone ringing tore through the air. Dustin fished out his phone and saw that it was Nelson. ¡°Hello? Great timing, Nelson. There¡¯s something I need you to-¡± Before Dustin could finish what he wanted to say, a panicked voice rang out. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble, Sir!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Dustin frowned. ¡°A bunch of martial artists just randomly barged into our dojo and began beating our men up. They are ruthless! Our men have no chance of stopping these people, so please save us!¡± Nelson pleaded desperately. ¡°Hang on. I¡¯m on my way!¡± Dustin h¨´ng up and immediately made his way to the me Dragon Dojo. As the gang¡¯s leader, there was no way he could just ignore this. After half an hour, Dustin finally arrived at the me Dragon Dojo, where a bunch of his disciples were sprawled out on the floor. Foreign martial artists d in dark clothes hadpletely taken over the ce. Even the Four Guardians, who were fairly strong, were pinned under their feet, unable to move at all, while Nelson was shaking where he knelt on the ground. ¡°Sir!¡± Nelson was overjoyed when he saw Dustin and struggled to stand up. However, he was kicked in the back by a bearded man and fell back onto the ground. ¡°Are you the leader of the me Dragon Gang?¡± The bearded man rose to his feet slowly, his expression arrogant. ¡°I am. And who are you?¡± Dustin asked. ¡°The name¡¯s Ma. Be Ma. I¡¯m the Doyle family¡¯s envoy, and I was ordered to capture you.¡± Be answered calmly. ¡°Be Ma?¡± The me Dragon Gang immediately paled when they heard this. Be Ma, otherwise known as Maniac, was a Divine¨Clevel martial artist who also happened to be Terry Doyle¡¯s right¨Chand man. He was notorious for winning all duels people challenged him with, regardless of his opponents¡® level. His methods were also brutal to the point that his opponents either ended up dead or critically injured, which was why the mere mention of his name was enough to throw Nelson and the others into a state of frenzy. Besides being insanely powerful, Be also had the support of the Doyle family, making him untouchable. ¡°The Doyle family again?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow. ¡°You guys really don¡¯t know when to give up, do you?¡± First, it had been Duncan, now, it was their family envoy. They seem to really have their eyes set on Dustin The me Dragon Gang belongs to Mr. Doyle in the first ce, yet you killed Harry Hall and took over the gang without permission. Your actions have made Mr. Doyle very angry. He has ordered. me to take you in for questioning. You better behave to save yourself from the pain.¡± Be threatened coolly. ¡°Enough with the chit¨Cchat, Be. Arrest that fucker. I want my revenge!¡± Right then, a young woman with a clenched jaw limped her way out of the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes as he immediately recognized the woman, who was none other than Maggie Doyle, whom he had met during yesterday¡¯s car ident.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 607 ¡°Hey, motherfucker. I bet you didn¡¯t expect me toe for you so soon.¡± Maggie sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you not to cross me, or you¡¯d be dead meat. I bet you¡¯re shaking in fear now, aren¡¯t you?¡± As soon as she went home, she ordered her men to look into Dustin and discovered that he was the leader of the me Dragon Gang. Her cousin Terry had been the one who was controlling that gang, so how dare Dustin touch that gang! She immediately went to report her findings to Terry, secretly exaggerating the story, which led to the current situation. ¡°Wasn¡¯t yesterday¡¯s lesson memorable enough? Why would you ask for another beating?¡± Dustin. asked nonchntly. ¡°A beating? Haha! Look around you. You¡¯re surrounded by martial artists who work under my family!¡± Maggie yelled. As the only martial arts family among the Fabulous Five, the Doyle family focused more on security and provided martial arts assistance, which was why despite being the weakest of the five families in terms of wealth, their physical strength was second to none. *Just because you have numbers on your side doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll win.¡± Dustin shook his head. I¡¯m not in the mood for bloodshed today, so as long as you apologize,pensate all the damages, and promise not to do this again, I might let this matter slide.¡± ¡°Let this matter slide? Pfft!¡± Maggie burst outughing. ¡°Bitch, what gives you the right to say that? Your life is in my hands now. You¡¯d be dead if I ordered my men to tear you to shreds!¡± ¡°Really? Try it, then ¡± Dustin spread out his hands, his expression remaining unchanged. ¡°I guess you¡¯re going to be stubborn till the end. Be, destroy him!¡± Maggie gestured to Be and took a seat at the side to enjoy the show. ¡°Kid, you shouldn¡¯t have offended Ms. Maggie. I was nning to capture you peacefully, but now, I¡¯ll have no choice but to break your limbs to cate her,¡± Be said frigidly as he trudged forward, hisrge, imposing frame putting immense pressure on others. ¡°Sir, Be Ma is a powerful Divine¨Clevel martial artist. You¡¯re no match for him, so run!¡± Nelson, who was tied up, cried. ¡°What will you guys do if I run now?¡± Dustin was surprised by Nelson¡¯s loyalty. ¡°Our lives are nothingpared to yours. Let them do whatever they want!¡± Nelson answered firmly. From the moment he heard Be¡¯s name, he knew that he was doomed. ¡°As your leader, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d abandon all of you,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°Sir, as long as you¡¯re alive, there will always be hope. You¡¯re extremely talented; you¡¯ll reach the top in no time. There¡¯s no need for you to risk your life here!¡± Nelson shouted. Although Dustin was also a Divine¨Clevel martial artist, he was still no match for a seasoned fighter like Be. Not to mention, Be also had the Doyle family backing him up. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to be your leader if I run away in times of trouble.¡± Dustin was unfazed. ¡°Sir! Now is not the time to be stubborn. Be is far too strong for you to handle. Saving your own life is far more important. Hurry, run!¡± Nelson panicked. ¡°Run, Sir! Forget about us!¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re safe, the me Dragon Gang can rise again. Our deaths won¡¯t be in vain!¡± Influenced by Nelson, the rest of the gang¡¯s disciples began crying out in righteousness. In the martial world, nothing was more important than loyalty and righteousness. The fact that Dustin was willing to stand up against the Doyle family for them was enough to prove that they had chosen the right person to follow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This big guy can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Dustin smiled softly. ¡°Stubborn to the end, I see? Let¡¯s see how long you¡¯llst!¡± Maggie sniggered.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 608 ¡°Hey, kid. You should¡¯ve listened when they told you to run, but unfortunately, it¡¯s toote now. Be stepped closer to Dustin. Soon, Be was less than 20 feet away from Dustin, which was the best range for an attack. There was no way Dustin could escape from him. ¡°When did I ever say that I wanted to run?¡± Dustin retorted calmly. ¡°Do you still n to resist after hearing my nickname?¡± Be sneered. ¡°Resist? No, you misunderstand me. I¡¯m merely going to knock you out.¡± Dustin corrected. ¡°Knock me out? Pfft!¡± Be sniggered. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you a chance. I won¡¯t move from this spot. You have three chances to strike me. I¡¯ll let you go if you can make me take even a single step backward.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. His words put a smirk on Maggie¡¯s and the others¡® faces, who were all aware that Be¡¯s body was imprable. Even those of the same rank as him couldn¡¯t break through his defenses. So everyone was confident that even if Be let Dustin attack him thirty times without protecting himself, the former would still bepletely unharmed. ¡°This is interesting. Be is going to y a game of cat and mouse.¡± Maggie smirked. ¡°The brat is going to make a fool of himself, yet he thinks he¡¯s got the upper hand.¡± The martial artists from the Doyle family had their arms crossed and were grinning from ear to ear as they watched on. While Nelson and the others gritted their teeth and clenched their jaws. Be was clearly humiliating Dustin, yet Nelson and the rest of the gang were too weak to fight back. ¡°Are you sure you want to let me have three strikes at you first?¡± Dustin suddenly asked. ¡°Why? Is it not enough? Fine, you can have ten. If that¡¯s still not enough, you can even have thirty.¡± Be sneered. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just one is enough.¡± Dustin smiled softly and suddenly threw an ordinary¨Clooking punch. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it, Sir! He¡¯s provoking you!¡± Nelson yelled. ¡°Ignorant fool.¡± Maggie sniggered. ¡°Things are starting to get good.¡± The Doyle family martial artists started cheering. They naturally assumed that Dustin was making things harder for himself. There was an audible thump as Dustin¡¯s fist buried itself into Be¡¯s abdomen. However, the ¡°He actually made a move? How foolish!¡± The Doyle family martial artists giggled jeeringly. Be chuckled. ¡°Are you trying to tickle me with that puny punch of yours? You-¡± Suddenly, he paled and looked down as he realized something. The ce where Dustin had struck him had started churning, and suddenly, there was an ear- splitting bang as Be¡¯s abdomen exploded, leaving a gaping, bloody hole. The insane force sent Be flying in the air before he crashed heavily into the floor and passed. out on impact. With a single strike, Dustin had knocked Be out! Chapter 609 bbergasted, everyone gaped at Be, whonded on the f defeated with 7 with a crash. None of them expected someone as powerful as Be to be one punch. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to have an imprable body and be insanely strong? How was he defeated so easily? ¡°I¨Cimpossible!¡± Maggie¡¯s gleeful expression had vanished and was now reced by aghast. This was Maniac they were talking about. A revered Divine¨Clevel martial artist who was also Terry¡¯s best fighter. She couldn¡¯t believe that such a powerful person had been defeated by a single punch from Dustin. ¡°Is this Sir Rhys¡® true strength? He¡¯s terrifying.¡± Nelson¡¯s eyes were wide open with disbelief. Be was well known for his strength, which made him the best fighter in the Doyle family. He had never lost a single battle and was even strong enough to eliminate the me Dragon Gang by himself, yet he had been defeated by a single attack from Dustin. That was incredible! There was a pregnant pause before the uproar began. ¡°Holy shit! I didn¡¯t know that Sir Rhys was so strong. Who would have expected him to take Maniac down by himself? He¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°With such a strong leader, I¡¯m sure our gang will go far in the future!¡± The me Dragon Gang disciples were overjoyed by the oue and were in awe of Dustin¡¯s strength. Maniac? Yeah, right! He couldn¡¯t even withstand a single punch from their leader, much less thirty punches. ¡°How could this have happened? Be lost?¡± ¡°Who the hell is that guy? How the fuck did he defeat Be so easily?¡± The Doyle family¡¯s martial artists were terrified by Dustin¡¯s power. They had initially thought that it would be an easy win, never expecting things to turn out like this. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Was this the end of the Doyle family? ¡°Your men seem a bit weak. Why don¡¯t you test out my strength yourself?¡± Dustin turned his head, and his gazended on Maggie, who stood amidst the crowd. ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± Maggie paled and stumbled backward, nearly tripping over her feet. ¡°Protect Ms. Maggie!¡± The Doyle family¡¯s martial artists immediately surrounded Maggie to keep her safe. All of them had their guards up, and several men had broken out in a cold sweat. After all, how could they possibly defeat the person who won against Maniac? Still, they had to carry out their duty, so even if they knew they would lose, they had to stand up and fight. ¡°Seeing how you defeated Be, I have to admit that I underestimated you.¡± Maggieposed herself quickly. ¡°However, my family has tons of people who are way stronger than Be. Do you think that you can defeat a bunch of people just because you defeated Be?¡± The Doyle family was a martial arts family, and each family member practiced martial arts, so nothing would change, no matter how powerful Dustin was. ¡°So what?¡± Dustin responded, unfazed. ¡°I¡¯m very generous. I¡¯m willing to let you go if you get on your knees and grovel for forgiveness. Maggie humphed arrogantly. Chapter 610 ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the situation here. You¡¯re the rat in the trap right now, not me.¡± Dustin reminded. The me Dragon Gang disciples, who had been suppressed by Be earlier, sprung up excitedly now that they had a fighting chance against the Doyle family. ¡°What? Are you challenging my family?¡± Maggie yelled. ¡°So what if I am? Since I¡¯ve already offended your family, I might as well see things to the end. ¡°Dustin retorted fearlessly. ¡°You!¡± Maggie seethed. She didn¡¯t expect Dustin to be crazy enough topletely disregard her family. ¡°Ms. Maggie, this ce isn¡¯t safe anymore. We should retreat and regroup.¡± One of the martial artists next to her whispered. There was no way they could hold out against so many gang disciples, especially with Dustin around. Maggie sucked a deep breath and eventually ordered, ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Who said you could leave?¡± With a fierce stomp, true energy burst out, and the Doyle family martial artists were sent flying into the air, causing wails to ring out everywhere. ¡°Grab them!¡± Nelson immediately charged forward with his men, finally having the chance to release all the pent¨Cup anger from the humiliation. ¡°Stop!¡± Right before the battle broke out, a feminine voice cut through themotion. A voluptuous woman d in ck walked in, with a dozen female martial artists following closely behind. ¡°What?¡± Dustin frowned. He was taken aback because he knew the woman in ck. It was udia Doyle, whom he had encountered briefly back in Swinton. They had first met at Peaceful Medical Center when she and She had been severely injured by Thor Garcia, one of The Four Scoundrels. Back then, Dustin was the one who saved them and killed Thor. Their interactions stopped after he cured She¡¯s odd disease in exchange for the Gozoraberry, so he was surprised to see udia here. ¡°You came at the right time, udia. Kill this bastard for me!¡± Maggie¡¯s eyes lit up, and she cried out happily. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± udia was just as astonished to see Dustin. ¡°Long time no see, Ms. Doyle.¡± Dustin greeted indifferently. ¡°udia, this man was acting so arrogantly. And he even challenged our family. Take him down immediately!¡± Maggie jeered. ¡°Shut your lips!¡± udia shot Maggie a re, causing thetter to swallow her words. Maggie had always been terrified of her cousin, and it wasn¡¯t just because of her strength, but because of udia¡¯s close rtionship with the Murrays. Out of all the youngsters in the Doyle family, Terry was the only one who could control udia. ¡°Dustin, I don¡¯t know what grudge you have against Maggie, but I must bring her back safely today,¡± udia said. ¡°That¡¯ll be difficult. She stirred up trouble and even hurt my men. I can¡¯t pretend that nothing happened.¡± Dustin shook his head. ¡°I am willing to pay you double thepensation for all the damage she caused,¡± udia responded confidently. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This isn¡¯t about money. Would you be happy if I gave you some money for expenses after pping you a few times?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± udia frowned. ¡°First, she has to kneel and apologize. She also has to pay a tenfoldpensation, as well as p herself twice to show her sincerity.¡± Dustin smiled softly. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Maggie snapped. ¡°You want me to apologize and p myself? Who the fuck do think you are?¡± ¡®Dustin, you¡¯re taking things too far!¡± udia growled. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you nicely because saved She before. You¡¯re going to have to suffer the consequences if you keep this up!¡± Chapter 611 ¡°Are you threatening me, Ms. Doyle?¡± Dustin narrowed his eyes, a small smile on his lips. ¡°I¡¯m just giving you a piece of advice!¡± udia snapped. ¡°Terry is the one who¡¯s protecting Maggie. He won¡¯t let you off the hook if you touch even a single strand of her hair.¡± ¡°Terry Doyle?¡± The me Dragon Gang disciple instantly began shaking in fear. In the martial world, Terry was not only treated as the brightest individual of the Doyle family but was also a powerhouse whose name was on The Heavenly Immortals and stood atop all his peers. There were even rumors that he might be the next leader of the martial arts world. To sum things up, Terry was a blessed individual who was born into a prestigious family and had the guidance of the most esteemed masters, while potentially bing the next leader of the martial world Even meeting just one of those conditions was amazing enough, yet Terry ticked all the boxes. So, who would dare challenge him? ¡°So what? Does that guy have three heads and six arms or something?¡± Dustin was unfazed, ¡°You should ask those around you if you¡¯ve never heard of Terry¡¯s nickname!¡± udia hissed. ¡°Sir, we can¡¯t afford to offend someone like him. Why don¡¯t we give up this time?¡± Nelson gulped. ¡°He¡¯s right. It¡¯s alright if we suffer, but you don¡¯t have to put your life on the line.¡± The other disciples advised. If it was Maggie they were up against, they¡¯d still have a winning chance. However, if their opponent changed to Terry, this would just be asking for death. ¡°You heard that? Everyone in Millsburg knows how strong Terry is. If you surrender now, I can ask him to let this matter go.¡± udia spoke again. ¡°Hey, Rhys! You better not waste the chance udia gave you, or Terry might destroy this ce!¡± Maggie jeered ¡°Is he that strong?¡± Dustin raised an eyebrow ¡°Are you scared now? And here I wondered how tough you were. It turns out you¡¯re nothing but eye candy.¡± Maggie grumbled disdainfully. ¡°Dustin, you should consider the situation you¡¯re in Surrendering to someone stronger than you is nothing to be ashamed of. I¡¯ll help you once, but you¡¯re on your own next time. Let¡¯s go, Maggie.¡± udia waved her hand and prepared to leave. ¡°Hang on.¡± Dustin moved quickly and blocked the exit. ¡°When did I say you could leave?¡± ¡°Are you going to stir up more trouble?¡± udia frowned, annoyed by Dustin. She thought that she¡¯d been kind enough to him, yet he was still being extremely stubborn. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so fucking shameless!¡± Maggie barked. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for udia, did you think I¡¯d let you go so easily? Trust me, if Terry were here, he¡¯d wipe out all of you!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary since I¡¯ll be looking for him myself,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll be visiting your family in three days to challenge Terry. We¡¯ll settle all the scores then.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dustin¡¯s words stunned everyone, and they gaped at him in disbelief. Was he crazy? How could he challenge Terry Doyle, the genius who¡¯s on The Heavenly Immortals? Did he have a death wish? ¡°Dustin, are you out of your mind? That¡¯s nothing but foolish and suicidal!¡± udia was the first to react. She had only spoken kindly to him because of She. She never expected Dustin to be bold enough to challenge Terry. Chapter 612 It was like bringing a knife to a gunfight! ¡°You piece of shit! You¡¯re crazy! Who gave you the balls to challenge Terry?¡± Maggie cackled. Although Dustin¡¯s behavior had shocked her, she was pleased since she couldn¡¯t wait to see him die in Terry¡¯s hands. ¡°S¨Csir, y¨Cyou can¡¯t!¡± Nelson went as white as a sheet, and his knees went weak. Dustin had taken his joke way too far. Challenging Terry was nothing short of a suicide mission. ¡°Since we already have a grudge against each other, we might rip off the band¨Caid. Go home and ask Terry if he has the guts to ept my challenge¡± Dustin shocked everyone once more. Since the conflict between him and Terry wasn¡¯t just a small issue, it¡¯d be better to just get things over with. Terry was the Doyle family¡¯s sturdy boulder, and Dustin nned to demolish their confidence once and for all! ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± udia hissed. ¡°The oue is still unclear, so you shouldn¡¯t make assumptions so soon,¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°How foolish! I hope you don¡¯t regret your actionster on.¡± udia humphed. She had never met anyone as foolish and arrogant as Dustin. ¡°Nelson, draft out a challenge letter. Ms. Doyle will bring it back with her.¡± Dustin ordered. ¡°Are you sure, Sir Rhys?¡± Nelson was terrified. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Dustin snapped. ¡°R¨Cright away, sir.¡± Nelson groaned and passed thepleted letter to udia. ¡°You would have been forgiven for any mistakes made identally, but since you brought this upon yourself, you¡¯re doomed.¡± udia shook her head, and she stared at the letter. She was sure that Dustin was a dead man. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home in three days, Rhys! I wonder how you¡¯ll die.¡± Maggie eximed gleefully. ¡°That¡¯s between me and Terry, but we¡¯ll be settling our score right here and now.¡± Dustin¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°What are you up to? I¡¯m warning you; you better not-¡± Maggie¡¯s eyes widened, and she was about to threaten Dustin again. Out of nowhere, Dustin appeared before her and forcefully smacked her across the face twice, causing her to fly backward. Her teeth popped out, and blood from her disfigured face sttered everywhere By the time shended on the ground, she waspletely unconscious. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now we¡¯re even.¡± Dustin pped his hands together, a satisfied grin on his face. Since Maggie wasn¡¯t willing to p herself, he thought he would help her do it instead. ¡°How dare you!¡± udia was pissed. How could Dustin hit Maggie right in front of her? ¡°Calm down, Ms. Doyle. She won¡¯t die from this.¡± Dustin responded calmly. ¡°Please also pass a message to Terry that he can just surrender if he¡¯s too afraid to ept my challenge.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret this, Dustin!¡± udia sneered and left with her people. ¡°We¡¯re doomed!¡± Nelson was devastated. Last time, Dustin hurt one of the Grants, and this time, he challenged Terry Doyle. Who in their right mind would do something like that? Gosh, their gang leader was insane! The disciples were going to go crazy with worry soon. Chapter 613 At the training grounds of the Doyle family mansion, ten heavily armed elite martial artists were surrounding an unarmed young man. The man had long, flowing hair and a handsome face with a sharp gaze. His movements were swift and graceful as he effortlessly evaded the attacks from the ten martial artists with his hands sped behind his back. What made him more fearsome were the weights he was carrying. Tied all over his body were a bunch of hefty, dark steel weights that could make even the best Divine¨Clevel martial artists struggle. Yet the man seemedpletely unbothered by the weights as he toyed with the other fighters. The only person who could do something like this was the Doyle family¡¯s genius, Terry Doyle! ¡°N¨Cno more, Mr. Terry. We give up.¡± 30 minutester, the ten fighters had all copsed onto the floor, panting and sweating buckets. Each of them was a well¨Cknown fighter in the martial arts world, yet even with theirbined efforts, they hadn¡¯t even been able to put a scratch on Terry. ¡°You guys have been getting worse. Today¡¯s training was nothing.¡± Terry humphed, displeased. ¡°Sir, we haven¡¯t been getting worse, you just became stronger again.¡± Someone grumbled. ¡°Exactly. We were at least on par with you two years ago. But now, we can¡¯t even touch you despite you wearing those weights that weigh over three hundred pounds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural since you¡¯re a genius.¡± The fighters began singing praises for Terry, but that didn¡¯t make him any happier. ¡°You bunch of useless things. Scram!¡± Terry snapped, sending them scampering away in fear. ¡°How boring. It seems like Tyler Grant is my only rival left in Millsburg.¡± Terry¡¯s gaze turned determined. Tyler was a military man, and couldn¡¯t fight in the martial world, which was why his name didn¡¯t appear on The Heavenly Immortals. Still, Terry knew that with Tyler¡¯s strength, thetter could easily make it to the top of the list, so he couldn¡¯t help wondering when they might have the chance to spar against each other. ¡°Terry!¡± Just then, a battered Maggie rushed in, crying. Her disheveled looks and unrecognizable face were ghastly. ¡°What?¡± Terry¡¯s stare turned chilling, and he took out his de and pointed it at the neer. Who the hell are you? How dare you trespass into our forbidden training grounds!¡± Startled, Maggie stopped in her tracks and pulled her hair away from her face. ¡°It¡¯s me, Maggie!¡± ¡°Maggie?¡± Terry was astonished. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡± ¡°I¨CI got beaten up!¡± Maggie¡¯s lower lip quivered before she burst into tears. ¡°Who would dare to hit you? Did you use my name?¡± Terry¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I did, but that only made that person hit me even more!¡± Maggie cried. ¡°What? Who is that arrogant bastard?¡± Terry was angry that someone dared to disrespect him. ¡°It¡¯s that Dustin guy!¡± Maggie growled. ¡°I went over to the me Dragon Dojo with Be to get the gang back, but that guy managed to defeat Be and even beat me up! Ugh!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He must be quite strong to be able to defeat Be.¡± Terry was surprised. Even among their family¡¯s martial artists, Be was one of their best fighters, and the average martial artist would not stand a chance against that man. ¡°Terry, that guy is out of his mind. After defeating Be, he even challenged you! Take a look at this!¡± Chapter 614 Maggie handed the challenge letter to Terry. ¡°A duel in three days?¡± Terry sniggered after reading the letter. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve been isting myself for too long. Even weaklings dare to challenge me now.¡± ¡°You have to get even for me, Terry.¡± Maggie pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll stand up for you!¡± Terry¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously. ¡°Help me spread the news of this challenge. I want to take this opportunity to scare off the weaklings and show others our family¡¯s strength!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Maggie immediately got to work. In less than a day, news about the leader of the me Dragon Gang challenging Terry Doyle spread far and wide. Although not many knew who the leader of the me Dragon Gang was, they were well aware of who Terry was. Therefore, the news excited over half of the people in Millsburg, especially those in the martial arts world. Terry was a publicly recognized martial arts genius whose name was on The Heavenly Immortals. Usually, it would be hard to even catch a glimpse of the man, so everyone was thrilled to hear that he epted a public challenge. That night, in the Harmon estate. ¡°What? Dustin is going to challenge Terry Doyle to a duel? Are you kidding me, Dad?¡± Natasha sprung out of her chair after hearing this. On the contrary, Hector seemed unfazed as he took a sip of his tea. ¡°The Doyle family made the announcement this afternoon, so it should be real. ¡°How could this have happened? Why did Dustin suddenly challenge Terry?¡± Natasha was fearful. ¡°The grudge between Dustin and the Doyle family has been going on for quite a while. I have a feeling that Dustin is using this chance to send the Doyle family a warning,¡± Hector said thoughtfully. ¡°Dustin is being too reckless! Terry Doyle is a genius who is insanely powerful. He isn¡¯t someone who should be messed with. I must talk Dustin out of this!¡± Natasha grabbed her phone to call Dustin, but Hector stopped her. ¡°Dustin was the one who issued the challenge. It¡¯ll be extremely humiliating if he goes back on his word now.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s better than dying, isn¡¯t it?¡± Natasha frowned. ¡°Silly girl. You¡¯re worrying too much.¡± Hector shook his head with a smile. ¡°You should know him well enough by now. If he wasn¡¯t confident he would win, do you think he would have put his life on the line?¡± ¡°I know that, but Terry isn¡¯t just anyone. If Dustin loses thepetition, he¡¯ll be dead meat!¡± Natasha eximed worriedly. Ever since she fell for Dustin, she could no longer think straight when it came to him. ¡°Alnight, stop overthinking.¡± Hector patted his daughter¡¯s head gently. ¡°If Dustin has the balls to issue the challenge, it just mean that he¡¯s confident in himself. Who knows? He might surprise all of us. We should just watch and see how things turn out.¡± Meanwhile, at the Grants¡® mansion, a woman wearing ck clothes and a mask with a raindrop design was reporting the situation to Tyler ¡°Master, I just received news that Dustin Rhys will be challenging Terry Doyle in three days,¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Tyler was surprised. Terry is quite a strong person. Where did Dustin find the courage to challenge him?¡± ¡°Should I do something about it?¡± The woman asked tentatively. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just keep an eye on things. We¡¯ll go to the Doyle family mansion together then.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, master.¡± The woman lowered her head. She couldn¡¯t help feeling suspicious. Knowing Tyler¡¯s personality, he usually never cared about minor characters, so there must be something different about Dustin. Chapter 615 For the next few days, Dustin upied himself with investigating James¡¯ death. Someone had murdered James and framed him for the former¡¯s death. Although he didn¡¯t know who the true killer was, he could at least guess their intentions. They wanted to send him a warning, as well as make others turn against him. A stab in the back was always the hardest to anticipate. Dustin had also tried approaching Dahlia several times, but she still refused to see him. He knew that before the real murderer was revealed, there was no way they could peacefully talk to each other. On the third morning, Dustin stood at the edge of the battle ring in me Dragon Dojo as he studied the ck needle. The needle was forged from dark steel and had been dipped in poison. If the needle managed to prick into a person¡¯s skin, it would cause an instant death, which was why James¡¯ death had been so sudden. But the question was, ¡°Who did the needle belong to?¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Right then, Nelson barged into the dojo, carrying a copy of the test results. ¡°Well, how did things go?¡± Dustin slowly raised his head. ¡°As you ordered, I swapped James¡¯ body and ordered an autopsy. Here are the results.¡± Nelson handed the document over politely. ¡°I knew it.¡± Dustin wasn¡¯t surprised by the results, which stated that James¡¯ death hadn¡¯t been a natural event. ¡°Sir, since we have the murder weapon and autopsy, we can prove your innocence,¡± Nelson said with a smile. ¡°Things aren¡¯t that simple. Just having these two won¡¯t be enough to regain someone¡¯s trust.¡± Dustin shook his head. Even with all this evidence, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to convince Dahlia if he couldn¡¯t catch the real murderer. ¡°I¡¯ve also looked at the hospital¡¯s surveince footage. I didn¡¯t find anyone suspicious the night James was hospitalized. It¡¯ll be difficult to find the killer.¡± Nelson sighed. ¡°Keep digging. If there weren¡¯t any suspicious outsiders, start looking into the doctors and nurses at the hospital. Go through every person who entered the ward that night¡± Dustin ordered gravely ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Nelson answered, and he immediately started making some calls. ¡°Oh, right. Today¡¯s the third day, isn¡¯t it? I should visit the Doyle family now.¡± Dustin carefully put away the ck needle and slowly got up. ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you give it some thought again? If you lose, your life will be in danger!¡± Nelson pleaded. Of all people, Dustin had to challenge Terry. This was nothing but suicidal! ¡°Why do you think I¡¯ll lose?¡± Dustin had a faint smile on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t just think so, I know so.¡± Nelson nodded, his expression serious. ¡°Aww, have a little faith in me, Nelson.¡± Dustin patted Nelson¡¯s shoulder and grinned. ¡°It¡¯s just Terry. Watch as I use the Doyle family as a stepping stone for our gang¡¯s sess! Come, let¡¯s go to the Doyle family mansion!¡± As noon approached, the Doyle family mansion quickly became packed with people as news about the challenge caused a hugemotion. After letting the news brew for the past three days, everyone was hyped up for the battle, and countless elite fighters flocked to the scene, eager to witness Terry¡¯s power. Even before dawn, tons of people had crowded the Doyle family mansion. And as if they had anticipated this, the Doyle family began selling entrance tickets at a hundred thousand dors per ticket. The Doyle family was clearly using this opportunity to make money while showing off their strength. Chapter 616 In the Doyle family¡¯s training grounds. ¡°Holy shit! There are so many people!¡± Ruth was shocked by the amount of people that crowded the vast space. Everywhere she looked, people were talking animatedly. Fortunately, the Doyle family martial artists were keeping everyone in line. ¡°Terry is a revered genius. Of course, the spotlight would be on him.¡± Hector smiled. ¡°Dad, if he¡¯s that strong, does Dustin have a winning chance?¡± Ruth asked nervously. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult, but not impossible,¡± Hector answered. ¡°Hmph! Serves him right for being so stubborn!¡± Natasha¡¯s words were harsh, but they failed to conceal her worry. She tried to persuade Dustin to surrender multiple times, but Dustin seemed unbothered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he loses. It¡¯s more important that he tries. Besides, losing to Terry Doyle isn¡¯t humiliating.¡± Hector smiled again. He wasn¡¯t interested in the duel. However, Dustin was going to be his son-inw, so he had toe and support Dustin. ¡°Why, fancy seeing you here, Mr. Harmon!¡± A fancily dressed middle-aged man approached, smiling. The man was the head of the Doyle family, Phil Doyle. He was also Terry¡¯s father. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Doyle,¡± Hector responded with a small smile. ¡°If I remember correctly, you are not a fan of bloodshed, aren¡¯t you? So what are you doing here?¡± Phil was surprised. ¡°I had some free time, so I brought my daughters here to watch the show. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Hector joked. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here. Come, have a seat.¡± Phil led the three of them to the east of the room, where they had a direct view of the battle ring. Before they settled onto their seats, there was amotion at the entrance, causing everyone to look. An old gentleman with white hair entered the area, with several younger people following him. The old man was none other than Paul Hill. ¡°Oh, my God! Is this for real? Is that Sir Paul?¡± ¡°Holy shit! It is Sir Paul!¡± ¡°Even a martial arts master is here to watch the show. Today¡¯s duel is going to be amazing!¡± Paul caused a stir with his presence since everyone knew that he rarely attended any events. So by coming personally, he was obviously supporting the Doyle family ¡°Please forgive me for not showing you in personally, Sir Paul!¡± Phil was overjoyed to see Paul and quickly greeted the older man ¡°Greetings, Sir Paul.¡± Hector and his daughters quickly bowed out of respect, as well as gratitude. Hector still remembered how Paul had helped him during the birthday party. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m just here to enjoy the show, so no need to fuss about me. Sit.¡± Paul smiled. ¡°Please have a seat, Sir.¡± Phil hurriedly led Paul to the seat in the center. That seat was supposed to be his, but he could only let Paul have it now. After Paul, other important guests gradually arrived as well, including the guildmaster of Boulderthorn, an elder from Greendust, the guildmaster of Autumn Wind, and other famous fighters. The battle hadn¡¯t even started, but tons of martial arts elites had already gathered in the arena. Chapter 617 As it neared the agreed time for their battle, Dustin, Nelson, and several other men walked into the training ground. No matter which direction they looked, people were flocking around every corner In the middle of the training grounds was arge battle ring There were only a few seats surrounding the tform, so most people had no choice but to stand. This naturally meant that those who were sitting were not ordinary people, especially those sitting on the east side, where they had the best view of the arena. Upon closer inspection, Dustin saw a few familiar faces, including Hector and his daughters, Paul and Patrick Hill, udia, as well as Maggie. Others seemed familiar to him, but he couldn¡¯t recall their names. Dustin turned his attention to those on the west side of the arena, where well¨Cknown fighters in the martial arts world sat. Many of them were strong individuals who ranked only second to Paul. ¡°Was it necessary to put on such a huge show for a normalpetition?¡± Dustin was puzzled. ¡°Sir, the Doyle family is using you to show off their strength!¡± Nelson looked around nervously. Most of the individuals present today were strong enough to get rid of him effortlessly. ¡°Show off?¡± Dustin smirked. ¡°You never know who might end up showing off. I hope the Doyle family doesn¡¯t shoot themselves in the foot.¡± Nelson smiled tiredly in response, thinking to himself, ¡°Just don¡¯t embarrass yourself too much. As long as you¡¯re alive, our gang can always rise again.¡± ¡°You again, Dustin?¡± Just then, a familiar voice rang out. Dustin turned his head and saw four familiar faces¨CZoey, Adriana, Zeke, and Gordon. ¡°Gosh, why do we have to run into you everywhere?¡± Gordon hissed disdainfully. ¡°Ugh, I should have checked the horoscope today!¡± Zeke spat on the ground. ¡°You can always leave if you don¡¯t want to see me.¡± Dustin sneered. ¡°Why should we do as you say? Who do you think you are?¡± Zoey sneered. ¡°A pretty boy who¡¯s nothing without a woman.¡± Zeke sniggered. ¡°You should keep a low profile, Dustin. During the banquetst time, if it weren¡¯t for Mr. Dn and Lord Xenos, you¡¯d be dead by now.¡± Gordon humphed This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s right. It¡¯s a miracle that you¡¯re still alive after challenging Tyler Grant. You should appreciate your life.¡± Zeke sneered. In their eyes, Dustin was incredibly lucky to be alive after challenging Tyler. It was all thanks to Paul and George¡¯s help. Still, luck wouldn¡¯t always be on his side. ¡°First of all, Dn had nothing to do with this.¡± Dustin began calmly. ¡°And just because you¡¯re afraid of Tyler, doesn¡¯t mean I have to be. Please don¡¯t judge me with your dim¨Cwitted opinions. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Pfft. You¡¯re acting so high and mighty now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zeke sneered. ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re nothing without the Harmon family¡¯s protection¡± Chapter 618 Chapter 618 ¡°Dustin, you should know where you stand. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re so important just because you¡¯ve met some high-ranking people before. You¡¯re just like salesmen who are always eyeing wealthy people.¡± Zoey jeered For some reason, there were always people who thought highly of themselves despite being nobodies. ¡°What the fuck are you guys talking about?¡± Nelson exploded before Dustin had a chance to get angry. If they had been anywhere else, the me Dragon Disciples would have killed these people for belittling their leader. ¡°Pfft! You even have bodyguards now? Are you pretending to be a big shot?¡± Zeke was unfazed, and he was sure that anyone following Dustin wasn¡¯t anyone important either. ¡°Dustin, you should take good care of your dogs. This isn¡¯t a ce they can bark. Gordon smirked. ¡°You-¡± ¡°Alright, enough.¡± Adriana tried to calm everyone. ¡°We¡¯re here to watch the duel, not to fight.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine. Since Adriana is the one asking, we¡¯ll forgive those idiotic bastards.¡± Gordon put on a generous font. Still, Dustin couldn¡¯t care less about them. He would have sent them away with a few ps if they weren¡¯t Natasha¡¯s acquaintances. He wondered where they learned such vulgar behavior. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m curious. Who is the leader of the me Dragon Gang anyway? How did he find the courage to challenge Terry Doyle?¡± Zoey suddenly asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard about him before.¡± Zeke immediately chimed in. ¡°I heard that despite his young age, he¡¯s incredibly skilled and is Millsburg¡¯s newest talent. He even defeated Maniac!¡± ¡°What? Even Be Ma lost to him? He¡¯s incredible!¡± Zoey was astonished. Maniac was well-known in the martial arts world for his imprable body, and he could even fight off a hundred opponents by himself. ¡°Of course he is! No one would simply challenge Terry Doyle like that,¡± Zeke stated proudly. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s a handsome fellow. I really want to get to know him,¡± Zoey said excitedly. ¡°He¡¯s a mysterious figure who only started gaining fame recently, so although he¡¯s popr, not many people have seen him.¡± Zeke shook his head. ¡°Actually, I know who he is,¡± Gordon suddenly said, adjusting his cor snobbishly. ¡°You know him, Gordo?¡± Zeke was surprised. ¡°I don¡¯t just know him; we¡¯re close acquaintances too. To tell you the truth, he only became the gang leader thanks to my help.¡± Gordon smiled haughtily. ¡°That¡¯s surprising! I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be close to someone like that. You¡¯re awesome!¡± Zeke gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Wow, how do you know so many people?¡± Zoey¡¯s face was full of admiration. ¡°Oh, this is nothing.¡± Gordon pretended to be modest, having mastered the skill of bluffing. ¡°Have you gotten addicted to bragging? What does our gang leader earning his position have to do with you?¡± Nelson couldn¡¯t help but retort. ¡°Who do you think you are to question me?¡± Gordon¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Listen up! I¡¯m the assistant leader of the me Dragon Gang, Nelson Horst!¡± Nelson patted himself on the chest before gesturing to Dustin. ¡°And this is the new talent in Millsburg you¡¯re talking about, the me Dragon Gang¡¯s new leader!¡± Chapter 619 Chapter 619 ¡°me Dragon Gang¡¯s new leader?¡± Gordon and his friends nced at Nelson and Dustin before exchanging looks and then burst out inughter. ¡°Pfft! Excuse me, but did you hit your head or something?¡± Zoey cackled. ¡°Did you just say that Dustin is the gang leader of me Dragon Gang, the new talented individual who challenged Terry Doyle? Well, you might as well say that he¡¯s God, then!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this idiot? As if that bastard could possibly be someone as talented as the me Dragon Gang¡¯s leader.¡± Zeke jeered. ¡°How dare you humiliate our leader! You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Nelson was pissed. He started to roll up his sleeves when Dustin raised a hand to stop him! ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no point arguing with these ignorant fools.¡± Dustin¡¯s target was Terry, not small fries like them. ¡°Yeah, right. Do you think you¡¯re so strong?¡± Zeke smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you¡¯re the assistant gang leader and he¡¯s the leader? Well, if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t I know the two of you?¡± Gordon quipped. ¡°He¡¯s right. Gorgon is good friends with the me Dragon Gang¡¯s leader. Did you think you¡¯d be able to fool him? How foolish!¡± Zoey sneered. She was disgusted by Dustin, whom she thought was a fool, and his bragging only worsened the sentiment. A man like that deserved to be a nobody. ¡°What¡¯s up with the silence? Cat got your tongue? Aren¡¯t you going to answer Gordon?¡± Zeke taunted. ¡°You should keep a low profile if you¡¯re useless, Dustin. Having your lie exposed must be embarrassing.¡± Gordon smirked. ¡°Ugh! Can¡¯t you guys shut up? You¡¯re so noisy!¡± Dustin stuck his pinky into his ear, annoyed. Their words didn¡¯t have much effect. ¡°You-¡± Zeke was about to snap back when Gordon said, ¡°Forget about it. We should help him keep his dignity, or he might do something crazy out of desperation.¡± On the outside, it seemed like Gordon was trying to smooth things over, but in reality, his words were nothing short of an insult. ¡°Hmph! Arrogant but powerless bastards like you will be taught a lesson sooner orter!¡± Zeke snapped at Dustin hostilely. If it weren¡¯t for Natasha, he would have ordered someone to teach Dustin a lesson already. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Hey, look! It¡¯s Terry Doyle!¡± Someone suddenly shouted. Everyone turned to see a handsome man dressed in a well¨Cfitted attire emerging from the backyard. The man¡¯s long locks were draped over his shoulder as he marched forward confidently. The person was none other than Terry Doyle, the person everyone had been waiting for. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was so good¨Clooking! Oh, my God!¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Compared to his looks, he¡¯s more famous for his strength. He¡¯s not even 30 years old yet, but he has already made a name for himself through his battles, which earned him a spot in The Heavenly Immortals! This makes him a rare gem in the entire province!¡± Gordon¡¯s eyes were filled with envy. ¡°We can only look up to people like him.¡± Zeke sighed regretfully. Terry¡¯s appearance hyped the room up once more as people cast gazes of admiration toward him. Even underaged girls boldly screamed their praises for him like he was a superstar. ¡°Terry Doyle!¡± An ear¨Csplitting voice suddenly bellowed, and that instantly silenced the crowd. Immediately after that, a man in a green shirt and hat leaped onto the stage, a long spear in his hand. ¡°I dare you to fight me!¡± The man in green pointed his spear at Terry tauntingly. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Arrogant bastard!¡± ¡°Stupid man!¡± Those from the Doyle family immediately sprung up and shouted. Chapter 620 Chapter 620 The Doyle family members angrily snapped. ¡°Who the hell are you? How dare you make a scene here!¡± Three of the family¡¯s skilled fighters leaped onto the stage, ring at the challenger. ¡°Hmph, trash like you don¡¯t deserve to know my name. Tell Terry Doyle to ept my challenge!¡± The man in green pointed his spear at them provokingly. ¡°Who is this man? He¡¯s such a dick.¡± ¡°He must have a death wish to challenge Terry Doyle. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Tsk, I guess his pride matters more than his life.¡± The people in the arena stared at the man and whispered to each other. ¡°Well, if you want to challenge Mr. Terry, you¡¯ll have to get through us!¡± The three fighters from the Doyle family drew their swords and charged toward the man. ¡°Since all of you are so eager to die, so be it!¡± The man in green tightened his grip on his spear and began countering their attacks. His astonishing speed made it hard for the three fighters to defend themselves, and one of them quickly found himself at the mercy of the spear. The Doyle family fighter paled and raised his de to block the iing blow, but there was a loud ng as his dark steel de shattered from the force, and the momentum caused the spear to embed itself in his abdomen. Before anyone could react, the man in green threw the fighter off the tform with a flick of his spear and moved on to the other two fighters. They were no match for him as well, and they ended up sprawled on the floor momentster. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Everyone was shocked. No one expected the man in green to be so powerful. The three fighters from the Doyle family were much stronger than the average martial artist, yet this man had defeated all three of them effortlessly, easily showing what he was capable of. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± The man looked around mockingly. ¡°Get him!¡± Several Doyle family fighters weren¡¯t happy with the results of the previous match and went forward, taking the chance to deliver the first blow. The man in green remained unfazed as he countered their strikes mercilessly and threw those men back where they came from in seconds, astounding the crowd with his skills with the spear. ¡°Anyone else?¡± The man in green drove the butt of his spear into the ground with a resolute thud, the challenge clear in his tone. ¡°Is this all the Balerno martial artists have to offer?¡± His words infuriated the crowd. ¡°He¡¯s far too arrogant! Someone should teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°F*ck, that¡¯s it! Give me my sword!¡± ¡°How dare he look down on Balerno martial arts! We¡¯re going to set him straight today!¡± Those standing outside the arena, who were initially nothing but onlookers, began crying out in indignation. They didn¡¯t mind him challenging the Doyle family, but to insult the Balerno martial arts? What a pompous asshole! Thanks to his actions, the crowd was fired up. People began shouting their wishes to join the fight, determined to stand up for Balerno martial arts. Chapter 621 Chapter 621 ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re made of, kid.¡± A burly man wielding a broadsword was the first to jump into the ring. His sword, which weighed well over 200 pounds, looked as light as a feather because of his muscr physique. ¡°Who are you? Do you have a death wish?¡± The man in green pointed his spear toward the burly man. A look of disdain on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Toby Hunt, leader of Hollowdes!¡± In a smooth motion, the man mmed the tip of his de into the ground, a murderous aura enveloping him, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Sir Hunt. No wonder he seemed familiar.¡± ¡°Hollowdes is quite a famous guild, and Sir Hunt is known for his sword skills. I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s so strong he can even cut boulders apart!¡± ¡°With Sir Hunt around, that guy¡¯s dead meat!¡± ¡°Sir Hunt, please teach that arrogant bastard a lesson and protect Balerno martial artists¡® reputation!¡± Everyone showed their support for Toby. ¡°Hollowdes? What¡¯s that? I¡¯ve never even heard of that name.¡± The man in green sneered, unfazed by his opponent. ¡°Cocky brat! I¡¯ll make you realize that there¡¯s always someone stronger than you!¡± Toby bellowed, and grabbed his sword. The tip of his de gouged a path along the tform¡¯s surface as he charged toward the man in green, sparks flying from the point of contact. ¡°Here Ie!¡± Toby lifted his sword and brought it down heavily, causing a whistling noise as the de cut through the air. The force he exerted was enough to take down an elephant, much less a human. ¡°Fool!¡± Instead of sidestepping, the man in green grabbed his spear and thrust it forward. There was a loud ng as the two weapons collided with each other. Then Toby¡¯s sword flew out of his hands, and he staggered backward from the impact. Before Toby could process what was going on, the man in green delivered his second blow by jabbing his spear into Toby¡¯s shoulder, and then he flicked Toby off the tform. This meant that with merely two strikes, the man in green managed to subdue Toby Hunt, the leader of Hollowdes. ¡°Holy shit! Even Sir Hunt is no match for him. He¡¯s a beast!¡± Everyone was aghast by what they just witnessed. Toby was a famous martial artist in the martial world; he was especially skilled with his sword, so no one expected him to lose to a young man. ¡°Pathetic!¡± The man in green humphed. ¡°Are all Balerno martial artists so weak?¡± ¡°Arrogant bastard! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Just then, a man in his twilight years jumped into the ring. His movements were swift as he lunged toward the man in green with a pair of twin swords. ¡°Bang!¡± Three secondster, the old man was also sent flying off the tform, blood sttering everywhere. The crowd fell into stunned silence once more. Weren¡¯t his opponents losing way too quickly? ¡°Get out of my way! I¡¯ll fight him!¡± ¡°And me!¡± ¡°Fuck this shit. I¡¯m in too!¡± More people mbered to challenge the man in green, either out of anger or to defend their reputations as martial artists. Still, no matter how many people tried attacking, none of them were a match for the man in green. In fact, most of them were easily swiped off the tform as soon as they got on. It waspletely a one¨C sided battle. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After a while, everyone fell silent as shock and somberness reced the arrogant shouts earlier. Chapter 622 Chapter 622 If the man had only defeated one opponent, others might have considered it was due to his luck. However, defeating several dozen opponents nonstop could only mean that he was an incredibly powerful individual. Thanks to that, the man finally earned some recognition from the crowd. ¡°Who is this guy? He¡¯s so strong!¡± ¡°A man dressed in green and good at using a spear? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s the person who rose to fame in the martial world recently by challenging strong fighters¨CVerdant Phantom?¡± ¡°What? Verdant Phantom? I heard that even Geoffrey Vaughn, who¡¯s in the top twenty of The Heavenly Immortals, lost to him!¡± ¡°He defeated someone as strong as Geoffrey Vaughn? He¡¯s a monster!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Everyone was shocked to hear his nickname. After all, the name Verdant Phantom had been gathering attention, especially after the man defeated Geoffrey Vaughn. However, since he never appeared in public, few knew what he looked like. Everyone was surprised to learn that he would show up. They were even more shocked to see him challenging Balerno¡¯s martial arts so openly. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, Terry Doyle!¡± Verdant Phantom lifted his spear and pointed its tip in Terry¡¯s direction, turning everyone¡¯s attention to thetter. ¡°Verdant Phantom is so strong. I wonder if Terry will win.¡± ¡°Terry Doyle is ranked thirteenth on The Heavenly Immortals, while Verdant Phantom was able to defeat someone who¡¯s on the top twenty of the same list. It¡¯s hard to guess who might win.¡± ¡°It seems like Terry Doyle finally met his match!¡± The crowd gossiped nervously. ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you going to ept my challenge? Or do you n to run away and hide?¡± Verdant Phantom taunted. ¡°How interesting.¡± Terry chuckled and gradually approached the tform. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from, but you should at least let me warm up, right?¡± ¡°Warm up?¡± Verdant Phantom snorted. ¡°You sure talk big for someone who¡¯s about to meet their demise.¡± ¡°Because of you? As if.¡± Terry calmly stood up with his hands sped behind his back. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ve already defeated countless martial artists on The Heavenly Immortals. You¡¯re nothing more than a stepping stone for my journey to reach the top of the list!¡± Verdant Phantom dered confidently. No one rebutted his arrogant words after they had witnessed his strength earlier. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think you¡¯re on par with me just because you defeated Geoffrey Vaughn?¡± Terry smirked condescendingly. ¡°The gap between each rank on The Heavenly Immortals is like a river. Compared to me, those that you defeated are about seven ranks lower than me, and that makes the gap between the two of us as vast as the ocean.¡± ¡°Those standards don¡¯t apply to me. With my spear alone, I¡¯ll defeat every single one of you!¡± Verdant Phantom smirked. ¡°You sure are a reckless fellow. Well, I hope you don¡¯t disappoint meter,¡± Terry responded calmly. ¡°Enough with the chit¨Cchat. Choose your weapon!¡± Verdant Phantom swung around, exuding a fierce aura. ¡°My weapon? Pfft. I don¡¯t need one against you.¡± Terry¡¯s hands remained behind his back, and his nonchnt attitude showed how little he cared about his opponent. ¡°Since you seem keen to die, why don¡¯t I give you a hand?¡± With a stomp, Verdant Phantom shot toward Terry with his spear in his grasp. There was a glint as the spear thrust forward, its movements charged with power thanks to the true energy supplied to it. The unmatched speed and power left everyone in awe. The tip of the spear tore through the air, leaving a shadow behind. There was even a long gouge on the ground from where the de had been dragged past. ¡°What terrifying skills!¡± ¡°Terry Dole is in danger now!¡± Everyone silently feared for Terry. They also realized that Verdant Phantom had been holding back against them earlier. In the blink of an eye, the tip of the man¡¯s spear made contact with Terry¡¯s chest. However, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, despite being struck, Terry stood his ground without flinching, enduring the ferocious attack with his body! Chapter 623 ¡°What?¡± The scene before the crowd caused their eyes to widen and their jaws to drop in shock. All of them had witnessed Verdant Phantom¡¯s strength firsthand and saw how ferocious hisst attack was, yet Terry had used nothing but his chest to block the blow. Was that even humanly possible? Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°How can this be?¡± Verdant Phantom was shocked. He staggered backward, his face full of disbelief. He had spent years perfecting thatst attack, and no one had ever managed to stop it. Even Geoffrey Vaughn had lost to that attack, so he thought that he¡¯d be able to defeat Terry with the same attack. However, Terry had stopped his attack, which should be strong enough to pierce through armor and cripple someone, with nothing but his body. And Terry was terrifyingly calm about it. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got? How disappointing.¡± Terry shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be so full of yourself. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re immune to all physical attacks!¡± Verdant Phantom gritted his teeth before stabbing Terry with full force. A mighty stream of true energy flowed out of his body and into his spear, turning its tip bright red. ¡°Rot in hell!¡± Verdant Phantom yelled before driving his spear into Terry¡¯s chest. A loud ng rang out instantly. Terry seemed unfazed by the attack. On the contrary, the other man¡¯s spear had bent under the force. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Terry smirked. He grabbed hold of the spearhead and clenched his fist. Metal creaked under his grip as he broke the other man¡¯s spear. ¡°What?¡± Verdant Phantom was appalled. He never imagined that Terry would be unscathed after receiving his strongest attack. Their power difference was too great! ¡°You¡¯re too weak. Go back and practice for a few more years.¡± Terry threw the bent spear aside and nted a foot into the abdomen of Verdant Phantom, who groaned as his body flew backward before mming into a wall and passing out on impact. In the end, Verdant Phantom lost! ¡°Well done!¡± ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± After a pause, apuse and roars of approval rang out. Terry¡¯s strength had earned him the audience¡¯s respect. Verdant Phantom? So what? And what if that man defeated Geoffrey Vaughn? He had still lost to Terry. ¡°As expected of Terry Doyle. He got rid of Verdant Phantom so easily.¡± ¡°No wonder he¡¯s ranked thirteenth on The Heavenly Immortals.¡± Chapter 624 How were they going to win against a monster like Terry? ¡°What do you think of Terry¡¯s performance, Sir Paul?¡± Phil was beaming from ear to ear after witnessing his son¡¯s outstanding show. ¡°Not bad. He¡¯s a talented one indeed.¡± Paul gave a small smile. ¡°I have a feeling that he will be a Grandmaster martial artist in the next decade.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Paul¡¯s words shocked everyone. Grandmaster martial artists were extremely rare. Even in Balerno, where several hundred million people resided, there had only ever been five Grandmaster martial artists. And each of them had made a name for themselves with their strength. Terry¡¯s talent must be truly incredible if Paul was willing to give such high praise. ¡°You tter him, Sir Paul. My son might be talented, but he still needs work.¡± Phil¡¯s words may seem modest, but he failed to hide the grin on his face. As long as his son became a Grandmaster martial artist within the next decade, the Doyle family would be invincible! In fact, they might very well be a part of the Tremendous Three-no, the Tremendous Four. ¡°As they say, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Congrattions, Mr. Doyle.¡± Hector, who was sitting beside them, congratted them. Other influential figures mbered to sing their praises, well aware of how strong a Grandmaster martial artist was. After all, the Hill family was only so influential because of Paul, and that was what it meant to be a Grandmaster martial artist. ¡°Sis, if Terry is so strong, doesn¡¯t that guarantee that Dustin will lose?¡± Ruth asked worriedly. Terry¡¯s performance earlier had wiped away whatever hope she held. ¡°If I remember correctly, someone was going to challenge me to a duel today.¡± Just then, Terry spoke. He surveyed the room, looking for his target. ¡°Challenge him? After seeing what happened to Verdant Phantom, there¡¯s no way that gang leader would show up.¡± ¡°Pfft! Seeing how that guy hasn¡¯t appeared yet, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s retreated with his tail between his legs.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s already here, he might as well show his face, right? Rather than hiding like a coward.¡± The crowd smirked and began bad-mouthing Dustin, assuming that he hadn¡¯t appeared due to fear. ¡°Dustin, didn¡¯t you say that you were the leader of the me Dragon Gang? Why haven¡¯t you gone up yet?¡± Gordon¡¯s eyes shot to Dustin, a smirk hanging off his lips. ¡°Hey, you were talking big earlier. Why are you keeping silent now?¡± Zoey crossed her arms, sneering. ¡°Hey, Rhys. Someone¡¯s calling you. You should get up there.¡± Zeke taunted. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Nelson shouted with a re. ¡°What a bunch of losers! You guys are all bark and no bite. How disappointing.¡± Zeke ridiculed. ¡°Where did you find the balls to pretend to be the leader of the me Dragon Gang?¡± Zoey sniggered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared, Dustin. Where did your courage go? Don¡¯t you have dignity as a man?¡± Gordon taunted. ¡°Since you guys seem hell-bent on provoking me, I might as well do as you wish.¡± Dustin nodded. and turned toward the ring. ¡°Is that guy really going to go up there?¡± Zoey was astonished. Gordon scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s just putting on a show. I bet he¡¯s going to walk into the crowd and then run away.¡± ¡°Exactly. If he goes up there, I¡¯ll eat my own shit while doing a handstand!¡± Zeke smirked. Soon, their smiles dropped when they realized that Dustin had gotten into the ring. Chapter 625 w ¡°No way. He went up?¡± Zoey and the others stopped smiling as they watched Dustin get onto the arena, their faces frozen in shock. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. They never expected Dustin to actually go into the ring, thinking that he was merely bluffing. Still, did he have a death wish? ¡°Hey, you! Weren¡¯t you going to eat your shit while doing a handstand? Go ahead.¡± Nelson suddenly spoke. Zeke stiffened awkwardly. It had merely been an offhandedment. He never imagined that Dustin would be so bold, so his words wereing back to bite him in the ass. Zoey suddenly thought of something. ¡°Hang on. Dustin isn¡¯t the me Dragon Gang¡¯s leader, is he? Besides the leader of the me Dragon Gang, who else would dare to challenge Terry? ¡°Impossible! There¡¯s no way a loser like him can be me Dragon Gang¡¯s leader.¡± Gordon immediately protested. I guess you¡¯re going to keep being stubborn, eh? Well, let me show you.¡± Nelson sneered before fishing out a badge and pping it against Gordon¡¯s face. ¡°You¡± Just as Gordon was about to start cursing, he took a closer look at the badge and was startled into silence.. The badge belonged to none other than the me Dragon Gang! ¡°Have you finally opened your eyes, you piece of shit? What more do you have to say?¡± Nelson raised his chin defiantly, rendering Gordon and his friends speechless. The me Dragon Emblem was more than enough evidence, and Dustin¡¯s bold actions only further solidified the fact. However, it was hard for them to ept that the man they had been praising for defeating Maniac was the boy toy they despised. ¡°Hey, kid. Didn¡¯t you say you were friends with our leader? So, do you know him well?¡± Nelson sniggered. Gordon¡¯s face instantly reddened from embarrassment. When his friends turned their gazes toward him, he was so humiliated that he wanted to run and hide. After all, there was nothing. more embarrassing than having your lie exposed in public. ¡°Cat got your tongue? Weren¡¯t you so full of yourself earlier? Say, how does it feel to be exposed?¡± Nelson taunted. ¡°You ¡°Gordon gritted his teeth and swallowed his words since he knew that he would only further embarrass himself if he spoke more. ¡°So what if Dustin is the leader of the me Dragon Gang? He¡¯s still going to lose to Terry Doyle!¡± Zeke humphed disdainfully. ¡°He¡¯s right. Only an idiot would challenge Terry Dole!¡± Zoey echoed, finding any reason to retort Nelson. Gordon smirked. ¡°His biggest mistake was trying to show off. Let¡¯s see how he meets his endter!¡± Although he still felt humiliated, the thought of Dustin beaten into a pulp pleased him greatly. Meanwhile, in the ring, Dustin¡¯s appearance had drawn much attention, and people were eager to see how the show would unfold. ¡°Are you Dustin Rhys, leader of the me Dragon Gang?¡± Terry¡¯s hands were sped behind his back as he gave Dustin a scornful look over. ¡°I am.¡± Dustin nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re brave or stupid for challenging me.¡± Chapter 626 Terry shook his head with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to use me to make a name for yourself.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone did something like that. Terry had encountered many who challenged him in hopes of using their victory to boost their reputation, just like Vardant Phantom. Still, all those people eventually lost to him. ¡°Let me make this clear. I¡¯m not interested in making a name for myself. I decided to challenge you to save myself the trouble by settling things with your family once and for all,¡± Dustin answered calmly. ¡°Settle things with us? And how do you intend to do that?¡± Terry had a small smile. ¡°Simple. If I defeat you today, you and your family have to stop meddling in my life,¡± Dustin answered straightforwardly. ¡°Defeat me? Pfft!¡± Terry was surprised by Dustin¡¯s words and burst outughing. The audience also laughed mockingly along with Terry. It would be a miracle if Dustin coulde out of this battle alive, but to think he could defeat Terry? What an idiot! ¡°He¡¯s an interesting fellow, but he¡¯s too arrogant.¡± Phil was unbothered by Dustin¡¯s words. ¡°Insolent fool. Even Verdant Phantom was easily defeated, so what makes him think that he stood a chance against Terry?¡± Maggie humphed fully. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I could to stop you, but you wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± udia shook her head. She had only advised Dustin because of She, but Dustin refused to listen and even dared to see his challenge through after watching what happened to Verdant Phantom, so he must be an idiot. ¡°Sir Paul, do you think Dustin has a winning chance?¡± Hector asked out of the blue. ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Paul smiled but didn¡¯t give a straight answer. ¡°Mr. Harmon, you must be joking. That brat is just a nobody. There¡¯s no way he could win.¡± Phil smirked. ¡°Just because he¡¯s not famous doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s not capable. Since he dared to challenge your son, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s confident in his skills.¡± Hector protested. ¡°Since you seem to have faith in him, why don¡¯t we have a bet?¡± Phil wore a smile. ¡°What are we betting with?¡± Hector didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I¡¯ve been eyeing your antique pottery for some time now. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± Phil got straight to the point. ¡°I must say, you¡¯re quite greedy, my friend. The treasure you picked is worth over three billion dors. But what will you put on the line?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a narrow-minded person. Even since our family¡¯s founding, we¡¯ve kept an ancient manuscript called the Tempest of the Eighteen Swords¡¯. I¡¯ll bet that. What do you think?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But that¡¯s your family heirloom. Are you sure?¡± Hector was astonished. ¡°Tempest of the Eighteen Swords¡± was a book that contained information about a top-grade martial arts sword technique and has existed ever since the Doyle family was established. Usually, only the leader and his heir had the right to read it, while others in the family couldn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of it. In fact, an internal conflict had happened before just because of this book, so it was easy to guess how valuable it was. ¡°Of course. So, do you agree to the bet?¡± Phil smiled. He had dared to bet his family heirloom since he was confident that his son would win. And since the winner was certain, he didn¡¯t mind betting on something so valuable when there was no way it would fall into Hector¡¯s hands. ¡°Since you put such a precious item into the bet, I¡¯ll agree to it. Let¡¯s see who wins.¡± Hector agreed. readily. If Dustin lost the battle, Hector would merely lose an antique. However, if Dustin did win, Hector would finally get his hands on a rare sword technique manuscript that could vastly strengthen the shadow guards, thus fueling his entire family¡¯s overall martial arts force. There was no way Hector was going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. Chapter 627 Both Terry and the audience sniggered at what Dustin had said. Everyone assumed that Dustin wouldn¡¯t even be able to withstand three blows, much less defeat Terry. ¡°What are youughing at? Is it that funny?¡± Dustin asked calmly, unbothered by the audience¡¯s attitude. ¡°What do you think?¡± Terry¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll win?¡± ¡°Why not? Do you think you¡¯re better than everyone else? Why are you naturally assuming that you won¡¯t lose?¡± Dustin retorted. ¡°Pfft! I don¡¯t know where you found the balls to ask me that, but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll show you how different we are!¡± Terry beckoned Dustin with a finger and smirked. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll let you have three shots at me. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°You better not do that. Last time, Be Ma said the same thing, and he¡¯s still stuck in bed. right now.¡± Dustin reminded. ¡°Be is merely my subordinate. As if he¡¯s a match for me.¡± Terry feigned a smile. ¡°Both of you are the same to me since the oue won¡¯t be any different,¡± Dustin answered frankly. ¡°What?¡± Terry¡¯s smile gradually fell. He had seen many arrogant people like Verdant Phantom, but Dustin was different from them. Dustin wasn¡¯t only reckless and arrogant; he was also looking down on Terry. Dustin¡¯s calm expression and unbothered attitude were infuriating. Terry couldn¡¯t help feeling like he was being humiliated. How dare a nobody like Dustin looked down on him! ¡°That idiot! There¡¯s no way Be¡¯s skills are anywhere near Terry¡¯s.¡± Maggie snorted from where she sat. ¡°He¡¯s too naive if he thinks he can defeat Terry just because he defeated Be.¡± Next to Maggie, udia shook her head. If she had to say, Terry was ten times stronger than Be, and the difference between Dustin and the former was as clear as day. ¡°Ha, that bastard is still as arrogant as usual! He still has no idea what he¡¯s gotten himself into.¡± Gordon jeered. ¡°The more he pisses Terry off, the worse his oue will be. He¡¯s just digging his own grave at this point.¡± Zeke smirked. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Dustin is not as astute as he needs to be, so it serves him right if he dies today!¡± Zoey crossed her arms. Although they finally discovered Dustin¡¯s identity, none of them thought that he had a chance of winning. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a chance. Since you don¡¯t seem to appreciate it, don¡¯t me me for whatever happens!¡± Terry¡¯s face darkened, and his aura turned murderous. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m curious to see how strong the person ranked thirteenth on The Heavenly Immortals now is.¡± Dustin beckoned. When Dustin fought his way to the top of The Heavenly Immortals ten years ago, all of his opponents had been talented and skilled individuals, so he wondered if those on the current list were just as strong. ¡°You seem eager to die, so I¡¯ll do you a favor!¡± Terry drew his right hand back and curled his fingers into a w. Air whirled around and gathered in his palm as his true energy was condensed to form an energy bullet. When the energy bullet finally reached the size of an apple, Terry leaped forward, and there was a loud explosion as the white energy bullet was flung toward Dustin. Usually, one could gauge a martial artist¡¯s strength based on the size of their energy bullets, and Terry¡¯s happened to be unbelievably sturdy and held massive destructive power. Dustin¡¯s feet didn¡¯t move an inch despite the iing attack. Instead, he tilted his head to the side. The energy bullet missed his cheek by a hair¡¯s breadth and mmed into the tree trunk. behind him. The force of the attack sent shivers down the audience¡¯s spine. ¡°Hmm?¡± Terry narrowed his eyes when he saw Dustin escape his attack, and he struck out once more. Chapter 628 There was a loud whoosh as arger and quicker energy bullet sted in the direction of Dustin¡¯s chest. Dustin kept his feet firmly nted on the ground and leaned backward, his back arched. The energy bullet flew over his face and mmed into the same tree. He pushed himself off the ground with one hand and stood back up, unharmed. Terry frowned. He had thought he¡¯d be able to end this battle easily, yet Dustin had surprised him by dodging his attacks twice. ¡°If this is all you¡¯ve got, then I have to say, I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Dustin said nonchntly.. Hearing this, Terry¡¯s expression hardened in anger. No one has ever treated him with such disrespect and condescension. ¡°No way. He¡¯s looking down on Terry Doyle?¡± ¡°He managed to dodge those two attacks thanks to luck. And Mr. Terry went easy on him, or he would be dead by now!¡± ¡°Mr. Terry, don¡¯t go easy on him!¡± The audience shouted in indignation. ¡°I was going to let you live, but it seems like that¡¯s unnecessary now.¡± Terry put one foot in front of the other before springing toward Dustin. The true energy that burst forth was enough to easily kill those weaker than him without having to touch them. However, there was a w in this move. If a person¡¯s opponent is on the same level as them, the attack¡¯s effects were greatly reduced. And since it was impossible to change the trajectory of the blow, their opponents could easily predict their moves and jump out of the way. Therefore, a battle between Divine-level martial artists meant that fighters must use their bodies to defeat their opponents. In these cases, factors like weapons, skills, and true energy were pivotal to one¡¯s sess. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± As soon as Terry got closer to Dustin, he gathered his true energy and threw out a punch. There was a thunderous boom as the air around them started flowing, and a vortex of true energy enveloped Terry¡¯s fist. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The terrifying pressure caused the audience to shudder as they struggled to breathe. ¡°What a powerful strike!¡± ¡°Now that Terry is getting serious, that guy¡¯s doomed for sure!¡± ¡°No way! Is that guy going to take Terry Doyle¡¯s attack just like that?¡± Just as Terry¡¯s fist was about tond, Dustin finally made a move. Under the crowd¡¯s disbelieving gazes, he stood his ground and threw a punch against Terry¡¯s fist. ¡°Ignorant fool!¡± Maggie smirked, pleased. ¡°He might still have a chance if he ducks, but if he¡¯s going to face the attack head-on, then he¡¯s at dead man.¡± udia shook her head, sure that the winner was Terry. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens to you now!¡± Gordon and his friends gloated and eagerly waited for Dustin to be blown away. ¡°Mr. Harmon, I¡¯m afraid your guy is doomed.¡± Phil sniggered. Hector seemed unbothered by Phil¡¯s words. However, Natasha had gone as white as a sheet. Her fists were tightly clenched as her eyes remained glued to the ring. Would Dustin be able to withstand Terry¡¯s attack at full force? Finally, the two fists collided with each other. There was an ear-splitting bang as the entire ce began to shake. A st of true energy burst out and spread throughout the ce, whipping up shrill winds. After the onught, Dustin seemedpletely unscathed, while Terry staggered backward, nearly falling off the stage, shocking everyone. Chapter 629 Terry staggered back from the impact, his heavy stomps leaving footprints on the solid ground. By the time he managed to stabilize himself, his face waspletely pale, despite his rapid. heartbeat. Sweat had formed on his forehead, and the edges of his shirt were frayed. There was even blood dripping from his fist. What a miserable sight. ¡°What?¡± The crowd had been stunned into silence. None of them could have imagined that Terry might be at a disadvantage when it came to physical fights. This was unbelievable! ¡°N-no way! Terry got pushed back?¡± Maggie was bbergasted. udia was shocked as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Dustin was so strong.¡± If she hadn¡¯t seen it for herself, she would have never believed that someone managed to withstand Terry¡¯s attack and even came out somewhat victorious. ¡°I-impossible! How can someone like him be so powerful?¡± Gordon and the other two were dumbfounded. The scenario they had in their minds was Dustin being destroyed with one punch, so why was he winning against Terry? ¡°What?¡± Phil sat up straight, and his expression fell. There was no way his genius son was losing to a nobody. What would be of their family if Terry were to lose? Worse, Phil had made a bet with Hector using ¡°Tempest of the Eighteen Swords, so the consequences would be devastating. ¡°As expected.¡± Hector smiled, pleasantly surprised. He knew that there was no way Dustin would recklessly challenge Terry if he wasn¡¯t confident in himself. Things are getting interesting.¡± Paul stroked his beard, fascinated. For Dustin to be so skilled at medicine and martial arts at such a young age, Paul was sure that there was more to Dustin than meets the eye. ¡°Did you see that, Sis? Dustin is winning!¡± Ruth jumped up excitedly. ¡°Of course, I saw. I¡¯m not blind.¡± Natasha heaved a sigh of relief, the smile returning to her face. ¡°I told you he¡¯d win, but you wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°When did you say that? I can¡¯t remember anymore.¡± Ruth stared at Natasha quizzically. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Natasha red at her sister, who pouted. Ruth mumbled to herself, ¡°Are all women like this? Their moods are so unpredictable.¡± Back in the arena, Terry coughed as he tried to suppress the energy churning within his body. His expression was terrifying. He felt sorry for himself as the audience criticized him. Ever since he became famous, no one has ever sessfully hurt him. Today, however, an ident urred, and it was a blow to both his dignity and skills. His reputation would be ruined if he didn¡¯t get rid of Dustinpletely. Abruptly, Terry burst outughing wildly. ¡°You¡¯re strong; I¡¯ll give you that. I underestimated you earlier. With your capabilities, you could easily make your way into the top twenty of The Heavenly Immortals. Unfortunately, your opponent is me. To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve been hiding my true strength since three years ago as I underwent all sorts of training. So far, none of my opponents have been strong enough for me to want to take off these shackles and use my full Chapter 630 ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you how terrifying the power I¡¯ve been saving up for the past three years is!¡± Terry began removing his clothes, revealing the dark steel weights underneath that covered his body like armor. There were even a few attached to his limbs. Under everyone¡¯s disbelieving gazes, Terry gradually took off those weights, whichnded on the ground with solid thuds that made people shudder. ¡°Holy smokes, he¡¯s a beast! Who would have thought that he was moving around with several hundred pounds of weight.¡± ¡°Usually, it¡¯s hard to even walk with those tied around one¡¯s body, yet he¡¯s been walking normally and even fighting! What a monster.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s that strong with limitations, what would happen if he took them off?¡± ¡°I can only say that he¡¯s terrifying!¡± The audience gossiped, shocked at how strict Terry was with himself. No one would like to wear clothes that weighed a few hundred pounds. ¡°No wonder Dustin seemed to have an edge over Terry. Terry has been holding himself back. Now that his restrictions are gone, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll win!¡± Maggie regained her confidence. ¡°There¡¯s a reason he¡¯s ranked thirteenth on The Heavenly Immortals.¡± udia couldn¡¯t help but respect Terry. Being a genius was nothing new, but it was always harder to ept when a genius was working harder than ordinary people. ¡°See? There¡¯s no way Terry would lose. He was just holding himself back.¡± The smiles returned to Gordon, Zeke, and Zoey¡¯s faces when they found an excuse they could use. ¡°As expected of my son, he left a card up his sleeve. He¡¯ll win now.¡± Phil let out a relieved sigh now that the manuscript seemed safe. ¡°It seems like Dustin will be in trouble again.¡± Natasha and Ruth¡¯s expressions turned grave once more. They never thought that Terry might be hiding his true strength. ¡°Much better¡­¡± After removing his burdens, Terry began stretching, and a confident smile returned to his face. ¡°To be able to force me to use my full strength, you should be proud to lose to me.¡± It took Terry three years to get to where he was, so it was finally time to see the fruits of hisbor. ¡°Don¡¯t speak too soon. This doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± Dustin shook his head. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You still don¡¯t seem to understand the situation right now. Without those weights, my speed and power will greatly increase. I¡¯ll even let you in on a secret. Fist fights aren¡¯t my forte-swords are!¡± Terry opened his palm, and a sword that a servant had been holding onto flew into his palm, instantly strengthening his aura to the point that those standing blocks away could feel it. ¡°My sword is unbreakable, and today, you¡¯ll have the honor of dying from it. You should be proud!¡± Terry tightened his grip on the hilt before he sprang toward Dustin, his speed so fast that the naked eye couldn¡¯t follow up and left an after-image. ¡°He¡¯s so quick!¡± The audience was startled. The average martial artist could no longer catch sight of his de due to its speed, but its murderous quality was enough to frighten them. ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± With the aid of his sword, Terry was unstoppable. Right before the tip of the sword could piece through Dustin¡¯s chest, two fingers reached out to pinch the de, bringing Terry¡¯s attack to a halt. Instantly, whatever murderous aura there was vanished. Chapter 631 ¡°What?¡± Terry was astounded to see that his attack had been stopped. After taking off the weights, his strength and speed would have multiplied tremendously. And to win against Dustin, he even exposed his greatest weapon, his sword. All of this was to ensure his victory against Dustin. However, despite going at Dustin at full force, thetter managed to stop his attack with nothing. but two fingers! Was Dustin even human? ¡°I-impossible!¡± Terry¡¯s eyes widened as he lost his mind. He began swinging his sword at Dustin nonstop, and the force whipped the air in the arena, causing dust to engulf the ce. Terry¡¯s continuous blows brought more gouges to the ground until the floor resembled a spider web. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Die! You have to die!¡± Terry roared. His attacks picked up speed and became more lethal. Dustin, who was unfazed by the onught, dodged and avoided Terry¡¯s attacks by twisting his upper body. His feet were still firmly nted on the ground. He would only block attacks with his hands when there was nowhere for him to dodge. The battle in the ring was getting more intense, yet the audience waspletely befuddled. Due to Terry and Dustin¡¯s high speed, all they could see were shadows and after-images of the two of them. And because of how dangerous Terry¡¯s sword aura was to regr martial artists, the crowd had no choice but to scuttle backward and watch the battle from afar. ¡°udia, I can¡¯t see anything. Can you?¡± Maggie struggled to identify the two men. ¡°I can¡¯t either. They are both way stronger than me¡± udia shook her head. She was still a High- level martial artist, and although she was much stronger than the average martial artist. She still had a long way to gopared to Divine-level martial artists. In fact, she was nothingpared. to them. ¡°Terry should be the one with the upper hand, right?¡± Maggi asked tentatively. ¡°Judging from the magnitude of the destruction, it seems like it.¡± udia nodded. ¡°Terry¡¯s sword skill is ruthless, and he also has an ace card-Tempest of the Eighteen Swords. If he uses that, no one would be able to stop him.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Maggie was thrilled to hear that. Although she didn¡¯t have the right to learn that technique, she had heard of it before. It was the Doyle family¡¯s greatest treasure; it had been. around since the family¡¯s foundation and was to be used as ast resort when someone had been cornered with no way of escaping. There were rumors that the sword technique in the manuscript increased in power at each level, and so far, no one has ever withstood thest level before. Maggie believed that as long as Terry used it, he would win the battle easily. ¡°Fuck. I can¡¯t even tell who¡¯s who anymore.¡± Zeke stood on tiptoes and peered over the crowd¡¯s head. ¡°Gordon, do you think Terry will win?¡± ¡°Of course, he will!¡± Gordon answered confidently. ¡°Dustin might be skilled, but he¡¯s still a country bumpkin with no power. Terry is different. As the future head of the Doyle family who¡¯s received training from the greatest masters, I¡¯m sure he still has a card up his sleeve that he¡¯s hiding.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zeke nodded his head, relieved. As a martial arts family, the Doyle family had a powerful legacy and many martial arts manuscripts that could help one easily defeat their opponent. Chapter 632 As long as Terry wanted to, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for him to defeat Dustin. ¡°Sir Paul, who do you think will win?¡± Hector suddenly turned his attention to Paul, who sat in the middle. ¡°The one with a ny percent chance,¡± Paul answered with a smile, his eyes crinkling. ¡°Ny percent?¡± Phil smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve got a good eye, Sir Paul. You could tell that my son had an ace up his sleeve, so he should be able to win.¡± Phil had been getting worried that his son might lose, but Paul¡¯s words reassured him. As a Grandmaster martial artist, no one would dare question what Paul said, so if Paul said that there¡¯s a ny percent winning chance, it must be true. Although there was ten percent left, it was more than enough for him. Paul nced at Phil, who was full of confidence, but didn¡¯t say anything, a knowing smile on his face. ¡°Tempest of the Eighteen Swords!¡± A voice bellowed from the tform as the air turned heavy. Instantly, the entire tform began to shake as cracks spread everywhere. ¡°Terry is finally going to use his best move! That¡¯s the end of that bastard!¡± Maggie shouted animatedly. ¡°One doesn¡¯t use ¡®Tempest of the Eighteen Swords unless extremely necessary, but when they do, their opponents will definitely die.¡± udia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ll do now!¡± Gordon and his friends¡¯ eyes were glued to the ring, not wanting to miss seeing Dustin get defeated. ¡°Are things finally going to end now?¡± Phil smirked. Although Dustin had surprised him several. times, the man was still no match for his son. ¡°As long as you withstand this blow, you¡¯ll still have a chance to turn things around. Good luck!¡± Hector¡¯s fists clenched as he silently prayed for Dustin. Natasha and her sister were also waiting anxiously after hearing that Dustin only had a ten percent chance of living. ¡°You¡¯ve got to hold on, Sir Rhys! We¡¯re depending on you!¡± Nelson and his men were worried for Duntin. They knew that if their leader lost, the Doyle family was going topletely get rid of their gang. ¡°Tempest of the Eighteen Swords¡¯! It¡¯s time for you to die!¡± Terry shouted. He gathered all his strength into a single strike and swung his de toward Dustin. Bang! The cracked arena began crumbling. Dust and debris flew into the air, making it hard for people to keep their eyes open. After some time, the dust finally settled, and only one man was standing among the wreckage- Terry. ¡°We won!¡± The Doyle family was overjoyed to see this, and the audience began cheering. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Mr. Terry!¡± ¡°No wonder he¡¯s ranked thirteenth on The Heavenly Immortals!¡± ¡°Today¡¯s battle was eye-opening. He is indeed a genius.¡± The audience was grinning widely as they sang praises to him. Terry smiled from where he stood atop the wreckage. Suddenly, he doubled over and spat out a mouthful of blood before copsing to the ground.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 633 The audible thud when Terry fell to the ground silenced everyone, effectively cutting off allughter and cheers. The crowd shared dismayed looks, unable toprehend what just happened. What was going on? Didn¡¯t Terry win? Why did he spit out blood? Had it merely been a narrow win? Just as everyone was stuck in disbelief, a silhouette slowly walked out of the ruined arena. Even the dust in the air seemed to disperse and create a path for him. When the person reached the top of the tform, the audience could finally see Dustin¡¯s handsome face. Dustin stood proudly with his hands in his pocket as he studied his unconscious opponent calmly. Meanwhile, everyone¡¯s jaw dropped. They thought that Terry had been the one who won, but things havepletely changed. Terry was lying on the ground, injured. While Dustin waspletely unscathed. It was obvious who the winner was. ¡°N-no way! Terry Doyle lost?¡± ¡°Holy smokes! Balerno¡¯s martial art genius and the thirteenth person on The Heavenly Immortals lost to a nobody?¡± ¡°Who the hell is that guy? How was he able to injure Mr. Terry? That¡¯s insane!¡± There was an uproar as everyone stared at Dustin like he was a monster. Although it was hard for them toe to terms with the fact that Terry had lost, what they saw wasn¡¯t a lie. Terry had beenpletely destroyed! ¡°I-impossible! There¡¯s no way Terry would lose to that guy. My eyes must be deceiving me!¡± Maggie shook her head and rubbed her eyes, trying to deny what she saw. She refused to believe that a mere nobody had taken down the genius in their family. ¡°When did he be so strong?¡± udia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She thought that Dustin was just a normal Divine-level martial artist who could only defeat someone of Be¡¯s caliber. Instead, he had completely triumphed over Terry. Had she been looking down on the wrong person this entire time? ¡°H-he won? How is that possible?¡± Gordon was aghast, his eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°He actually survived!¡± Zeke was sweating buckets now. ¡°He wasn¡¯t bluffing.¡± Zoey gulped, unable to remain calm. ¡°Natasha wasn¡¯t wrong. He is different.¡± Adriana mumbled to herself, her eyes fixed on Dustin. ¡°H-he won? Our leader won?¡± After getting over the shock, Nelson leaped up and began hugging his men. From now on, their gang was going to be more powerful than ever! ¡°Sis, he won! Dustin won!¡± Ruth cheered excitedly. ¡°Of course, he did. There¡¯s no way my man would lose.¡± Natasha¡¯s shock turned to pride, and she lifted her head haughtily. All she hoped for was for Dustin toe back to her safely, but she Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. never imagined he would give her such a big surprise. ¡°I knew there was more to that guy.¡± Hector smiled, relieved. Although he was sure that Dustin came prepared, it was still difficult to defeat Terry. ¡°I-impossible! How did my son lose?¡± Phil was devastated. He spun around and looked at Paul, ¡°Sir Paul, didn¡¯t you say that my son had a ny percent chance of winning? How did thingse to this?¡± Chapter 634 ¡°I think you misunderstood something here,¡± Paul responded calmly. ¡°I said Dustin had a ny percent chance of winning. Your son only had ten.¡± ¡°What?¡± Phil stiffened. It turned out that everything had been in his head. Still, he couldn¡¯t understand or ept how a nobody like Dustin was able to defeat his son, who was a genius. ¡°Mr. Doyle, thank you for Tempest of the Eighteen Swords¡¯,¡± Hector suddenly said, causing Phil¡¯s face to darken. Phil thought that today¡¯s battle would work in their favor by boosting their reputation. However, not only had his son lost the battle, he also lost their family heirloom. It was a devastating loss! Dustin¡¯s victory also taught everyone something. There was always someone far stronger than you, even if you were the strongest person around. Also, from today onward, Balerno martial arts. would see a dark horse, someone more talented and stronger than Terry. ¡°Useless fools!¡± Tyler Grant, who stood amidst the audience wearing a mask, humphed and walked away. He hid his identity because he thought he¡¯d get to see an amusing show, yet Terry had been. useless and couldn¡¯t even defeat a pretty boy like Dustin. It was such a waste of time! Back at the wreckage, Dustin looked at Terry below him and reminded, ¡°You¡¯ve lost. Remember what I said earlier? Your family better stay out of my way from now on.¡± He turned to walk off the stage. ¡°No! I haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± Gritting his teeth, Terry mbered to his feet wildly. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Locking his eyes on Dustin¡¯s back, Terry grabbed his sword and thrust it toward Dustin. ¡°Watch out!¡± Natasha cried out, but it was toote. Terry¡¯s attack was too quick and silent, making it hard to detect. So, before anyone realized what was going on, the tip of Terry¡¯s sword was already pressing into Dustin¡¯s back. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m still the winner in the end!¡± Terry cackled. Quickly, hisughter stopped and his smile froze when he realized that his sturdy de hadn¡¯t even hurt Dustin. It didn¡¯t even impale the man¡¯s flesh. Terry wanted to turn things around? What a joke. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Dustin snapped, slowly turning his head. This was an open battle where everyone had seen the results, so how dare Terry tried to pull a fast one on him! Were all Doyle family members so shameless? ¡°Die! Die! Rot in hell!¡± True energy burst forth from Terry and into his sword as he tried to piece through Dustin¡¯s body, and the de eventually bent under the force. Still, no matter how hard Terry tried, he just couldn¡¯t injure Dustin. ¡°Fool!¡± Dustin humphed. He stopped going easy on Terry and nted his fist into Terry¡¯s abdomen. There was a bang at Terry¡¯s abdomen, and his core shattered to pieces. Terry flew backward from the force like a ragdoll, blood spurting everywhere. It caused an uproar among the crowd when his body