An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori Chapter 51 - 60

 

                                          written by Marina Vittori

An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori 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 t do you plan on doing next?” “Those two were some of Edwin’s most useful men. I think he will be very alarmed now that they are dead. We should take things slow lest we scare them away,” Natasha said. She did not want to burn the bridge between her and Edwin. She just wanted to teach him a lesson so he would back down. This was the best option.“Alright. It’s up to you.” Dustin didn’t say more.“Oh, yes, you should take cover for the time being.

 I received news that Trevor’s brother, Travis, is back, and he’s hunting for the murderer.” Natasha’s tone and expression turned grave. She would not pick battles with the military. Travis was a general in the warzone. Even she had to think twice before getting on the wrong side of him. “Thanks for the advice. I know what to do.” Dustin nodded. The position of general was a very powerful one. To someone ordinary, he held the power of life and death. However, Dustin was not so afraid. Meanwhile, in the Spanner Villa. Travis stood by the coffin’s side with his eyes closed. Outside the living room, members of the Spanner family knelt on the ground. Everyone had their heads down. Not a word was spoken, and the atmosphere was very tense. Trevor had died out of the blue, the traitor Mason had disappeared, and the murderer was nowhere to be found. The entire Spanner family was reeling from the loss.“General! We’ve got something!” At this moment, an adjutant walked in. “Who is the murderer?” Travis opened his eyes with a bloodthirsty look. “We’re not sure who the murderer is. But, we’ve found someone related to him

,” the adjutant explained. “Be more specific.” “According to our Investigation, two people went to the Drey Group before Trevor’s demise. One was the Quine Group’s president, Dahlia Nicholson. The other was Hunter Anderson, the president of Swinton’s Business Commerce!” “You mean they are associated with the murderer?” “Yes! Dahlia, especially, is the key to everything. Edward was crippled because  of her. She must know the murderer’s identity!” the adjutant deduced. “That’s right! That b*tch ruined me! She has someone good at fighting on her side. They must have killed my father!” Edward immediately became agitated. “Gather the troops! Arrest her immediately!” Travis stood up and said coldly after ordering. “I don’t care who the murderer is. I will destroy his whole family for killing someone from the Spanner family!” That evening, the Nicholson family  were celebrating Dahlia’s newly launched company in a restaurant. “Sis, I’d like to raise a toast to you. I wish you success in the future!” James grinned and raised his glass. The rest of them cheered and raised their glasses.

“Dahlia, you must be hiring since the company is newly established. I have a niece who’s a fresh graduate. Can you arrange a job for her?” “Huh! I almost forgot. I also have a cousin that’s recently unemployed. He has eight years of experience in business management. Dahlia, you should hire him into management. He’s sure to help you out!” After a few drinks, some women started to chatter.

“Hiring is handled by Human Resources. I usually don’t interfere. Of course, if any of you have a suitable candidate, they can always submit their resume,” Dahlia responded professionally. The company

was very against nepotism, and she would usually avoid matters like this. Of course, if it were unavoidable, she would arrange an idle job for them. “Dahlia, listen  to me. I heard that Dustin and Ms. Harmon are very close. If you won’t help us , we’ll ask Dustin!” one of them exclaimed. “Hmph! Dustin is nothing but a gold digger. He’s not even fit to be in my sister’ s shadow!” James snorted coldly.

“That’s right! What can useless trash do for you? Do you really think he could speak up before Ms. Harmon? Stop daydreaming!” Florence also added in spite. Why would they mention that trash to dampen the mood? “But I heard Dustin was invited onto the stage at today’s opening ceremony,” the person added. “So what? He didn’t even say a single word. It was so humiliating!”

“That’s right! It may seem he’s living a glorious life now, but he’s nothing but a tool. Ms. Harmon will kick him aside when she gets tired of him!” Everyone started nodding along. That was right. What did Ms. Harmon see in a person such as Dustin? In the end, he was nothing but a plaything. Once she got tired of him, she would throw him away. By then, Dustin would be worthless! “Hard work requires effort. Any man who depends on a woman is useless. The real talented young man is Chris!” James

finished and gave Chris a big thumbs up. Chris’s eyes twitched, and he seemed nervous. In the past, he would definitely scoff in contempt of Dustin. However, after witnessing his power today, he felt Dustin was not someone ordinary.“Alright, let’s stop talking about this and eat,” Dahlia said, trying to change the topic. She didn’t want to hear Dustin’s and Natasha’s names mentioned. Whenever she thought of the two laughing and talking, she would feel strangely panicked. “Quick! Surround this place. No one can leave!” Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door. Immediately, the door wa

s 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.

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Everyone was shocked when they watched the guards swarm in. They looked at each other in confusion for some time. “Officer, what is the matter?” Florence braced herself and asked. She had never witnessed such an occasion as a civilian. Even if she did not do anything illegal, she still felt guilty. “I’m asking, who is Dahlia Nicholson?” the officer spoke in a somber tone witha hostile look in his eyes.

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

“According to our investigations, you are collaborating with the enemy. You are accused of being a spy planted by the west. Come with us immediately to assist in the investigation!” the officer announced. “Collaborating with the enemy? A traitor?” Everyone was shocked at his accusation. That didn’t seem plausible. Dahlia was born and raised in Swinton, she wasn’t mixed in any way. Even her ancestors were all ordinary farmers. How could she end up being a traitor? “Officer, is there a mistake? My daughter is a model citizen. She pays her taxes every year and even donates to charity. How is it possible that she’s a

traitor?” Florence asked in shock. “That’s right! My sister is innocent. You shouldn’t spew nonsense!” James slammed the table and stood up unhappily. “We will find out whether this is a mistake after the investigation!” the guard answered coldly. “Is there even a need? We can testify!” “That’s right! Dahlia is definitely not a traitor!” everyone spoke out in support. They were very clear about Dahlia’s conduct.

It would be more plausible that she manipulated the market, but being a traitor to the country was not possible! “I’m just following orders. Anyone who stops me will be deemed an a ccomplice!” The officer started to get impatient. “You wouldn’t dare!” James glared at him. “Do you know who we are? You

wouldn’t live to see daylight if you dared touch a single hair on my sister!” “Huh! There is solid evidence of Dahlia Nicholson’s collusion with the enemy country. Anyone who obstructs the arrest must be an accomplice. If that’s the case, take them all away! Anyone who resists will be shot!” At the officer’s order, all the soldiers raised their guns one after another. The cold gun barrel aimed at the people in the room felt very menacing. In an instant, everyone froze. “You-you…” James wanted to say something but Dahlia quickly stopped him. “Everyone, keep calm. I believethere must be some misunderstanding. I’m sure they will let me go after the investigation.”

The officer snorted coldly at these words. They were the ones who decided

whether this was a misunderstanding or not! “Take them away!” the officer ordered, and everyone was taken to the car.The car stopped at the gates of the Spanner Villa 20 minutes later. “Officer, this doesn’t look like a place for investigations,” Florence asked with uncertainty. “Stop talking nonsense! Go in!” The officer couldn’t bother to say more and forced everyone inside the villa. Everyone realized something was off once they walked into the courtyard. Two white flags were hung on each side of the door, and in the middle of the living room was a coffin. Trevor’s portrait greeted them.

“Sir Spanner?” Everyone widened their eyes in confusion. As for Dahlia, she started to feel uneasy. She realized she must have walked into a trap. “Is everyone here?” Just when everyone was left wondering, a burly Travis walked out imposingly. His sharp eyes and menacing stance felt so overbearing some couldn’t breathe. “Sir, everyone related is here,” the officer replied. “Okay.” Travis nodded, his gaze swept through the crowd, and he continued, “My name is Travis Spanner. I’m from the western war zone with the position of a general. I believe some of you may have heard of me.” 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’m coming!” Edward slowly limped out of the room. As his gaze fixed on Dahlia, he immediately took on a lustful expression. However, his lust quickly turned to resentment. Now that he had become crippled, he wouldn’t feel anything even before this exquisite woman. ‘Since he couldn’t get her, he would rather destroy her! At this thought, Edward’s face contorted into a nasty look. “Uncle! It’s her, Dahlia! My dad’s death must have something to do with her!” Edward pointed at Dahlia, then turned around and pointed at Chris, shouting,

“And him! He also has a grudge against me! He might be suspicious too!”

 

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Chris was completely dumbfounded to be pointed out by Edward. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Edward to do so. He didn’t do anything, but somehow he got involved. “Tell me honestly, did you have anything to do with my dad’s death?” Edward glared and shouted. “No! It had nothing to do with me! I don’t know anything!” Chris shook his head in fear, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

“You don’t know, or you don’t want to tell?” Edward narrowed his eyes menacingly. “Mr. Spanner, I really have no idea! This is all a misunderstanding!” Chris started to plead, every inch of his body was begging for mercy. Although he knew Edward was taking the opportunity to settle their personal grudge, he couldn’t say a word. “Huh! It seems like you won’t spill without some pressure. Come, beat him up!

” Edward ordered, and two officers immediately took action.“Wait!” James suddenly stopped them. “Do you know who he is? He’s Chris Nolan of Nolan Pharmaceuticals! He’s also very close with Mr. Anderson! If you dared touch a hair on him, Mr. Anderson would not let it slide!” “There! Uncle Travis, you heard it. This guy is related to Hunter Anderson! He must be one of the murderers!” Edward suddenly became excited, as if he had caught Chris admitting to the crime. “So you’re Hunter’s accomplice that killed my brother?” Travis glared at him. There were two main suspects in this case. One was Hunter Anderson, and the other was Dahlia Nicholson. This man was connected to both of these people, so he was obviously involved.

“No! It wasn’t me!” Chris was slightly startled, and he quickly shook his head. “I have nothing to do with Mr. Anderson! I don’t know anything at all. This whole thing was a misunderstanding from start to finish!”“Chris, why do you have to be afraid of them? You have Mr. Anderson to help you. They wouldn’t dare to touch you!” James proclaimed proudly. “Shut the f*ck up!” Chris was so terrified he threw his arms around and landed a slap on James‘ face. Mr. Anderson was nothing! This guy was a general commanding thousands of troops! Who could stop someone like him if he goes mad? “Chris… Why did you hit me?” James held onto his face in pain. “Didn’t you give Mr. Anderson a phone call to save my sister when Sir Spanner was messing with her? Did I say something wrong?” “Fuck you! How dare you speak nonsense! Shut up!” Chris was about to cry. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Was this guy an idiot? Couldn’t he read the room? “We have a witness and physical evidence! I’d like to see you explain yourself!” Edward gloated. He just wanted to take advantage of the situation. He didn’t expect to actually get results.“Edward, this guy is bullshitting! I didn’t do anything. It was a complete coincidence that Mr. Anderson showed up that day! They were the ones giving me all the credit willingly!” Chris had no choice but to tell the truth as the situation started to get out of hand. “Huh? Didn’t you help my sister?” James was very confused. “In your dreams!” Chris berated angrily. “Who am I to request for Mr. Anderson? You should really use your brains! If I had that power, I wouldn’t go

bankrupt!”“What? Bankrupt?” The entire Nicholson family was shocked by his words. They couldn’t react for a moment. “At this point, I won’t bother to hide anymore. Dustin was right. Nolan Pharmaceuticals is under investigation, and we’re going bankrupt. Now, it’s just an empty shell!” Chris could no longer be bothered. He would do anything to be set apart from the Nicholson family. “You’re not joking, are you? You said the company was going public. How could it go bankrupt?” Florence was dumbfounded. “Going public? That’s bullshit! I just said that to fool all of you! There’s no such thing on earth! I wouldn’t even think of you if the dividends existed! Stop dreaming!” Chris had a grim expression on his face. He was blabbing about everything at this moment. He would do anything to draw a line between himself and the Nicholson family to save his life. “You mean you’ve been lying to us?” Florence was shocked and in disbelief. “That’s right! I just wanted to snag some money and run away. Who knew you’ d be dumb enough to believe it!” Chris sneered. “You monster! How could you cheat us of our money? Pay us back!” Florence shrieked and jumped at Chris. That was her retirement money. She had invested everything to get the bonus. Who knew it would all be in vain? It was as if her whole world had collapsed! “You sly wolf! We trusted you! How could you cheat us of our money? You’re an animal! Give us back the money!” The others were also agitated and started to protest, but they were quickly forced back by the armed guards. Only Florence was quick enough to leave a scratch mark on Chris’s face.

“The money is gone! Truth be told, I’ve transferred all the funds overseas. You should just give up!” Chris came completely clean. His words were like a knife, stabbed through their chests. They had never felt more regret! If they had known this, they wouldn’t have been greedy and believed in Chris’s nonsense. “Why would you do this?” Dahlia frowned in confusion. She never expected Chris’s capital increase would be a scam. Moreover, Dustin was being kind when he tried to tell her the Nolan family was going bankrupt. However, no one believed him. This was really a big slap in the face! “Why? Of course, it was for money! I’ll have women when I have money. You should all know this!” Chris

snickered.

“So the partnership with the Harmon family had nothing to do with you either?” Dahlia asked tentatively.“That’s right!” Chris admitted to it plainly. “My dad never called the Harmon family. They made the decision themselves. I just took advantage of the situation! The funny thing was you all believed me without a doubt!”Dahlia was completely dumbfounded. Everything turned out to be a misunderstanding. Chris never helped her in any way and even cheated her of her money. The worst part was that he had taken credit for everything and kept her in the dark. He had such wild ambitions!

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

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 “Could it be Dustin?” Dahlia wondered. She then immediately dismissed this thought. That was impossible! They were already divorced. Besides, they were now like water and oil. Why would he help her? Moreover, he wasn’t capable of it.“Chris Nolan! You’re such a vile and despicable human being! I must’ve been blind to believe in someone like you!” “Bastard! I even thought of you as family! You’re even worse than that trash, Dustin!” Florence and James cursed at him after knowing the truth. They had put their whole trust in Chris. They didn’t expect him to be a fraud. “We all have to look out for ourselves! You only have yourself to blame for being so dumb!” Chris mocked scornfully. “Shut the f*ck up! My ears are sore from listening to your bickering!” Edward roared, and everyone fell silent at once.

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

Travis didn’t say a word. He took two steps forward and declared to Chris, “I don’t care about what you have to do with the Nicholson family. I just want to know who the murderer is! Tell me, and I’ll spare you, or else you face the same fate as them!” “I’ll tell you everything!” Chris suddenly had an idea and said in a hurry. “I figured it out! It must be Dustin! He must’ve murdered Mr. Spanner!”“Dustin? What a familiar name.” Edward pinched his chin in deep thought.“Edward, did you forget? He’s the one who beat you up!” Chris started to blabber.“It was him!” Edward immediately remembered and added resentfully, “Uncle Travis, Dustin is the most suspicious of all!” “Where is he?” Travis asked coldly.. “I saw him at the Emerald building this morning. I don’t know where he went after that. Oh, Dahlia is in charge of the Emerald building. She’s also Dustin’s wife. She must know where he is!” Chris pointed at Dahlia and pushed all the blame onto her.“Bullshit! Dustin and my sister are divorced!” James immediately refuted.“That’s right! We have nothing to do with Dustin. His mess has nothing to do with us!”“Yeah! You should look for Dustin. We’re all Innocent!”

Everyone started to protest, afraid of being involved in this matter.“I’ll decide if you’re innocent or not. Everyone is guilty before we find the murderer!” Travis scoffed coldly.“That damned Dustin! He’s going to kill us all!”“This is so unfair! We’ve obeyed the law our whole lives. Why did we meet such a troublemaker?”The Nicholson family lamented together.

“Leave Dahlia and lock up the rest of the Nicholson family!” Travis gave the order.“Yes, sir!” The adjutant saluted, and armed soldiers led Florence and the others into the car. As for Chris, he was shocked out of his wits. “Where are you taking them?” Dahlia frowned with worry. “You shouldn’t worry about them. You should worry about yourself.” Travis slowly inched closer and asked coldly, “Where is Dustin? Are both of you involved in my brother’s death? You’d better be honest, and I’ll end you quickly! Otherwise, your entire family would join you!”“Sir Spanner’s death has nothing to do with me! I don’t know anything!” Dahlia denied.“You don’t know?” Travis snorted. “It seems you won’t say anything without some force.” He waved his hands, and two soldiers came forward and bound Dahlia up and hung her in from the ceiling. “Let me go! You’re abusing your power!” Dahlia kept on struggling. However, her wrist hurt more with each struggle. “Abusing my power?” Travis laughed at her statement. “It seems like you haven’t got a hold of the situation. Now, your life is in my hands. I decide if you die or live. I’ll ask you one more time, where is Dustin?” “I don’t know!” Dahlia shook her head stubbornly.

“Huh! I think you would only give up after facing death! Beat her up until she spills it!” Travis commanded. A burly underling quickly came forward dragging a barbed whip. “What are you doing? I… Dahlia’s face paled, and as she was about to say something, the whip landed hard on her back with a crack! With that crisp sound, her clothes tore, and a deep, bloody wound was left on her back. Dahlia moaned and gritted her teeth, holding in pain. What quickly followed were multiple whips. The blows landed on her one after another. Dahlia finally couldn’t hold it in and let out a scream. Her body was in such pain it started to tremble. Her pale and smooth back instantly became bruised and bloody!

This whip was a specially designed torture device covered with dense spikes. Even a man couldn’t endure a dozen lashes, let alone a woman.“Spill!” Travis stood to her side and watched unfeelingly.

Dahlia bit her lip in pain. She was sweating profusely, but her eyes were set with determination. “Don’t stop! Hit harder!” Travis was losing his temper with her and commanded his underlings to use more strength. As a result, the sounds of the whip and screams began to erupt one after another. Chris couldn’t bear to watch on. He could only lower his head in silence. Edward, on the other hand, had a disturbing smile on his face.

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After being subjected to the torture, Dahlia finally passed out. Her back was bloody and horrific to look at. The fresh wounds were still bleeding profusely, her body still twitching uncontrollably even while she was passed out. “General, she has lost consciousness!” one of his men reported. “Wake her up and keep going.” Travis spat coldly.“Uncle Travis, can I have a go?” Edward interjected eagerly. Ever since he wa

s crippled, there had been a tremendous shift in his psychology. The more beautiful a woman was, the more he wanted to destroy her. “If you want to, go ahead.” Travis nodded in approval. “Thank you, Uncle Travis!” Edward grinned eerily. Once Dahlia awakened, he wielded the whip in his hand and struck her. “Tell me!” “Just kill me!” Dahlia could no longer endure the pain. Her mind was at the end of its rope. Now, she could only hope they would put an end to her misery. “Kill you? Not so fast! I haven’t even had enough!” Edward smiled sadistically

and continued with the torture. After a while, Dahlia, covered in bruises, fell into a coma again. “General, the murderer hasn’t been revealed. If this continues, she will die soon,” the adjutant reminded. “This woman is so stubborn!” Travis was impressed. This torture device was typically used to coerce confessions. People usually confessed to everything after three whips. Even specially trained forces would not be able to handle a dozen lashes. Yet, this woman was able to withhold dozens of whips without revealing anything. Even he couldn’t help but be impressed. “Hang her at the entrance as bait. Call off the surrounding guards and see if Dustin will come to rescue her.” Travis commanded.

“Yes, sir!” the adjutant answered and hung the unconscious Dahlia at the gates.“Don’t you die on me! I’ll have my fun with you when I capture Dustin!” Edward licked the drops of blood at the corner of his mouth with a perverse smile. Dustin had just finished his meal at the Peaceful Medical Center when he

received a call. It was Hunter Anderson, and he sounded like he was in a hurry. “Mr. Rhys, I’ve received news that Ms. Nicholson has been arrested!” “Arrested?” Dustin frowned. “It’s Travis Spanner! He arrested Ms. Nicholson and her family for the crime of treason. They are receiving private punishment now!” Hunter explained. Dustin’s face fell when he heard this. He knew very clearly what type of person Travis was. No ordinary person could bear the torture methods in the war zone! “Where is Travis?” Dustin was very anxious. “At the Spanner Villa. Mr. Rhys, Travis has set an ambush for you. You shouldn’t be too impulsive. Wait– Before Hunter could finish, Dustin had already hung up the phone and rushed out. When he arrived at Spanner Villa, he saw a woman hanging from the front of the villa doors. The woman’s hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and blood trickled down her body. It was a horrible sight to behold. Dustin’s eyes widened in shock when he realized the woman hanging there was Dahlia! Dustin balled his hand into a fist. A murderous aura erupted from him. Suddenly, there was a gust of strong wind that sent the rocks flying. Even the surrounding temperature started to drop rapidly. Dustin shot up and cut off the rope with one hand. He caught Dahlia, who was covered in blood, and landed gently on the ground. At this moment, Dahlia had already passed out, and the wounds on her back were an unsightly mess. The sight of those whip marks and wounds pierced Dustin’s heart like a sharp knife. “Just kill me,” Dahlia mumbled unconsciously. She must have suffered a lot of pain to ask for death. “I’m sorry.” Dustin’s hands were trembling. Tears pricked his eyes. He knew that Dahlia was in this mess because of him. He dragged her into this. 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 plainly. As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Edward. “I’m glad that you admit it. Now, go pay for your sins before my brother’s coffin before I end your life,” Travis said coldly.“Pay for my sins?” Dustin snorted coldly, “Even your superior, Adam Spanner, would not speak to me this way. You’re nothing to me!” “Hmm?” Travis raised an eyebrow.

Adam Spanner was the commanding general in the western army. He was also his superior. Only a handful of people know about his existence. How had Dustin heard of him? “You know Chief General Spanner?” Travis was slightly taken aback. “I’ll give you a chance to take your own life out of respect for Adam. This way, your body might still be intact!” Dustin demanded. “Keep my body intact?” “Before Travis could respond, Edward guffawed loudly. “Are you out of your mind? Open your eyes and recognize your place in this world!” As he spoke, the other hidden elites immediately revealed themselves. Each a med soldier looked very threatening and menacing. However, Dustin didn’t even pay any attention to them. His eyes were focused on Edward as if he were already a dead man. “His body could stay intact, but you would have nothing left but bones!” Then, Dustin immediately made his move.

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Dustin took a step forward and leaped into the air. He moved as fast as lightning. “Quick! Kill him!” Edward immediately tensed up and yelled when he noticed Dustin make a move. However, before the armed elites could react, Dustin had already leaped

forward. Dustin reached out and kicked one of the armed elites, who flew away like a piece of paper. A hole was pierced through the bulletproof vest on his chest. Even his bones were shattered!Before he could land, Dustin swerved before another person and kicked him in the neck.After killing two people in a row, Dustin did not stop and continued his attacks frantically. Anything he touched was destroyed in mere seconds. No one could stand in his way.These armed elites could not even react to his speed andstrength. In a short time, they were defeated oneafter another.

Their guns couldn’t keep up with his speed. Not even a single shot had been fired.The entire time Dustin had been holding on to Dahlia and attacking with his feet!Edward was dumbfounded as he watched what unfolded. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

These elites were experienced in battles and each one were heavily armed. It should be effortless to defeat Dustin. How come they were the ones on the chopping board? What was happening? “Is he a martial arts expert? No wonder he’s so full of himself!” Travis narrowed his eyes in surprise. It had not been easy for him to obtain his current position. He was also quite skilled and knowledgeable in martial arts. All the elites in the army have to be trained in martial arts. With the exception of intelligence agencies, proficiency in martial arts greatly affected the ranking of military personnel. The skills displayed by Dustin easily qualified him to be a highly ranked officer! “General, this man is quite powerful, should we retreat?” the adjutant asked in a low voice. “There’s no need. It’s rare to come up against such an expert. I want to personally fight him!” Travis loosened his muscles. That burly body of his carried the strength of a panther. “Your turn!” When the last person fell, Dustin’s eyes once again fixed on Edward. “Uncle Travis! Save me!” Edward stumbled back in fear.

“Nobody would be able to save you today!” Dustin stepped forward and headed toward Edward.“Your opponent is me!” Travis roared and leaped toward him.

He threw a punch at Dustin.Dustin didn’t even look at him as he severed Travis’s leg without any hesitation.As Edward was calling out for help, Travis landed his fist on Dustin’s back.There was a loud explosion. Dustin was unmoved, but his clothes tore open, revealing his muscular body.

Travis, on the other hand, was taken aback by the impact and spat a mouthful of blood as he stumbled to the ground.“General!” The adjutant was overcome by worry and he quickly helped Travis up.Travis coughed violently, feeling a surge of blood rising inside. His fist, especially, was trembling uncontrollably, as if it had lost all senses.

“This is not possible!” Travis was shocked as he stared at his trembling arms.His eyes were filled with shock. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Dustin’s body would be so impenetrable. His full strength did not even make a scratch on his opponent, yet he had sustained multiple internal injuries. Dustin was an absolute beast! Who on earth was this man?

Travis raised his head in confusion and doubt. In an instant, he stood there dumbfounded as if struck by lightning because he realized that there was a large tattoo on Dustin’s sturdy body.It was an animal with a dragon’s head, an ox’s tail, a tiger’s back, a bear’s waist, and a snake’s scales. It was a black beast! The tattoo of the beast was so realistic that, as Dustin breathed, it looked as if it was coming alive.It looked so majestic and ferocious! It was so daunting!“A kirin tattoo?” Travis was stunned, as if he had suddenly remembered something.He looked terrified.His surname was Rhys, with a tattoo of a black beast, and he knew the commanding general. Could he be the Rhys family’s Kirin?!

No! That wasn’t possible!Why was the man that stirred up the whole of Chouxe and disappeared for ten years here?“Are you of Chouxe descent?” Travis asked tentatively, his lips quivering.

“Oh? You finally figured it out?” Dustin slowly turned around with a blank expression. There was no harm in him knowing as he was going to die anyway. “It really is you. Why are you here?” Travis was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. His confidence from before completely dissipated. There was nothing but fear on his face.No wonder he knew Adam Spanner. It turned out he was the legendary Kirin! Travis was done for! He had angered someone that made even Sergeant Adam uneasy!

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

What happened to him now? How could a tough guy like him be trembling from fright? Who was this man Dustin?

“We’re done for.” Travis fell to the ground with a thud dejectedly. He knew he would die today. The only difference was if he would die in one plece. “General! I’ve called for backup. They’ll be here soon! Hold on!” the adjutant tried to encourage him. “There’s no use.” Travis shook his head as if he had been exhausted of all strength.“General, what’s wrong?” The adjutant started to panic.Travis trembled as he pointed at Dustin and stammered, “He’s the Kirin of the Rhys family, Logan Rhys!”The adjutant froze when he heard this name. His face was as pale as ash. They were done for! The dead had come back to life.

An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori Chapter-57 

Who was Logan Rhys exactly? The hurricane that had stirred up the city of Stonia! The demon that had disturbed the peace of the people! He was also the one behind the tragedy in Osnal ten years ago. No one had ever expected that a 15–year–old could cause so much destruction. Thus, it was no wonder Travis was horrified to see him. Who would’ve guessed that the man who was standing in front of them was the stuff of legends who had disappeared from the face of the planet ten years ago. THE Logan Rhys! The adjutant’s legs instantly gave out, causing him to crumple to the ground with a thud. His mind was drawing a complete blank at the moment. After Dustin gave Travis, who was behind him, a glance, he started walking toward Edward.*Help me, Uncle Travis! Uncle Travis!” Cradling his broken leg. Edward kept screaming his head off as he wriggled on the floor like a maggot, trying his hard est to evade Dustin. “I told you, I’ll make sure you won’t even have a corpse left after I kill you!” Dustin declared as he picked up a long whip covered in spikes from the ground, then delivered a swift blow to Edward’s face mercilessly.“Argh!” Edward cried out in pain. The skin of his face was torn apart down the middle, and blood started spurting out of the wound. Dustin didn’t hold back and delivered another swift blow to another part of his body.

As a crunching sound rang out, Edward’s skin and flesh, along with his clothes, got torn to shreds. “Gah!” he yelped miserably once more and resumed crying for help. “Hurry, Uncle Travis! Please save me!” Even though he witnessed all this happening, Travis didn’t move a muscle. It was as if he didn’t hear a thing. all while Dustin showed no mercy, delivering blow after blow onto Edward’s battered frame.Every blow caused blood and flesh to spurt out, and the man kept screeching in excruciating pain. “S– stop hitting me! I f*cked up! I know I really f*cked up this time!” Edward begged for mercy profusely as he knelt on the ground. However, his cries fell on deaf ears, and Dustin continued to whip him, his eyes devoid of mercy. *This was for all the pain Dahlia endured up until now. I’ll make sure you pay it back ten, no, a hundred–fold!” Dustin exclaimed to himself.

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

The saying went that the wicked always got what was coming to them. This was proven true by Edward, the amateur evil mastermind, who ended up abused and beaten up by mega super villain Dustin Rhys.Just as Dustin was in the middle of exacting his revenge, a long procession of cars suddenly drove toward them and halted right in front of Spanner Villa. A large number of armed elites swarmed out of each car to seal off the entire premise. The armed elites, who were all clad in black suits and body armor, each carried with them a gun on their backs. All of them looked intimidating. Even if they were just standing there quietly, they still gave off a very menacing feeling. Plus, this was more than a step up compared to Travis‘ men last time! “So… it was Rhys who sent them!” Travis thought and immediately felt a pang of despair after looking at the army of elite forces. The last trace of hope he had in his heart vanished that very second!

At that moment, the door to a Rolls–Royce suddenly opened, and Hunter Anderson got out of the car. “Mr. Anderson?” The moment the badly battered and bruised Edward laid his eyes on Hunter, he felt as if his savior had arrived. He immediately perked up and started clawing his limp body toward Hunter, frantically begging him for help.“Help me, Mr. Anderson! This kid is trying to kill me! Q– quickly, arrest him for me! As long as you help me now, half of the Spanner’s fortune will be yours!” Edward offered without hesitation, fully intent on luring him into saving him with his obscene riches. After all, wasn’t life more important than all the riches in the world?

The whipping he’d endured had already scared him shitless. He knew very well that if the whipping didn’t cease, he would get beaten to death sooner or later.“Is that you, Edward Spanner?” Hunter asked as he gazed upon the bloody figure before him. He had to examine him for a bit before recognizing him.

“Yes, it’s me! You must save me on behalf of Sir Hummer, Mr. Andersin!” Edward pleaded as he lay on the ground, clutching Hunter’s pant leg with a deadlygrip.“Fuck off!” Hunter growled in response as he kicked him away and ignored his pleas. Instead of helping him, he quickly walked over to the other side of the car, bent over slightly, and opened the car door to reveal an old man clad in a dated suit. He got out of the car and started walking nonchalantly using a cane.“Sir Francis, you’d better be more careful…” Hunter cooed and reached his hand out to prop the old man up. Edward was dumbfounded after witnessing him act all respectful and humble like that. It was known for afact that the person standing in front of him was the President of the Swinton Group, one of the three major groups in the city.He was even the type to laugh and joke around with someone of such high standing as Sir Hummer.So, who exactly was this old man who managed to bring out his humble side?What the hell was going on?! Then again, he wasn’t the only person who was surprised at this turn of events.

Chris, who was still hiding in a corner, also had a bewildered look on his face. In his eyes, Hunter Anderson was an influential man whose standing was at the top of Swinton. So, who was this person able to reduce him to the demeanor of a mere servant? What was the identity of this man clad in such a dated suit in front of him? “Sir! Please help me, sir!” After coming out of a daze, Edward immediately limped over to the old man in the suit and kept bowing his head to him, disregarding the fact that he had no idea who the old man was.

It was obvious to him that this man was way more influential than he thought, judging by the fact that he regarded Hunter Anderson as his grandson. Heck, he might even be a government official from Stonia for all he knew!Thus, as long as this mammoth of a man was willing to lend him a hand, he’d be able to reverse his fate andeven turn his life around! Hearing Edward’s plea for help, the suited old man merely shot him a glance before withdrawing his gaze. He then proceeded to tidy his hair and straighten his clothes. After making sure that he looked immaculate and presentable, he started walking toward Dustin. Then, to the utmost shock and dismay of everyone at the scene, he dropped to his knees on the floor and knelt before Dustin. “My sincere greetings to you, Mr. Rhys!” he proclaimed.

An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori Chapter -58

Silence ensued. The atmosphere was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop. Everyone was stunned and dumbfounded the moment the elderly gentleman in the suit knelt down in front of Dustin Rhys. No one had remotely expected that such an influential man with the power to make Hunter Anderson grovel in front of him would kneel in front of Dustin! It was almost like he was a slave who was greeting his master.What the hell was going on here?! “Uh-..” Chris hummed and froze on the spot, his face full of disbelief. He had thought that Dustin was only good at fighting, but who knew that this man turned out to be more powerful and influential than he thought?

Hunter Anderson was already an influential figure in his own right, wasn’t he? So why did he have to grovel and act meekly in front of the older gentleman in the suit? Surely, the older gentleman in the suit was even more powerful, right? So why on earth was this big shot kneeling in front of Dustin Rhys?! How dare that bastard. This was simply too humiliating! The scene in front of him clearly showed him how terrifying the man he despised, Dustin Rhys, truly was. “No… that’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!” thought Edward, who was scared shitless at this point.

From the moment he witnessed the older man in the suit kneel, his spirit had been utterly shaken! This instantly shattered his remaining hope for survival. Now, only despair and fear were left in its place. Who would have thought that his perceived lifeline would turn out to be Dustin’s servant of all people? Shit, what kind of monster had he gotten himself tangled with this time? He was just way too different from Chris and Edward.At this moment, Travis felt his death looming on the horizon… He reckoned that it was his fate that he would not be able to leave this place a live 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 did n’t give a shit what other people thought of him at the time. Dustin, on the other hand, didn’t even flinch at this. Instead, he looked at him indifferently, as if he was a complete stranger. “Fuck off!” he screamed as he averted his gaze from Sir Francis before walking up to Edward.His intent to kill was at its peak now! “P–please don’t kill me… Please don’t kill me. Just spare my life, I’ll do anything!” Edward whimpered In fear. pissing himself in the process. Even so, he didn’t s top bowing his head and begging for mercy.

“If I don’t kill you now, I won’t be able to let go of this hatred in my heart!” Dustin growled maniacally as he put one foot forward to stomp on Edward’s chest, which caused the latter’s eyes to widen, and look up at him with resignation and fear.So much for a peaceful death. “Mr. Rhys! I’m willing to accept death as my punishment, but please spare the lives of my puny subordinates!” When Dustin’s gaze landed on Travis, they immediately knew that their time on this earth was up. Without another word, the both of them took out their knives and slit their necks simultaneously. No one had the privilege of negotiating with Dustin at this point.After seeing the two corpses fall to the ground, Dustin said nothing as he left the scene immediately with Dahlia in his arms.

Sir Francis let out a long sigh, his expression conflicted. Although he’d already found him, seeing how turbulent his heart was now, he wondered if he’d ever return to normal. “How should we go about this, Sir Francis?” Hunter asked with his head lowered. Standing before the older man, his status and reputation were like pieces of paper that could be torn into shreds at any time.

“Don’t let the news get out. As for everyone related to this matter, dispose of them all,” Sir Francis replied Indifferently. The cavalier manner in which he said it made Hunter’s heart quiver in fear. Does he not know the number of people who would have to suffer because of this?“P–please don’t kill me! I’m friends with Dustin!” hollered Chris, who had been hiding all this time. He ran outin a panic the moment he saw that the elite forces surrounding him were preparing to burn down the house. “You’re a friend of Dustin’s?” Sir Francis asked as he looked him up and down.

“That’s right, that’s right! We’re best buds! We even had dinner together before!” Chris nodded profusely, akin to a chicken pecking rice off the ground. At this point, he’d do anything to stay alive. “Is that so? Then can I trouble you to ensure the he doesn’t stay out too late?” Sir Francis requested, his tone softer now.“Yes, of course, I’ll definitely tell him that!” Chris immediately assured him. “Someone please drive this gentlemah.” Sir Francis gestured. “N–no, no, it’s fine… You don’t have to! I can go back by myself!” Chris replied while waving his hands in the air frantically. How could he still have the nerve to get in someone else’s car when he was already this scared?Sir Francis didn’t pursue the matter further and merely waved his hands to let his team know to disperse.

“I– I’ll get going then…” Chris murmured before fleeing as if he’d just escaped from prison. He thanked God for his quick wits, which helped him save his skin just now. However, he reckoned that he couldn’t stay in Stonia for much longer. He decided to leave once he’d saved up enough money. 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 lethim live.” Sir Francis said nonchalantly. It was evident to him that Chris was lying the whole time, but he did not dare take the risk, as he feared that Dustin would not take too kindly if he involved himself in his matters too much.He certainly didn’t want to make himself an enemy of the Kirin!

Half an hour later, over at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dustin felt his heart shatter as he gazed at the bloody gash on Dahlia’s body. Although the two were divorced, it wasn’t easy to shrug off three whole years of feelings toward one another. Some emotions simply could not be contained, it seemed. After taking a deep breath, he took off her clothes and began carefully cauterizing the wound for her.

Although his movements were subtle, when touching certain wounds, her unconscious body would still twitch from the pain involuntarily. This prompted him to be more car eful in handling her.Whether it was cleaning up, disinfecting, putting on ointment or badges, he made sure to be extra cautious every step of the way. Once everything was done, he breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing that a film of sweat had formed on his forehead.Just as he was about to up and leave, a slender hand suddenly reached out to grab his wrist. “Don’t go… don’t go. Don’t leave me here…” In her unconscious state, Dahlia looked as if she was experiencing a nightmare. Her tightly closed eyes kept rolling from side to side as she kept muttering inaudibly.

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

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

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

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled as he felt the force behind her fingertips. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of heartache at this.In the past, she had never shown him her soft side and always insisted on being a strong, Independent woman. However, after today, he realized that the icy businesswoman lying in front of him was also a woman who needed someone to care for her.

An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori Chapter- 59 

Two days later, at the Peaceful Medical Center, Dahlia finally woke up.The first thing she noticed was that she was in a very plain room that contained a table, two chairs, and a hospital bed. She thought everything looked vaguely familiar, as if she had been here before.

“You’re up?” Dustin quipped as he appeared at the entrance of the room.He was carrying a bowl of chicken soup in one hand. Even though it wasn’t the most flavorful dish, the soup looked tantalizing to her as she hadn’t eaten anything for the past two days. So much so that her stomach began to growl non–stop at the sight of it. “Were you the one who saved me?” she asked first to break the awkward tension between them. “You were injured and unconscious on the roadside, so I patched you up,” he answered plainly. 1“You patched me up?” she repeated with furrowed brows. A split second later, she hastily asked, “Oh, right! How long have I been unconscious? What’s thesituation with the Spanners now? Are my parents in danger?”

The sudden barrage of questions made his head spin. “You were unconscious for two days and two nights. Your family is safe and sound. As for the Spanner residence, it has been engulfed in flames,” he answered each of her questions calmly. Upon receiving news that her family was safe, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, it didn’t take her long to ask another question in surprise. “Engulfed in flames‘? What happened?” “I don’t know the specifics, but I heard that there was a gas leak, so all 20 to 30 people inside the Spanner residence got burned alive inside,” he said.“A gas leak? Do you suppose it was a coincidence?” she asked in a confused manner.

“The wicked reap what they sow. The Spanners have done many evil deeds and always sought to harm others. Seeing them fall from grace like this, I suppose this was just karma coming for their ass in a way.” Dustin said.She nodded in response, feeling a sense of relief on the inside. With the Spanner household destroyed, she surmised she did not have to worry about being their target anymore in the future.

“Alright, stop letting your mind wander. Have some soup first,” he said as he handed her the chicken soup. “Thanks,” she replied. Since she was hungry, she didn’t refuse his kind gesture and happily started digging. into the soup. She managed to finish the entire bowl shortly after. However, she still felt hungry after finishing her food and considered licking the bowl.

“I’ll get you another bowl,” he said after noticing her expression and served her another bowl of chicken soup. Without a word, she devoured the second bowl of soup as well.

Now that she was having the chicken soup, she soon felt a pleasant warmth in her stomach, which made her feel so content it was hard to describe in words Although the two bowls of soup may not look like much, he was the one who cooked them precisely because he was aware that they were very good at speeding up the recovery process.

“Still hungry?” he asked.At that moment, she couldn’t stop herself from letting out a small burp.She realized that she might come across as improper to him, so she tried to swallow the air back into her stomach. “I guess you’ve already had your fill then. Be sure to get lots of rest, and I’ll come back later.” Before he could leave, she called out to him and said, “Wait! I have something to say to you!”“What is it?” he said, as he stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. “It’s about Chris. I’m sorry for accusing you,” she muttered.

After hesitating for a second, she clenched her teeth and continued, “That guy wasn’t a good person to begin with. I can’t believe he managed to trick us out of such a large sum with his silver tongue. If only we had listened to your advice in the beginning.”“What’s wrong with you today? Did the great Ms. Nicholson just apologize to someone?” he teased.“What do you mean? Do I seem like such an unreasonable person to you?” she shot back, clearly offended by his remark.

“I’m kidding! So what if I got accused again? It’s not like this is the first time anyway, so forget about it,” he said and shrugged his shoulders.“Why does it sound so wrong coming from you?” she retorted while wrinkling her brows. “Alright, let’s just forget about the past, shall we? Now, take off your clothes…”

he said casually. “Huh?” Her expression instantly changed and she subconsciously shielded he r chest with her arms. “What are you planning to do to me?” she exclaimed. “No need to get so worked up, you have injuries, so I’m just helping you change your bandages,” he answered as he lifted up a bottle of ointment in one hand. “You want to change my bandages for me?” she repeated.As if she had just realized something, she hurriedly quipped, “Were you the one who changed my bandages for the past two days?”

“Who else?” “Then, I… You’ve seen everything by now?!” she cried, her eyes wide assaucers. “So what if I’ve seen everything? It’s not like I haven’t seen them before, so what’s the big deal?” he said easily.

“You get your ass out of here right now!” she screamed in response, her face flushed from the shame and anger. She couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. How dare he undress and touch her body without her consent. How despicable! “I can still scram if you want, but I’d advise you to give it some thought. Although the injuries on your body have healed, the scars are still there. So, if not treated in due time, I’m afraid you won’t be able to get rid of them in the future,” he patiently explained. She bit her lip and began to feel somewhat conflicted on the inside.

“Fine, since you obviously don’t care about that, I won’t help you anymore. You’d better not regret it when you see yourself covered in scars in the future,” he retorted with his hands across his chest before turning around and beginning to leave. “Wait!” she hollered, finally heeding his advice. It was simply a woman’s nature to take care of her appearance. Even she wasn’t an exception. The thought of her body being covered in scars was worse than the idea of getting killed!

“What, changed your mind?” he asked as he turned back to face her with an a mused 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 tovent her frustrations. However, her whole body froze when she realized whatshe had thrown at him.

It turned out the item of clothing she just threw at him was her underwear! “You sure have weird tastes. I refuse to use this as a blindfold, if you don’t mind,” he remarked as he threw the panties back to her. “S–shut up!” she stuttered in embarrassment, her face turning pinker by the second.

Her pretty face was similar to a ripe peach covered in morning dew now. He was tempted to touch her. “Fine, I’ll only apply the ointment on your back while you apply the rest on the front yourself,” he finally relented, for fear that she would storm out of the room. “Hmph!” She pouted. It was only after multiple bouts of hesitation that she finally agreed to his plan. Her injuries needed to be healed, but it wasn’t like she could take care of the scars on her back properly without external assistance.“I’ve already finished applying the ointment on your back

evenly…” he trailed off before continuing in a cold voice.“… Now, on to your butt—”

An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori 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’sskull. Didn’t he just apply some ointment on her? So why was she giving him such an embarrassed look? “Haven’t you seen enough? Get out!” she screamed as she pulled up the blanket to cover her body. Her slender waist and upturned hips were a sight to behold indeed. “Just apply this ointment for three to five days, then your scars will disappear,”

he said bluntly. He then put down the ointment before leaving the room sheepishly. After about ten minutes, Dahlia exited the room fully clothed. Compared to the woman full of rage and shame a moment ago, the woman in front of him now was her usual, cold self.She pretended as if nothing had happened between them at all “Lend me your phone. I have a call to make,” she ordered as she rushed over to him while he was sipping on some chicken soup with her hand outstretched.

He didn’t make a peep as he handed his phone over to her without hesitation. “What’s your lock screen password?” she asked. “Your birthday,” he answered without even lifting his head. His answer made her stiffen and a small corner of her lips turned upwards for a short while before disappearing again.“Hmph!” She pouted, feigning disdain. After unlocking his phone, the first number she dialed was her family, to update them on her whereabouts.

Following that, she dialed Lyra’s number.*So good to finally hear from you again, Ms. Nicholson! Where have you beenfor the past two days? How come there weren’t any updates at all?” Lyra asked anxiously. “Something came up, so a few things had to be put on hold. How’s the company doing now?” she asked. “The new company just opened shop and is currently doing well. And with the 

Harmon family’s backing. everything is in order. However, the Jackson Group managed to get itself into some hot water the past two days, I’m afraid.” Lyra explained.“What kind of hot water?” she asked, feeling a little uneasy. “We had a hard time recouping our funds as several partners have not paid back their share of the money yet, so the company was unable to break even. It’ s a good thing that you still have that reserve fund of 80 million dollars, just enough to save the company.” Lyra chuckled.

“Reserve funds?” she repeated while her expression twisted into a frown. “I’m afraid that the money is gone,” she admitted. “Gone? What do you mean gone?” Lyra spluttered. “I trusted the wrong person. I was fooled by Chris,” she answered honestly, without trying to conceal the truth. She then gave Lyra a quick rundown of the events that transpired.

Upon reaching the end of her story. Lyra exploded in a fit of rage. “That bastard Chris is certainly a piece of work! How dare he cheat us of our money when we put all our trust in him! Let’s get him arrested right away!” “There’s no point. He’s probably fled the country by now,” she mumbled as she let out a soft sigh. “What should we do now, Ms. Nicholson? The company has no liquidity, so it’ll be hard to run operations normally.” “I’ll think of something…” she trailed off in reply.

“Oh right, don’t we still have the Harmons? Since we’re their partner, the Harmons can definitely help us if only you give them a call,” Lyra suggested hurriedly.“The Harmons?” she asked with wrinkled brows. She would’ve thought of doing that had she not learned about Natasha before this, but it was impossible to ask her for help now.

Dahlia had her pride as a woman too, so she absolutely refused to bow down to Natasha Harmon! “I’ll take care of this, so you go busy yourself with other matters now,” she directed. After exchanging a few more words with her secretary, she hung up the phone. “What’s this about the company being in hot water?” Dustin looked up and asked.“Drive me to Eastern River Bank. I have something to do there,” she ordered without giving him an explanation. my command,” 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, my company has encountered some problems with our capital turnover, so we need a loan from you with the same interest rate as before,” she explained concisely.“A loan? How much?” he asked while stroking his chin. His lecherous eyes looked her up and down.*80 million dollars,” she answered without flinching.

“Heh, you are aware that this isn’t a small sum of money, right?” he shot backwith a pained expression.“This isn’t the first time we’ve worked together, Mr. Chansey. You should know where my company stands bynow,” she retorted.“I’m afraid it’s no longer a matter of credibility, but my mood, Ms. Nicholson,” he said slowly.“What do you mean by that?” she asked, puzzled.

“We’re both smart, so I’ll say it outright. I’ve taken a liking to you for quite some time now, Ms. Nicholson, so I’m proposing that if you sleep with me for one night, be it 80 million or 300 million dollars, I’ll make sure to lend all of it to you!” he said, leering.“Do you have any idea what you just proposed, Mr. Chansey?” she shot back,her brows furrowed.“I said what I said. I’m well aware that your company is in a crisis right now and that you need money fast. So, I don’t suppose your company could get through these tough times without my funds, right?” he said amusedly.

“Are you threatening me right now?” she asked as her expression darkened.“No need to phrase it like that, think of it as a mutual exchange. You want my money, and I want you for one night. If you manage to satisfy me, I’ll lend you the money. Isn’t this a mutually beneficial situation for everyone?” he explained while stretching his hands outward. 1“You’re absolutely shameless!” she snapped. She didn’t want to give him any more of her time, so she got upto leave.

“You’d better stay right where you are!” he bellowed before continuing. “The minute you step out of my office, I’ll make sure to blacklist you! Then, good luck finding another bank in Stonia that’s willing to lend you your funds! Thus, you’d better listen to me if you know what’s good for you!”“I refuse to make such a dirty deal with you even though I’m short on cash! Furthermore—just the sight of yourpig face makes me want to vomit!” she spat coldly.“What the f*ck did you just say to me?!” As though she managed to hit a nerve, he instantly got out of his seat and started yelling. “For a married woman, you sure are great at acting like a virgin! You should be glad that I laid eyes on you! So, how dare you turn me down like that! Believe it or not, I can make you go bankrupt with one call!”

“You? Bankrupt me? I’d like to see you try,” she snorted. She was not in the least bit afraid. “Fine! Since you’re so f*cking sure of yourself, don’t blame me if I use a few tricks up my sleeves! When the time comes, I’ll have you sucking on my toes!” he bellowed.

“Go to hell!” she yelled. She was so pissed she flung a cup of hot coffee directly onto his stupid face.It was so hot it made him screech like a b*tch and his face soon turned bright red.Now he really looked like an actual pig roasting on a stick.