Chapter 11 – 15
Chapter 11 – 15 An Understated Dominance
Chapter 11
“Hey, did you not hear me? That guy is a liar! It won’t do you any good if you stay with him!” Chris’s face was etched with concern when Natasha was unfazed by his provocation. He couldn’t bear to watch a beautiful woman like her be ruined at Dustin’s hands.
“Damn, you sure are annoying. It’s none of your business who I hang out with!” Natasha snapped, having lost her patience.
“You…”
Chris was on the verge of a breakdown. Never had he imagined her to be so stubborn. How could she still go back to Dustin knowing that he deceived her? Was that guy so charming?
“Mr. Nolan, this kind of person deserves to be deceived. Not only does she not appreciate your kind reminder but also speaks rudely to you. How ungrateful!” Lyra uttered unkindly from the side.
“Hmph! So showing kindness is a crime now?” Chris felt unjust, but obviously, he was more jealous.
“You two must have known each other for a long time, right?” Dahlia asked abruptly. Judging from Natasha’s behavior, she couldn’t help but suspect that they had long had a secret affair. Otherwise, there wasn’t a reasonable explanation for Chris’ determination.
“That’s not important. What matters is that our feelings are mutual.” Natasha smiled. While speaking, she pressed her chest against Dustin’s arm as though swearing sovereignty.
At this sight, Dahlia’s gaze became fiercer. Despite knowing that Natasha was deliberately pushing her buttons, she couldn’t suppress her irritation. It felt like someone had snatched away something of hers.
“Dustin, I’ve seriously misjudged you. We aren’t officially divorced, yet you’ve already found yourself another woman.” Dahlia tried to calm her emotions. In fact, she had been brooding about their divorce because she felt like she owed Dustin. However, the latter had begun fooling around with women while she was busy thinking of a way to make up to him. At the end of the day, she was the clown.
“If that’s what you think of me, I have nothing to say.” Dustin shrugged as he was lazy to explain anything.
“Fine. I was thinking that I owed you something, but it looks like we’re even now!” Dahlia’s expression turned indifferent. She felt as if she was looking at a complete stranger.
“Great.” Although Dustin’s poker face remained, his heart momentarily twitched for some reason.
“Ms. Nicholson…” Just then, Nastsha spoke up with a smile. “The choice you made was rather unwise, but I still have to thank you.”
“What for?” Dahlia slowly looked up at her.
“Thank you for letting me have Dustin. If not, I wouldn’t have discovered such a treasure by myself.” Natasha was flashing a satirical grin, her words meant to humiliate Dahlia.
“Hey! You bitch…” Lyra was about to explode when Dahlia raised her hand and cut her off.
She looked Natasha in the eyes and replied, “Your so-called treasure is just average in my opinion.”
“Average?” Natasha raised her eyebrow. “You’re calling a highly educated martial artist average? Ms. Nicholson, you do have high standards. However, the guy you’re with doesn’t seem to be any better.”
“At least he’s better than Dustin.” Dahlia didn’t back down.
“Oh, really? Why don’t we make a bet then?” Natasha dared playfully.
“About what?”
“Let’s bet which of them will have greater achievements within a month. What do you say?”
Hearing this, the three of them were taken aback. They didn’t expect she would suggest something like that.
Chris sneered as he looked at Natasha incredulously. “Say, did you hit your head or something? Are you making me compete with this piece of trash? Is he even worthy?”
“Exactly! Mr. Nolan is the successor of Nolan Pharmaceuticals with assets worth over a billion dollars under his name. What does Dustin have?” Lyra pursed his lips in disdain.
“Are you sure you want to bet on this?” Dahlia felt a little lost. To her, Dustin had nothing other than his good looks. Conversely, Chris was excellent in all aspects, be it his family background or personal capabilities.
The two of them were far from being on par with each other. Dustin could never beat Chris even if he were given five years, much less a month.
“Of course. It’s only about whether you dare to accept the bet.” Natasha raised her chin obnoxiously.
“What are we betting on?”
“Whoever loses the bet will have to apologize to the other and admit that she had no standards.”
“Sure. The bet is on.” Dahlia nodded.
“Good. I hope you don’t regret it!” Natasha chuckled.
Both of them possessed equal beauty but contrasting temperaments. At that moment, a rivalry had silently formed between the two.
“We shall find out when the time comes.” After casting one last glance at Natasha, Dahlia turned around and entered Mirage without another word.
“Pfft, you’re digging your own grave.” Chris and Lyra sneered again before following Dahlia into the building. Not once did they take Dustin seriously.
“Mr. Rhys, what do you think? Did I do well?” Natasha asked coquettishly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Even though her action looked simple, there were many meanings behind it.
“You went slightly over the top,” Dustin said helplessly. “If we lose, you’ll lose your reputation.”
“Lose? Are you kidding me? Don’t tell me you can’t even beat that loser?” Natasha started to agitate Dustin.
“I’m an ordinary man. How am I supposed to compete with a successor of a wealthy family?” Dustin shrugged.
“Ordinary? You’re too modest, Mr. Rhys. Your looks alone are out of this world!” As Natasha blinked at him flirtatiously, she appeared like a street thug harassing a lady.
Feeling speechless, Dustin pretended not to see it. Nevertheless, he had to admit that her performance was impeccable. It saved his pride. After all, very few women could steal Dahlia’s limelight, and Natasha was undoubtedly one of them.
Chapter 12
After entering Mirage, Lyra vented her anger. “Ugh, that woman is hot, but she’s blind to fall for an incompetent fool like Dustin.”
“I know, right? What a waste,” Chris chimed in with a long sigh. He was rich and handsome, so why was he unable to meet a beautiful woman too?
“That’s enough talk. We’re here for business,” Dahlia interrupted them and said, “Lyra, go and find out which Harmon is in charge tonight. It’d be best if we could promote ourselves.”
“I know a close friend who works at this place. I’ll give her a call.” As Lyra spoke, she fished out her phone and dialed a number. Before long, she informed Dahlia of good news. “Ms. Nicholson, tonight’s charity event is organized by the Steel Lady herself. As for the partner, it’ll depend on her preferences.”
“The Steel Lady? Could she be the famous business prodigy?” At the thought of this, Dahlia’s eyes lit up with excitement. The Steel Lady had a well-known reputation for being the only woman who singlehandedly conquered the business world of Swinton, surpassing nearly all of the other businessmen.
Dahlia couldn’t help but admire such an exceptional businesswoman. However, she’d never met the Steel Lady.
“Lyra, ask your friend whether she could help us arrange a private meeting with the Steel Lady. We can’t miss this opportunity,” said Dahlia.
“I can try and ask her, but there’s no guarantee.”
“Okay. I will thank her afterward.” Deep down, Dahlia was bubbling with anticipation. Being the Harmon family’s partner meant a lot to her. If she could meet the Steel Lady in advance, she was confident that she would be able to convince the other and prove herself.
…
As time passed, the number of guests gradually increased in Mirage. Although the charity event had yet to commence, Natasha was already busy.
“Mr. Rhys, feel free to look around. I have to excuse myself. You can ask anyone here if you need anything.”
“Alright. Thanks.”
“Julie, help me look after Mr. Rhys.” Then, Natasha headed toward her office.
“Ms. Harmon…” Upon entering the room, a middle-aged manager approached her with some documents. “Here is the information you asked for. After several screenings, we have narrowed down only four companies that qualify to be our partner. Please have a look and see if there’s anything else you need.”
Natasha hummed in acknowledgment and nodded silently. She accepted the documents and began reviewing them. After a while, she raised her eyebrow as her interest was piqued.
“Huh, what a coincidence.”
A mischievous smirk formed on Natasha’s lips. It turned out that Jackson Group was among the candidates, and in the documents was Dahlia’s resume. Out of curiosity, she read everything about Dahlia and soon, discovered something unusual.
Three years ago, Dahlia was a nobody while Jackson Group was unheard of. Nonetheless, ever since she’d gotten married, her career experienced inexplicably rapid growth. In merely three years, the small company with assets worth less than millions of dollars had developed into one of the most valuable corporations.
During that period, Dahlia not only received a tremendous amount of investments but also orders for various projects. In Natasha’s opinion, these achievements were questionable and there must have been strings pulled behind the scenes. The problem was, however, Dahlia did not come from an influential family nor did she have connections to pull this off.
“Could it be… him?” An image of Dustin appeared in Natasha’s mind. Besides Dustin, she couldn’t think of anyone else who would help Dahlia so unconditionally. Subsequently, she became even more intrigued. Who on earth was Dustin?
No one could easily build Jackson Group into a large corporation in only three years.
“Dustin, oh, Dustin. What exactly are you hiding?” Narrowing her eyes slightly, Natasha was enthralled by the mystery surrounding Dustin.
“And that woman, Dahlia… What were you thinking? Why did you let go of a wealthy husband and choose to get entangled with that bastard named Chris instead? Are you really that stupid?” Natasha pondered and silently heaved a sigh.
A man had sacrificed so much for a woman, but in the end, she was ignorant and even self-righteously decided to divorce him. Natasha couldn’t wrap her head around that. Nevertheless, she realized that the situation had given her a chance to have Dustin all for herself.
“Ms. Harmon, are you considering Dahlia Nicholson from Jackson Group?” asked the manager tentatively upon the rare sight of Natasha reading the documents so intently.
“Dahlia? Hmph,” Natasha answered with a dissatisfied tone. “She is qualified to be our partner, but I don’t like her.”
“Understood. I will remove her from the list right away!”
“No need. Reorganize the documents and show them to Mr. Rhys. Let him decide,” Natasha instructed with an ambiguous smile.
“Yes.”
Although the manager was dumbfounded, he didn’t dare to question her orders.
“Is there something else?” Natasha asked when he did not leave.
“Ms. Harmon, Edward Spanner from Drey Group had arrived earlier and he wishes to meet you,” the manager explained with his head bowed.
“Edward? Trevor Spanner’s son? What is he doing here?”
Natasha was stunned.
“He says he wants to discuss business matters with you, but I doubt that it is his true intention. Should I order the guards to kick him out?”
“Trevor sent his son in his place? Ha… Never mind. I want to see what tricks he has up his sleeves.”
Chapter 13
The hall where the event was held had become lively. On the stage, a group of dancers dressed in vintage clothing danced to classical music. Every facial expression and move was full of charm and grace, leaving a lingering impression in the audience’s mind.
Below the stage sat a crowd of well-dressed celebrities. While some clinked their glasses and chatted, others quietly enjoyed the performance. Dustin had found an empty seat and sat down, sipping on a glass of juice as he watched the show.
“Yo, Rhys! Didn’t think you would actually sneak in here!”
Suddenly, a discordant voice disrupted Dustin’s moment of peace. Glancing over at the source, Dusin spotted Chris and Dahlia together with the secretary.
“Hmph, what an unlucky day. Why are you everywhere?” Lyra huffed in annoyance.
Dahlia didn’t say a word. She threw a cold glance at Dustin and went to take a seat in the front row.
“Hey, the charity auction is starting soon. Can you even afford to participate? Why are you sitting here?” Chris jeered.
“Who says I can’t sit here because I can’t afford it?” retorted Dustin.
“That’s the rule! How can a sucker like you sit with us?” Chris said with a contemptuous look.
“Are you deaf? Get up now!” Lyra kicked the chair Dustin was sitting in.
“What happens if I don’t?” Dustin looked up at him.
“I’ll call the guards to kick you out!” threatened Lyra.
“Go ahead and try,” Dustin responded with an unbothered expression.
“Fine, you asked for it! Don’t blame me when you get humiliated!” Just as Lyra wanted to raise her hand and call for the guards, Dahlia stopped her.
“Cut it out. Let him be.”
“But…” Lyra frowned.
“Mind your own business,” Dahlia simply replied.
“Hmph, consider yourself lucky.”
Lyra glared at Dustin and left it at that. At this moment, her phone rang. After answering the call, her expression froze and the arrogance on her face was quickly replaced with horror.
“What’s wrong?” Dahlia asked upon sensing something amiss.
“Ms. Nicholson… it’s… it’s bad!” Lyra blurted nervously. “I just received a tip-off that the Harmon family wants to remove the Jackson Group from the candidate list!”
“What?” Dahlia’s face fell at the news. “Are you sure the tip is reliable?”
“It should be. My friend overheard it at work!”
“How could this happen?” Dahlia’s expression was awful. After all, she’d expended great effort in getting the Jackson Group on the candidate list. Not only were large sums of money involved but she even owed countless favors over this.
She thought that since they passed the preliminary screening and got on the list, she could effortlessly secure the position of the Harmon family’s partner as long as she met with the Steel Lady beforehand.
Who knew that they would get removed at the very last minute? It was so sudden that Dahlia couldn’t comprehend what had happened.
“Ms. Nicholson, what do we do now? If we make it on the candidate list, all of our hard work will be in vain!” Lyra lamented unhappily.
“Let me think…” Dahlia’s brows furrowed as she fell deep in thought.
Working as the Harmon family’s partner, they would be able to elevate their social status while making extra profits. Although the Jackson Group had grown quickly over the years, it lacked a solid foundation. Hence, if they could join the Harmon family’s business venture, they would have sure backing. Dahlia was so close to tasting success, yet everything had come to naught.
“Mr. Rhys.” Just then, a manager from the Harmon family walked up to Dustin’s side and handed him a folder. “The Iron Lady wants you to review these documents and make the final decision.”
“Hmm?”
Dustin took the folder and his expression became a little strange. He was looking at documents consisting of Dahlia and the Jackson Group’s information. Natasha was indirectly making him choose to whether kick them out of the candidate list.
“What the hell is she planning?”
Dustin held his chain while thinking, feeling some uncertainty. Needless to say, Natasha was doing this on purpose. She wanted the power in deciding the fate of Dahlia’s company to fall on him.
After thinking it over, Dustin chose not to remove them. Although they were divorced, their relationship wasn’t as bad as to require revenge. Besides, they had been married for three years. One way or another, he genuinely hoped that Dahlia would do well in her life.
“Mr. Rhys, are you sure about your decision?”
The manager couldn’t help asking because he knew that Natasha wasn’t fond of Dahlia.
“Yes.” Dustin nodded.
“Okay. We’ll do as you say.”
After giving him a polite smile, the manager promptly left with the documents. Deep down, however, his impression of Dustin dropped slightly. To him, this was Dustin’s best window of opportunity to gain Ms. Harmon’s favor. Meanwhile, in the front-row seat, the clueless Dahlia and Lyra were still worrying about the matter. Based on their status, they weren’t qualified to change the Harmon family’s decision.
“Ahem…” Chris suddenly cleared his throat to get their attention before saying, “Dahlia, if you’re worrying about the candidate list, I might be able to help.”
“Really?” Lyra lit up at once and asked hurriedly, “Mr. Nolan, how can you help us?”
“To be honest, my father has some connections with Old Mr. Harmon. As long as my father makes the request, I believe the Harmon family will do something about it.”
“Is that so? That’s awesome!” Lyra was filled with excitement as she said, “Mr. Nolan, if you can help us with this, you will be our greatest benefactor!”
“It’s not a big deal. I’ll make the call now.”
Chris laughed heartily, then dialed his father’s phone number to briefly explain the situation.
“Alright, I got it. I’ll talk to Andrew when I have time,” Chris’ father, David, agreed perfunctorily and hung up the call. Thinking that he’d solved the problem, Chris started to claim credit and said, “My father has agreed to help. You guys don’t have to worry. It’ll be over soon.”
“Great! Mr. Nolan, thanks to you, we can rest assured.”
Lyra sighed in relief.
“Thank you, Mr. Nolan,” added Dahlia.
“It’s a small matter. Don’t worry about it.”
Chris pretended to wave his hand generously. Then, he looked toward Dustin with a provocative gaze. Dustin was enjoying his juice, completely ignoring Chris. At this moment, Dahlia received a phone call. Taking out her phone, she realized that it was from the general manager of Harmon Group.
“Hello, is this Ms. Nicholson? I have good news for you. The top management has decided to appoint you as the Harmon family’s partner.”
Chapter 14
“We were chosen?” Dahlia was shocked. She couldn’t believe his words. The general manager wasn’t talking about her place on the candidate list, but was referring to their appointment as the Harmon family’s partner! They’d even skipped the final assessment. What was happening?
“Did you mean what you said?” Dahlia questioned tentatively.
“Of course. If you don’t believe it, you may come to our office tomorrow to sign the contract. I have other things to attend to, so I’ll hang up now.” After saying a few words, the general manager ended the call.
Dahlia on the other end was feeling both astonished and delighted. Never had she expected things to go so smoothly. A few moments ago, the Jackson Group was just about to get removed from the candidate list but in the blink of an eye, they had become the Harmon family’s partner. Everything was happening too abruptly.
Of course, it must’ve been due to Chris’ help that she was able to make it this far. The Nolan family’s influence was surprisingly impactful. Only a phone call was needed to change the Harmon family’s mind.
“Ms. Nicholson, what happened? Did the Harmon family change their mind?” Lyra asked.
“Yes.” Dahlia nodded and flashed a rare smile. “The general manager of Harmon Group called me just now and said I’m chosen to become their partner!”
Lyra cheered. “Oh my god! I knew you could do it!”
“It’s all thanks to Mr. Nolan. This wouldn’t have happened without his help,” Dahlia said gratefully.
“That’s right! Mr. Nolan is indeed the greatest. He solved our problem with just a few words!” praised Lyra.
“You’re exaggerating. It was my father who did the favor,” Chris replied with a smile. Although his words sounded humble, the smugness on his face was unconcealable. In fact, he was also somewhat surprised by the news. Since when did his father work so efficiently?
“Dustin, did you see that? This is the difference between you and Mr. Nolan.” Lyra turned to look at Dustin and remarked mockingly. “Mr. Nolan can easily secure us the position as the Harmon family’s partner with a word. What can you do?”
“Don’t say that. At least, he’s good at sucking up to people,” Chris added with a chuckle.
“Hmph, what else can he do? He’s an absolute good-for-nothing.” When Dustin didn’t retort, Lyra’s arrogance was boosted and she continued, “It’s a pity that the bitch isn’t here to see how useless the man she chose is.”
“Are you done talking? Move out of the way if you are, don’t block my view,” Dustin uttered indifferently.
“Why? You can’t stand it when we said only a few words? If you have half of Mr. Nolan’s capabilities, would you be afraid of others calling you out? You’re hopeless.” Lyra sneered.
“Oh? Then, tell me, what is Chris capable of?” Dustin’s expression became solemn. He might prefer to be low-key, but he wouldn’t tolerate anyone who insulted him. He wasn’t a saint, after all.
“Mr. Nolan made us the partner of the Harmon family through a simple phone call. If this isn’t capability, I don’t know what is,” Lyra answered while staring down at Dustin condescendingly.
“How are you so sure that it was him? What proof do you have?” Dustin countered.
“Who else if not Mr. Nolan? It’s definitely not you. I mean, look at your terrible attitude!” Lyra snorted coldly.
“Hey, Rhys, what makes you think that the Harmon family would suddenly change their mind if it wasn’t because of me?” Chris asked haughtily.
“That’s right. The truth is right in front of you. Why can’t you just admit it?” Lyra echoed.
“Don’t get too conceited. If I were you, I would go and confirm the truth myself before thanking the wrong person,” Dustin said, expressionless.
“From what I see, you’re just jealous of others because of your incompetence,” scolded Lyra.
“Whatever floats your boat.” Dustin shrugged it off.
“Rhys, you wanted proof, right? Fine, I’ll give it to you!” Chris sneered as he pulled out his phone to call David again, “Hey, Dad.”
“What is it this time?” David sounded annoyed over the phone.
“Nothing. I just wanted to know how did your talk with Old Mr. Harmon go.”
“What talk? I’m still in a middle of a meeting. I don’t have the time to help you with your nonsense. Don’t ever bother me over stuff like this again!”
“What?” Chris was caught off guard when his father hung up the phone angrily. The smile on his face had stiffened. Instantly, his intention to boast about his capability was shattered. If his father didn’t help him, then who did? Could it be a coincidence?
“Mr. Nolan, what did your father say? Let’s hear it,” Dustin said with a fake smile. As he was seated right behind Chris, his keen ears could pick up everything David had said on the phone. He didn’t even need to listen to their conversation to know what was going on. Chris’ stupefied expression was self-explanatory.
“Mr. Nolan, don’t hesitate to tell us. We should let this bastard understand that he could never compete with you!” Lyra prompted.
Meanwhile, Chris’ eye twitched. He pretended to be calm and replied with a dismissive smile, “What’s there to tell you about? My father has confirmed that he made a request to the Harmon family and helped us big time. Otherwise, Dahlia wouldn’t have qualified to be their partner!”
Hearing this, Dustin frowned deeply as he didn’t expect Chris to be so stubborn. How could he lie in front of everyone?
“Did you hear that, Dustin? I told you so, but you didn’t believe it. What do you have to say now?” Lyra barked proudly.
“Would you believe me if I told you that Chris is lying?” Dustin questioned back.
“Dustin, that’s enough!” At this moment, Dahlia couldn’t stand it anymore. “Can you drop with your act for once? I know that you’re jealous of Chris, but you can’t just slander him! Is it so difficult to admit he’s good?” Dahlia stood up and yelled, a hateful look on her face.
Initially, she didn’t wish to argue with Dustin. However, seeing how obstinate he was behaving, she really couldn’t bear to watch any further.
“Jealous? Slander?” Dustin paused, feeling slightly taken aback. “So, that’s the kind of person I am in your eyes?”
“Look at yourself. Am I wrong?” Dahlia retorted. Her question rendered Dustin speechless.
Chapter 15
Never in Dustin’s wildest dreams would he think that was how Dahlia viewed him. She had no faith in him at all. As it turned out, three years of marriage meant nothing when compared to an outsider.
“You’re right. I’m despicable, while Chris is a hero. I slandered him. Are you happy now?” Dustin said self-mockingly. It was pointless to defend himself when there was no trust to begin with.
“What’s with your attitude? Are you saying I’m accusing you?” Dahlia frowned.
“Not at all. I’m the one to blame for badmouthing a good person,” Dustin replied curtly.
“You’re so stubborn!” His words angered Dahlia. She never knew that Dustin would act like this out of spite and refuse to admit his mistake. Was he finally showing his true colors after their divorce?
“It’s all right, Dahlia. Don’t get too worked up.” At this time, Chris put up a pretentious act of kindness and said, “Dustin must be doing this because he doesn’t like that I’m too close to you. I don’t blame him. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“Do you see how forgiving Chris is? This is the difference between you and him!” Dahlia spat, disgusted.
“I’m not even going to try arguing with you if that’s what you think,” Dustin replied in a clipped tone.
“Hmph, I bet it’s because you feel guilty,” Lyra commented disdainfully. “People like you are detestable. Why do you insist on putting on an act when you don’t have what it takes?”
“I don’t care about what you think of me.” Tired of bickering with them, Dustin stood up and left.
Just then, a man with curly hair appeared at the hall entrance. He had on a pair of sunglasses and was smoking a cigar.
“Damn, what a lively atmosphere!” Edward grinned as he looked around. As soon as his eyes landed on Dahlia, he was momentarily dazed. Then the look in his eyes quickly turned fiery.
“Tsk, tsk. I wasn’t expecting today to be my lucky day. I’ve met another stunning woman!” Edward licked his lips and approached Dahlia right away. He smiled and said, “Hey, beautiful. You look familiar. Have we met before?”
Dahlia threw him a glance and ignored him.
“Our meeting must be fated. Why don’t you come and get a drink with me?” Edward invited.
“I’m not interested,” Dahlia rejected without hesitation.
“Money can buy your interest,” Edward stroked his chin and uttered slyly. “Let me get straight to the point then. If you sleep with me for one night, I’ll pay you any amount you like.”
“Get lost,” Dahlia growled.
“Oh, dear. How feisty. I like it!” Edward laughed gleefully. While speaking, he reached out his hand to touch her.
A loud slap sounded when Dahlia struck his face with her palm. Clear, red fingerprints were imprinted on his cheek within seconds.
“You… you dare to slap me?” Edward touched his burning cheek, his gaze darkening.
“What are you going to do about it? What an uneducated prick,” Dahlia said impassively.
“Bitch! You’re asking for trouble!” Edward’s blood boiled and he lifted his hand to hit Dahlia, but he was suddenly shoved away by Chris.
“Fucker, you dare to act out at this kind of occasion? Are you asking for a beating?” Chris glared at Edward. How dare that bastard flirt with his woman in front of his face?
“You rascal, you’d better stay out of this or face the consequences!” Edward bellowed.
“Ha! Are you threatening me? Bring it on. Show me what you got!” Chris provocatively waved his hand.
“Go to hell!” Without another word, Edward threw a punch at Chris. The latter swiftly dodged his fist and countered his attack, landing a blow on his face. Edward staggered backward with blood tricking down his nose.
“You want to fight? Too bad you picked the wrong person!” Chris scoffed.
“Mr. Nolan, you’re awesome! This thug deserves to be beaten up!” Lyra praised loudly.
“Yeah! Good one!” The guests at the scene followed suit and applauded, which stroke Chris’ ego. At last, his time to shine had arrived. It felt incredible!
“Bastard, do you know who I am? You dare to hit me?” Edward seethed through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Chris would have been six feet under.
“I couldn’t care less about who you are. Get out of here if you want to live!” Chris barked fiercely.
“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. You’d better not have run away when I return!” After that, Edward quickly left the place. Chris sneered.
“What a fool. How dare he act all mighty in front of me?”
“Mr. Nolan, I didn’t know you were so strong. You beat him with just a punch!” Lyra complimented him, her eyes glowing with admiration after witnessing the fight.
“Haha, I can beat ten weaklings like him!” Chris laughed. It seemed like his workout routine had paid off.
“Thankfully, you are here to stop him. Or else, we would’ve been in trouble.”
“Fret not. If you reencounter such situations, give me a call and I’ll protect you.” Chris patted his chest confidently. Naturally, he wouldn’t let an opportunity to show off slip by.
“Ms. Nicholson, this is what a real man looks like!” Lyra said while glancing at Dustin with sarcasm, “Not someone who runs away like a scaredy cat whenever he faces small hurdles. How useless.”
Although Dahlia was quiet, she was filled with even more disappointment. When she was in trouble just now, Dustin had stood idly and watched without any sign of wanting to help. Putting their past relationship aside, any other ordinary person would’ve stepped in to help out even if they were strangers. She might not have noticed this before, but now, Dustin’s uselessness was apparent as day. Compared to Chris, he was far from being on par.
“Quick, seal off the exits!” All of a sudden, a burst of commotion sounded. It was none other than Edward, who’d stormed out earlier. This time, he was back with even more malice.
“What? Do you want to get another beating?” Chris stepped forward like a heroic person. However, his vanity eventually faded away upon seeing the group of burly bodyguards following behind Edward.