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“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 glances. 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 successfully 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.
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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. “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 minutes later. 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.
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“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 exclaimed 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’t come to regret your decision.” Dustin wore a meaningful smile.
“Regret?” They exchanged amused glances and laughed 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.
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 the company!”
“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 minutes later, Dustin stepped into another ward and saw Abigail feeding her father some soup. The father-daughter duo’s relationship improved after the latest 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 blaming was Torben Hill. Fortunately, Dustin had avenged them by teaching that man a lesson. “Abigail.” While they were talking, a gorgeous young lady 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 welcome the guests.
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“I heard that Mr. Robinson was hurt. Of course, I had to visit.” Ruby placed her gifts by Mr. Robinson’s bedside and explained. “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 bar last 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 dizzy lately?”
“How did you know?” Mrs. Xenos was astonished. “I could tell since I know a bit of medicine,” Dustin explained. “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 blaming was Torben Hill. Fortunately, Dustin had avenged them by teaching that man a lesson.
“Abigail.” While they were talking, a gorgeous young lady 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 welcome the guests.
“I heard that Mr. Robinson was hurt. Of course, I had to visit.” Ruby placed her gifts by Mr. Robinson’s bedside and explained. “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 bar last 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 dizzy lately?”
“How did you know?” Mrs. Xenos was astonished. “I could tell since I know a bit of medicine,” Dustin explained. “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.
“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 glared. “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 collapsed to the floor.
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“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 remained completely 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 hour later, at the entrance of the emergency room. “Ruby!” A suited man ran over, accompanied 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–not– resuscitate order.”
“Why did she suddenly faint?” George Xenos frowned. “I don’t know either. She was completely
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 hour later, an old man with white hair donning black 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. “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 had come true. “Can you treat it?” George frowned.
“It’ll be difficult.” Dr. Alden shook his head and explained. “She is experiencing severe intracranial bleeding caused by an accumulation 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 a coma.”
“What? A coma?” Ruby paled. She couldn’t accept 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 accidentally 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 a coma 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 explained.
“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 exclaimed anxiously. “It doesn’t matter if it’s true. Just tell him to come over and do what he can.” George ordered. He wasn’t going to let go of this glimmer of hope.
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“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. 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 glance 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 plainly. “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 a coma 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 while later, 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–of-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 bother ed to explain any further.
Without saying much more, he took out some silver needles and inserted the m 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 Mr s. Xenos‘ pressure points.
A brief while later, two streams of black 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 could complete his sentence, Mrs. Xenos groaned softly, and her eyes fluttered open.
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“S–she’s awake? Everyone was amazed to see that Mrs. Xenos had come around, and they stared at her wide–eyed 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 plain old needling techniques, but it was exactly because of how simple everything had been that they found it shocking “H– how is this possible?’ Dr. Alden was completely 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 a complicated 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 could come 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!” George laughed 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.So, George generously wrote him a 30–million–dollar 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, just come 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 explain 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!”
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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 plans 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 plans, 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 break ing 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 Jayla’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 really come 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 cannot compromise 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–on 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 you come 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 young ladies 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 plainly. “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.
“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 declared 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 would come 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 place 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 no laughing 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 a gain.
“Well, someone has got to do it, so it might as well be me. This is my responsibility as a Harmon!” Natasha declared righteously. Although she put on a dignified and honorable front, she was actually elated 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 dream come 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 become 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 place 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 not come 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 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 success 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 replacing Natasha because the final decision rested with Tyler.
“Uncle Hector, I’m not lacking 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, she laid 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 place for the marriage alliance during the meeting earlier on, and Kate stood up and volunteered herself! She said that she would take your place and
marry Tyler. Everyone agreed!” Ruth announced with joy. “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 glad. “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 explain 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 accept 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 glass of water before stating nonchalantly,
“Things would have worked out fine if he had been the one who came up with the idea of swapping, but he would never accept 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 succeeds?” Ruth challenged.
“Of course, it’s best if she succeeds, 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 them coming 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 annihilate all of us Harmons!” A commotion broke out in a split second.
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