Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
An Understated Dominance Chapter 200
Dustin knew that Caitlyn deeply lacked a sense of security.If he asked her not to do anything, she would feel even more lost.At that moment, his phone rang.When he picked up the phone, he heard an unfamiliar voice. "Hello, is this Mr. Rhys? I'm the new chief inspector from the investigation bureau, Aspen Cruiser.""Oh, it's you, Chief Cruiser. Is something the matter?" Dustin was surprised."Here's the deal. We just arrested a suspect named Julie Amberson. According to our investigation, she was your sister-in-law, and she's involved in the theft of Immortunol. I wanted to ask if you wanted to take her case?" Aspen asked tentatively."It's fine. This has nothing to do with her," Dustin replied.Although he didn't like Julie, he wouldn't stoop so low as to use his power for his personal revenge and send her to jail."Alright, I know what to do now. Enjoy your day, Mr. Rhys."Dustin said nothing as he hung up. Then, he took out an ancient text and began to leaf through it.I
An Understated Dominance Chapter 201
"James, I'm giving you three seconds to apologize to Caitlyn!"Dustin slowly got to his feet, his expression dark."Apologize? Who the fuck do you think you are? As if I'm going to apologize just because you asked me to. Not to mention, isn't she just a stupid bitch? So what if I hit her? What are you doing to do about it? If you're going to keep yapping at me, I might even hit you too!" James yelled; his expression was ferocious."You dimwitted fool!" Dustin snorted humorlessly, launching a kick at James' abdomen.The latter let out a pained cry as he flew a few feet backward. His entire body was curled up into a ball as he rolled backward.At first, Florence was utterly dumbfounded. Then, her eyes flared with rage, screaming as she pounced at him, "How dare you hit my son?! You ruthless animal, I'm going to teach you a lesson!" She started to scratch and hit him, throwing out moves like it was a catfight."Get off!"Dustin's body shook, and an invisible force pushed Florence
An Understated Dominance Chapter 202
Dustin finally let out the grievances that he had bottled up for a long time."You ... That's bullshit!" Florence did not believe it in the slightest. Her tone grew even shriller as she screamed, "As if you had the capability to help us! My daughter's achievements today are all thanks to her own excellence! It has nothing to do with you! Also, don't think you're all that. You had to rely on a woman to climb your way up to where you are today! If Ms. Harmon hadn't protected you, the Hummers would have slaughtered you long ago! So don't feel too happy now. Ms. Harmon will kick a useless gigolo like you to the curb sooner or later. And when the time comes, you'll become the public enemy!"Hearing these words, Dustin simply shook his head and laughed.Sure enough, there was no point in saying all those things. These people wouldn't believe it at all.In the Nicholson family's eyes, he had always been nothing but an incompetent average Joe.Of course, he didn't care."Alright, I don
An Understated Dominance Chapter 203
The video on James' phone showed Dustin getting violent.First, he kicked James, then he pushed Florence aside, causing her to fall onto the floor and bang her head against the door.Finally, it ended with Dustin slapping James twice.The start and end of the video had been edited out, and there was no audio, only images.After watching it, Dahlia was frozen.She couldn't believe it before, but the video was right here; she had to believe it."Dahlia, you saw what happened, right? This is proof that he beat us! Mom is already getting old; she can't handle that piece of trash's beatings! We already went to the hospital to get checked out. The doctor said that her concussion is so severe that she might develop Alzheimer's disease! Not to mention, she even broke a few bones. She'll have trouble looking after herself in the future. Dahlia, do you still want to believe such a savage?!" James spat through gritted teeth, looking downtrodden and furious."Why? Why would he do that?" Dah
An Understated Dominance Chapter 204
"You don't have anything else to say? I knew you were lying! Why? How did you turn out this way? Why do you have to push my boundaries over and over again? Must you keep causing trouble until we turn against each other?" Dahlia's face was full of disappointment, and she felt disheartened."It's not that I've changed, but you've never believed in me, whether it was before or now. Since you won't believe me anyway, then there's nothing to talk about. I'll figure out a way to repay you for what you did for Gregory." As soon as Dustin finished speaking, he hung up.Could things go back to the way they were before?No, it was impossible.This was his answer to her question last night."Dustin, what do you mean? Are you trying to cut ties with me? You ..." Dahlia still had more to say, but the line had already gone dead.Dustin's indifference and coldness felt like a knife in her heart.She couldn't understand why the two of them couldn't get along peacefully. Why must they hurt each
An Understated Dominance Chapter 205
Dahlia frowned slightly, slowly coming back to her senses. Looking at Florence hop around energetically, she was astounded. "Mom, I thought you said you broke your hands and feet? How can you still stand?""Huh?" Florence's face froze, and she forced a smile. "When I saw Julie, I got a little too emotional and temporarily forgot about the pain. I should lie back down and get some rest right away."With that, she limped to the bed.But those horrible acting skills fooled no one."Mom, are you actually fine and were just pretending to be hurt in front of me?!" Dahlia's face sank."How can I be fine? Didn't you see how Dustin hit me? Ouch … My head is starting to hurt again!" Florence held her head and began to put on a show again."You said you have a concussion and broken limbs. Well, where's the case file from the hospital? Show it to me!" Dahlia demanded."Well …" Florence and James both looked at each other, speechless.Seeing their reaction, of course, Dahlia caught on."So
An Understated Dominance Chapter 206
"D—Dustin Rhys? How could it be him?!" After learning the truth, Florence and the others looked at each other for a while, disbelief written on their faces.Never in a million years had they considered that it wasn't Matt who saved Julie, but the person they had dubbed ungrateful.This was simply a slap in the face!"So Dustin never framed Julie in the first place, and it was you guys … purposely slinging mud at him?" Dahlia stood rooted to the ground, expressionless.Her face was as white as a sheet."W—who slung mud at him? I bet he's feeling guilty because he knows what he did wrong, so he's trying to make things up to us!" Florence insisted stubbornly.She was used to bossing people around; of course, she would never admit that she had gotten the wrong idea about Dustin.That would be too humiliating."Mom, things have already come to this, and you still want to justify yourself?" Dahlia bit her lip. Even her heart was clenching."How am I justifying myself? If that Rhys b
An Understated Dominance Chapter 207
"Young man, I advise you to consider this carefully. I do not like to be rejected. If something catches my eye, I'll do anything to get it." Phineas began to ramp things up. "If you agree, then not only will you get the money, you'll also become a friend of the Laney family. If you ever run into trouble, our family will help you. Conversely, if you turn me down, you'll become an enemy of the Laney family. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to be our friend or foe."Dustin couldn't help but laugh when he heard that. "I don't like to be threatened. If you're going to speak like that, then we can only be enemies.""Hm?" Phineas' face darkened."Punk, are you sure you want to do this?""Of course." Dustin nodded."Hmph! Don't think you can go around fearlessly because you have the Harmons backing you. To tell you the truth, I have a hundred ways to deal with small fry like you. If you're going to remain stubborn, I don't mind playing this game with you," Phineas threat
Latest Chapter
Chapter 2530
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
Chapter 2529
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
Chapter 2528
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Chapter 2527
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
Chapter 2526
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Chapter 2525
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
Chapter 2524
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
Chapter 2523
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
Chapter 2522
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr
