Chapter 101 – 105
Chapter 101 – 105 An Understated Dominance
Chapter 101
Back in the interrogation room, Dustin and Dahlia sat with their backs against each other for warmth.
Such peaceful moments were rare from the moment they were married until their divorce.
No one spoke anything as they remained silent for a while.
“Dustin, do you think we will walk out of here alive?”
Finally, Dahlia broke the silence.
She couldn’t stand the damp and dark surroundings that forced her to think depressive thoughts.
Furthermore, Mr. Gardner wasn’t easy to deal with. Her heart thumped with fear at what would happen to them.
“Don’t scare yourself. We will definitely leave this place in one piece,” Dustin comforted her.
“What if we don’t? Do you have any last wishes?” Dahlia murmured glumly.
“There’s no possibility of us dying. Let’s talk after we get out,” Dustin replied.
“Not after we have offended Lord Asmon. With his connections and resources, getting rid of us would be as easy as killing a gnat.” Dahlia sighed.
Even if she pooled all her resources, it would be nothing compared to the wealth of the nobility.
“Dahlia, this doesn’t sound like you. I thought you were a person who would not give up until the last second. With your personality, you would take on any challenge that got in your way. Why are you being so pessimistic?” Dustin raised his voice.
When she heard this, Dahlia gave a chuckle. “You’re right. No one knows what will happen until the last minute. Perhaps we should have hope that things would turn around!”
The metal door creaked open once again as she finished her sentence.
Light streamed into the room as Mr. Gardner stomped in with a few burly, intimidating–looking men.
“Kid! Your time is up; have you made your decision?” He shot Dustin a fierce look.
“Yes, I’ve decided. I will not return the items,” Dustin replied firmly.
“What?” Mr. Gardner frowned. “Kid, don’t you know who these men are? I’ll be honest, they are the worst criminals and bandits I have in prison! They have been deprived of the touch of a woman for a long time! If you refuse to cooperate, you will definitely regret it. These men will have their way with your girlfriend while you shall watch her ravaged and abused in front of your very eyes!”
“If you dare to touch her, I’ll tear this whole place down!” Dustin warned with a growl.
“You piece of shit! How dare you talk back to me! Now, you have no choice but to bear the consequences!”
Mr. Gardner gestured to his men. “Guys, make sure to put on a good performance for this kid so that he knows his place! Show him a fate worse than death!”
“Of course, sir! We are much obliged!” The men cackled with pleasure.
They had been locked up in prison for a long time without a woman’s touch. Now that such a beauty was in their presence, they could not hide their evil desires to ravish her body.
“Hi, gorgeous! Let’s have a good time!”
“I’ll get the girl, you can get the guy!”
The men began to strip while laughing maniacally as they stepped menacingly toward Dahlia.
“You must be looking for death!” Dustin stood up, furious.
He tore the shackles around his hands and legs with brute force, and they fell to the ground with a clang.
After that, Dustin turned around and untied Dahlia easily.
“You!” Mr. Gardner was taken aback at the sudden turn of events.
The shackles in the interrogation room were specially made to be extra tough. It was impossible for a human to tear the metal apart like butter.
How did this scrawny kid do that?
“Gardner, you have pushed my limits!” Dustin kicked the shackles aside and rushed towards him.
“Quick, stop this kid!” Mr. Gardner screamed for help. The burly men immediately surrounded Dustin, and all of them attacked him at the same time.
“Get out of my way!” A surge of energy was released when Dustin stomped his heel on the ground.
The sheer force threw the men backward and crash into the walls of the interrogation room.
All of them were dead in an instant, bleeding from their internal wounds.
“Help, anybody! Please help!” Mr. Gardner turned pale and whirled around to escape.
Chapter 102
Dustin kicked the limp body of a man lying beside him.
It flew like a bullet and crashed into Mr. Gardner, who was attempting to escape.
He screamed in pain and fell to the ground, unable to run any longer.
“I’ve warned you not to touch her.” Dustin strolled up to him and hissed murderously, his eyes boring dangerously into Mr. Gardner.
“Kid, don’t forget you’re in the police station! You can’t go too far!” Mr. Gardner backed away on all fours.
“Too far? What will you do about it?” Dustin chuckled as he crushed Mr. Gardner’s arm with his foot.
The immense pain from his broken arm caused Mr. Gardner to howl in agony.
“Dustin! Stop it!” Blood drained from Dahlia’s face.
Even though they were innocent, they could be charged with excessive self–defense if they fought back against the police. It would only complicate the situation!
“Come back to your senses, kid! Confess and turn yourself in so that you still have a chance to save yourself. If not, there will be no mercy!” Mr. Gardner threatened with a grimace. Without a word, Dustin kicked Mr. Gardner in the stomach.
Mr. Gardner spurted out the contents of his dinner last night by reflex as pee flowed out of his bladder. A putrid stench filled the air from the mess he created.
“You–You!” Mr. Gardner’s face turned red from the violent coughing as nausea caused him to vomit bile from his stomach.
“Dustin, have you gone crazy? If something untoward happens to Mr. Gardner, we will have to take responsibility!” Dahlia called out frantically.
“Even if I did not fight back, he wouldn’t have let us go either. Since things have come to this, we should just kill him,” Dustin retorted nonchalantly.
“The situation has not escalated to that level. Stop it now, and we can still fix this. If you murdered Mr. Gardner, everyone would have to pay for your mistakes!” Dahlia tried to reason with Dustin.
What if Dustin really went insane and did something stupid out of anger?
“Do you hear that? Another violation from you, I will make sure you and your whole family pay for this!” Mr. Gardner roared.
“Mr. Gardner, what happened?” Draco ran into the room with a group of underlings when they heard the commotion.
However, they were all stunned at the sight of the bloody scene and Mr. Gardner, who was heavily injured.
“Kid, you must be looking for death! Let Mr. Gardner go immediately if you still want to live!” Draco warned.
“Let him go? Alright, take him.” Dustin kicked Mr. Gardner and sent him flying into the air. He crashed hard on a few of Draco’s underlings, taking down several of them simultaneously.
Dahlia was speechless at Dustin’s impudence.
She never thought he could be so reckless as to kick Mr. Gardner.
Even when he was surrounded by ruthless men on all sides, he did not even think of surrendering!
Had Dustin gone mad?
Did he not understand the consequences of crossing Mr. Gardner?
He was the police inspector, also known as Heinous Hades.
Mr. Gardner was the officer in charge of the prison and criminal interrogation. The lives of prisoners were at his mercy.
How could Dustin be so bold?
“Mr. Gardner, are you alright?” Draco quickly helped him up.
Mr. Gardner spewed profanities in a blind rage as he ordered his men, “All of you! Kill that kid right now! I want him dead and his body chopped up into pieces!”
Never had anyone humiliated him in such a manner!
“Kill him!” Draco shouted as they took out their weapons and charged toward Dustin.
Just as the fight was about to break out, a loud voice was heard at the door.
“Stop this instant!”
Chapter 103
“Stop this right now!” A loud voice rang out.
A group of men in suits and armed to the teeth filed into the room.
“Who are you? How dare you enter the interrogation room without permission! Are you starting a riot?” Mr. Gardner screamed in fury. At this moment, he was stewing with rage.
The only thought in his mind was to rip Dustin up into pieces, and anybody who stood in his path would be his mortal enemy as well!
“Mr. Gardner, what an honor to see you!”
“The crowd of people parted like the Red Sea as a gorgeous, alluring woman stalked into the room in her high heels.
“Natasha?”
When Mr. Gardner saw who it was, the expression on his face fell as the burning rage in his eyes died down.
“You’re lucky, Dustin. Your girlfriend is here to save you.”
Dahlia said sarcastically when she saw Natasha arrive. She felt a little frustrated. Although she was relieved at the thought of being rescued, she felt a twinge of annoyance at receiving Natasha’s help.
As she was Dustin’s ex–wife, she didn’t want to feel obligated to another woman.
Unfortunately, Natasha was the only one who could save Dustin right now.
“Ms. Harmon, why are you here at the police station this late at night with your men? What’s the meaning of this?” Mr. Gardner stepped forward to block their way.
“Hmph! Are you seriously questioning me? You were the one who brought people in without a fair trial. Is this how the police investigate crimes?” Natasha scoffed.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Mr. Gardner said sheepishly.
“You don’t understand? Alright then, I’ll be straightforward. I’m here to request the release of my man. Let Dustin go immediately before I make you regret it!” Natasha demanded.
“Let him go? This man is a wanted criminal with definitive evidence. Are you going to make me release him? Aren’t you going above the law?” Mr. Gardner declared righteously.
Just now, Dustin had beat him up into a pulp. There was no way he could live this down.
Offending Natasha was a small price to pay for him to get his revenge on Dustin!
“How dare you talk about the law to me! Aren’t you aware of how contradictory your words are? It is as easy as pie for me to reveal all your dirty underhanded tricks. Let him go immediately if you want to keep things swept under the rug!” Natasha threatened.
“Natasha, don’t push my buttons!” Mr. Gardner warned, his expression darkened.
“I know that the Harmon family is influential, however, I have my rights! This is my territory and that guy is a criminal. Moreover, he is under my jurisdiction. You have no right to Interfere in what I do with him!”
“If Ms. Harmon doesn’t have the right, how about me Instead?” Hunter walked into the interrogation room with his men in tow.
His noble aura caused the men to move away from him involuntarily.
“What? This kid knows Mr. Anderson?” Draco turned pale with shock. He didn’t believe it when Mr. Gardner told him about this. Now that he had witnessed the situation with his own eyes, only then did he realize the gravity of the situation.
“Wow, even Mr. Anderson is here. Natasha must have asked for his help to save you. Seems like she really can’t live without you, huh?” Sarcasm dripped from Dahlia’s voice as she spoke.
“Mr. Anderson, why are you here as well?” Mr. Gardner frowned.
Natasha alone was tough enough to handle. If Hunter joined in the fray, things might get out of hand.
“If I didn’t show up, would you listen to reason?” Hunter retorted angrily.
“Mr. Anderson, I informed you in the call last time. Give me some time so I can look into it. If there’s a mistake.
I will let him go immediately.” Mr. Gardner tried to wriggle his way out.
“I have no time to waste yapping with you. Let Dustin go this instant!” Hunter ordered impatiently.
The corrupted ways of the police inspector were well known.
If they had waited for the investigation to end, Dustin would have been dead and gone.
“As an inspector, my duty is to capture wanted criminals and protect the peace of the city. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my actions,” Mr. Gardner defended himself.
“Mr. Gardner, I’m giving you one last chance. I’m warning you; let him go immediately. If not, you shall die an unseemly death!” Hunter wasn’t taking it.
“Mr. Anderson, are you threatening me? Don’t you know the consequences of going against the police?” Mr. Gardner narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t care what the consequences are. If you won’t let Dustin go, I will tear down this building!” Hunter retorted.
Mr. Gardner’s face twisted with rage.
He never expected Natasha and Hunter to be so obstinate.
Why would they go to such lengths for a nobody like Dustin?
Didn’t they know that Mr. Granville was his father–in–law?
What’s wrong with the two of them? They wouldn’t even budge an inchi
“Mr. Anderson, don’t blame me for not warning you. It is an offense that you have barged into the Interrogation room without permission. If Mr. Granville wants to find fault. It would be a nightmare for you to handle!” Mr. Gardner quickly name–dropped his father–in–law.
“What the hell!”
Hunter lost his patience and swung a heavy blow to Mr. Gardner’s face. “I asked you to release him immediately. What’s with all the excuses?”
“You–How dare you slap me?”
Mr. Gardner held his burning cheek in disbelief.
He was Mr. Granville’s son–in–law and a police inspector.
On account of Mr. Granville, they should know better than to provoke him! Were they going to rebel against Mr. Granville?
“What’s wrong with slapping you? Another word from you, and I’m going to put a bullet through your skull!”
Hunter drew his pistol and placed the barrel on Mr. Gardner’s forehead.
“Wh–What are you trying to do? Stop messing around!” Cold sweat ran down Mr. Gardner’s forehead.
He never expected Hunter to pull out his gun in the police station, nonetheless. Had he gone crazy as well?
Wasn’t this blatant disrespect toward the law?
“What the hell, when did Mr. Anderson become so rash?” Natasha thought when she saw the gun.
She knew Hunter as a calm, collected man. He was always good–natured and composed in any situation.
What was wrong with him today?
He lost his temper, slapped, and threatened a man at gunpoint.
If it were his son who was kidnapped, Hunter might not even have overreacted in this manner.
“I’m going to count to five. You will bear the consequences if you still refuse to release Dustin!” Hunter warned, his face nonchalant.
“Mr. Anderson! I’m Mr. Granville’s son–in–law! Are you going to defy him?” Mr. Gardner screamed in shock.
“Five, four.” Hunter started counting.
“Hunter! What’s wrong with you? If you dare to touch a hair on my head, Mr. Granville will never forgive you!”
Mr. Gardner’s legs were shaking like a leaf
“Three, two, one!”
Chapter 104
Hunter pulled the trigger immediately after his countdown.
With a loud bang, a bullet went through Mr. Gardner’s ear.
He let out a bone–chilling cry and hold on to his bleeding ear, staggering backward.
“Are you crazy? How dare you shoot me!” Mr. Gardner shouted hysterically.
He thought Hunter was just all talk. Who knew that Hunter would really pull the trigger?
“The next time, I won’t miss my aim.” Hunter cocked the gun and aimed it toward Mr. Gardner’s face..
“I’ll ask again. Will you release Dustin, or will I?”
Mr. Gardner shivered in fright. At this rate, it was highly possible that Hunter would go crazy and murder him in cold blood.
As Mr. Gardner was stuck in a dilemma, a ruckus was heard at the door of the interrogation room again.
An elderly man with snowy white hair rushed in with his men.
“Mr. Granville?”
At his arrival, the whole interrogation room went silent.
The elderly man standing before them was the mayor of Swinton, the highest–ranking official in the city. He was truly the most powerful man in Swinton!
“Finally, Mr. Granville is here! Rhys, you’re dead meat! What’s the use of getting Ms. Harmon’s and Mr. Anderson’s help? As long as Mr. Granville is on our side, no one will be able to save you today!”
With the appearance of Mr. Granville, the expression on Draco’s face changed from fear to arrogance. He laughed mockingly, knowing that Mr. Granville was here to back them up.
He was their savior!
When Natasha and Hunter came to save Dustin, Draco thought that they were doomed.
Fortunately, Mr. Granville arrived just in time, which gave him peace of mind.
“Mr. Anderson! You slapped and shot me in the ear for that punk’s sake! You have gone too far! Now that my father–in–law is here, let’s see how you will explain this to him!” Mr. Gardner snickered with a resentful expression on his face.
Weren’t they so brazen a minute ago? He couldn’t wait to see how impudent they would be now that the mayor of Swinton was here!
“What a coincidence; his timing was perfect. Mr. Granville knows how to make an entrance!” Natasha frowned slightly.
Mr. Granville’s position as mayor was not to be trifled with.
Even with Natasha and Hunter’s influence, Mr. Granville’s decision would be final.
More importantly, Mr. Granville and Mr. Gardner are related by marriage.
Were they going to open a can of worms?
“Mr. Granville, your son–in–law is guilty of distorting the truth, taking bribes, and accusing the innocent. You must properly explain the situation to us today!”
Defying everyone’s expectations, Hunter did not back down. He raised his voice and demanded an explanation from Mr. Granville.
Even if Hunter was the president of the Chamber of Commerce, he was still under the jurisdiction of Mr. Granville.
His actions were no less than rebellion against his superiors!
“You’re lying! I’ve always been righteous and impartial in my duties!”
Regaining his composure, Mr. Gardner rushed towards Mr. Granville and started accusing them. “Father, they
were the ones who broke into the interrogation room without permission. Furthermore, Mr. Anderson shot me in the ear! Look at this; my ear is in a mess! Father, you have to bring them to justice!”
He revealed his wounded ear to Mr. Granville. It was a shocking sight to behold as the wound was still bleeding profusely.
“Right! There’s that kid!”
Ignoring Mr. Granville’s dark expression, Mr. Gardner pointed toward Dustin. “He’s the main cause of all this.
Father, you must teach him a lesson. He even hit me in the stomach just now!”
“Shut up!” Mr. Granville roared in anger and slapped Mr. Gardner’s cheek.
The force of his slap was so strong that Mr. Gardner was thrown a few feet away, stars circling above his head.
“What?”
Everyone was dumbstruck at the sudden bombshell.
Who would have expected Mr. Granville to reprimand Mr. Gardner instead of backing him up?
What’s going on?
Natasha’s jaw dropped. Dahlia was equally as shocked.
Draco and his men couldn’t believe their eyes. They were all stunned at the astonishing turn of events.
“Father? Why did you hit me?” Mr. Gardner asked, bewildered, as he rubbed his burning cheek.
He had never seen his father–in–law so furious.
Mr. Gardner was confused as to what he had done wrong.
“Bastard! You lock up the innocent and let the guilty walk free. How dare you try to defend yourself? I’m going to teach you a lesson!” Mr. Granville declared righteously.
“Father, what’s wrong with you? I’m your son–in–law, aren’t I?” Mr. Gardner was close to tears.
Wasn’t Mr. Granville here to save him? Why was he getting beaten up instead?
“Don’t call me your father–in–law! I don’t have a despicable son–in–law like you!” Mr. Granville scoffed and continued, “You accepted bribes and corrupted the law. In addition, you took liberties with your authority as a police inspector. As of now, you are fired from your position!”
“What?”
When Mr. Granville announced this, Mr. Gardner shuddered in fear. His body was drenched in a cold sweat.
Although he didn’t know what caused the rift, Mr. Gardner knew that his father–in–law had decided to cut all ties with him.
Furthermore, Mr. Granville was going to investigate and expose his past deeds!
They had a good relationship before this. What could have happened for Mr. Granville to change so abruptly?
Without any hesitation, Mr. Granville gave his last orders to the men standing behind him, “Come and arrest Mr. Gardner immediately! Once the investigation into his crimes is complete, throw him in jail!”
Mr. Gardner fell on his knees in dismay, his face ashen with despair.
The only reason his father–in–law would be so harsh on him must be due to pressure from a superior who had intervened.
That was why Mr. Granville had no choice but to toe the line as well
How could this happen?
He had only detained Dustin, a punk with no background. How could this disaster have befallen him?
Could it be? Could it be that the Rhys kid had some powerful people backing him up?
That must be it!
At this thought, Mr. Gardner was filled with regret that he had gone up against Dustin.
Never in his dreams would he have imagined that a young punk had such formidable support. Even his father- in–law had to kowtow to him!
All of it was Duane’s fault!
He was doomed because of Duane!
Chapter 105
“We are finished!”
When Draco saw that Mr. Gardner had been apprehended, his face paled in shock.
From Mr. Granville’s appearance until the arrest of Mr. Gardner, Draco couldn’t make sense of what was going on as everything had happened in a flash.
The only thing he could be sure of was that Mr. Granville did not let his son–in–law off the hook. This meant that he was going to be in trouble as well.
Draco thought that Mr. Granville was their savior. Who knew that he was here to bring them to justice?
This world could be so unpredictable!
Draco turned back and glanced at Dustin, who had remained silent all this while. He had an expression of indifference on his face, as if he had known this would happen all along.
Who was this man, and why was Mr. Granville treating him with such respect?
Why would Lord Asmon have a grudge against such a monster?
“Arrest all the other men as well!” Mr. Granville barked an order. Draco and Mr. Gardner’s men were all apprehended.
Mr. Gardner and Draco stared at each other in despair.
It was obvious that they would have to pay for their crimes.
“What–What’s happening?” Natasha couldn’t wrap her head around the plot twist.
She expected trouble when Mr. Granville appeared.
Unexpectedly Mr. Granville did not find fault with them. Furthermore, he fired Mr. Gardner and threw him into prison.
Who could have expected Mr. Granville to do such a thing to his own son–in–law?
“Am I dreaming? Is Mr. Granville on our side?”
Dahlia’s eyes were wide with shock. She was also taken aback at Mr. Granville’s actions.
When she knew of his relationship to Mr. Gardner, she was already prepared for the worst.
At one point, Dahlia even thought that Dustin and her were doomed.
However, the outcome was beyond belief.
Could Mr. Granville truly be a righteous and upright official?
“Are you Dustin? I can tell that you are a capable young man.”
After he had tied up the loose ends, Mr. Granville walked up to Dustin with a rare smile on his stern face.
“Greetings, Mr. Granville.” Dustin nodded politely.
“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. Because of my incompetence, you had to go through such trouble. I humbly request for your understanding and forgiveness.” Mr. Granville apologized.
“It is said that there will be rotten apples in every bunch. I find it very admirable for you to even bring your son- in–law to justice.” Dustin smiled.
“Thank you for your consideration, young man. Now, I can finally stop worrying.” Mr. Granville secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
No one knew that he received a call from the Governor of Millsburg not long ago.
The only message given was to protect Dustin Rhys at any cost!
Dustin’s background and influence must be unimaginable if the governor personally made a call to ensure his safety.
In a city like Swinton, a person with such connections was untouchable!
Mr. Granville and his men left in a hurry after greeting Dustin.
“Mr. Rhys, Ms. Nicholson. Are the both of you alright?” Hunter asked anxiously after everyone left.
“We’re fine. Thanks for your help, Mr. Anderson.” Dahlia nodded her thanks.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Hunter nodded in return.
“Dustin, it seems you’re having a good time!” Natasha came over, her heels clacking on the ground.
She stared at Dustin with resentment, as if he had cheated on her.
“What do you mean?” Dustin said, puzzled.
“Am I mistaken?” Natasha crossed her arms and countered sarcastically. “When I heard that you were locked up, I was so worried that I went everywhere looking for help to get you released. On the other hand, you are
here chatting with another woman. Why wouldn’t you be having a good time?”
“Don’t misread the situation. She was arrested because of me,” Dustin replied awkwardly.
“Is that true?” Natasha wasn’t convinced.
“If that was the case, why are your hands clasped together so tightly?”
“What?” Dustin and Dahlia looked down simultaneously.
They hadn’t realized that their fingers were intertwined.
Startled, they let go of each other immediately.
“I never thought a simple man like you would be a playboy. I’m so disappointed in you, Dustin! My devotion is wasted on you!” Natasha gave an exasperated sigh, turned around and left.
“Ms. Harmon!” Dustin took a few steps toward Natasha before giving Dahlia a glance, as if he had something to say to her.
“Why are you looking at me? Go after her. It’s none of my business!” Dahlia faked a nonchalant tone and avoided his gaze.
“Alright. Use a cab to get home.” With that, Dustin ran after Natasha.
Did Dustin really chase after Natasha?
Dahlia gritted her teeth in annoyance.
Did he not know that it was just a test to see whether he would prioritize her or Natasha?
What a dolt!
She was being sulky to get his attention, that’s why she asked him to chase after Natasha. If she asked him to jump off a building, would he just obey like an idiot?
The thought of Dustin spending time with Natasha irked her immensely.
“Ms. Harmon, please listen to my explanation!”
Dustin caught up to Natasha at the entrance. “Due to the dangerous circumstances, I had to protect Dahlia. I’m not thinking of getting back together with her.”
“Is that true?” Natasha stared at him suspiciously.
“Of course! Why would I lie to you?” Dustin replied with a serious expression.
“Alright then, since you rushed out to explain to me, I’ll forgive you on account of your sincerity!” Natasha suddenly grinned from ear to ear..
The disappointment and resentment on her face disappeared in a flash.
Dustin was stunned at how quick a woman’s mood could change. Their emotions were as unpredictable as the weather.
He couldn’t help but suspect Natasha had just pulled a fast one on him.
“Dahlia, you’re still a notch below me!” Natasha thought as she gave Dahlia a smug glance.
From Dustin’s actions, it was obvious that he was more concerned about her than Dahlia.
“Let’s go, I’ll send you home,” Natasha said with a bright smile.
“Not right now. I have to meet someone.” Dustin shook his head.
“Meet someone? Who?”