"Fine, I'll do it …" Within an exclusive club, Luis couldn't help grinning when he heard the other voice from the phone. "Great. See you tonight. You better not stand me up again." With that, he hung up. The young men and women surrounding him immediately gave him a thumbs-up after learning what had happened. "Never thought a tiny trick like this could get that chick to obey you, Ms. Langford. You're incredible!" a blond man praised. Luis chuckled evilly. "She would never have agreed if I hadn't sent her brother in. Besides, how could I let a chick like her slip through my fingers like that?" None of the women he set his sights on have ever gotten away from him. All it took was some time and some tricks. Dahlia may look like an innocent woman, but as long as he used her friends and family as bait, she would surely bite. "I'm curious, Mr. Langford. Why would you marry her? You could have just had fun without getting married. This doesn't seem like something you'd do." The bl
Dahlia didn't pick up the first two times. It wasn't until his third attempt that the call got through. "Hey, Dahlia. Didn't you tell me to treat you to dinner? Why aren't you here yet?" Dustin asked. "About that … I'm sorry, but something came up. I might not be able to leave any time soon." Dahlia's voice sounded strange. "It's alright. Work is more important. Take your time. I won't bother you." Dustin answered understandingly despite the tinge of regret. Dahlia hummed. "I'll treat you another day." "Sure." Dustin smiled. He was just about to hang up when he heard a familiar voice. "Dahlia, who are you calling? Hurry up. You've got to drink with me—" With a beep, the call ended. "Sir, when is Ms. Nicholson arriving?" the manager asked. "She has something to deal with, so she can't come. You can put everything away. I'm sorry, everyone." Dustin smiled politely and got up to leave. Everyone exchanged confused glances. Why had the carefully planned dinner gone to wa
Inside the presidential suite, Florence helped Dahlia onto the bed and took off the younger woman's shoes. She then went to grab a basin of warm water to wipe Dahlia down. "Mom, I feel horrible. I want some water." Dahlia lay on the bed weakly, feeling parched. "Water won't work. I'll get you some milk. Wait here." Florence made up an excuse and quickly left the room, bumping into Luis straight away. "How's Dahlia doing, Mrs. Nicholson?" "She's fine. Nothing a night's sleep won't fix." Florence smiled. "Where are you heading, Mrs. Nicholson?" Luis asked again. "To get Dahlia some milk to ease her stomach ache." "I see …" Luis smiled knowingly. "No one sells milk nearby, so I'm afraid you'll have to search further. You might have to come back later too." "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I saw a grocery store downstairs." Florence smiled awkwardly. "Are you questioning me?" Luis' smile slowly disappeared, an animalistic, cruel expression taking over. "O-of course not. G
If Luis was going to rape her, she'd rather die than suffer and be humiliated that way. "So what? How dare a secondhand good like you act innocent. Take off your clothes right now!" Luis shouted. "No!" Gritting her teeth, Dahlia ignored her weak body and staggered to the door. "Do you think you can escape?" With a sneer, the man ran after her. Just as Dahlia was about to reach the lift, he sped up and made a lunge for her, dragging her to the floor. He immediately began to tug at her clothes. Just then, the lift doors opened with a ding. The two of them lifted their heads and froze when they saw Dustin emerging from the lift with a dark face. "What are you two doing?" Dustin seethed, a murderous air surrounding him. He realized that something was wrong when he heard Dahlia's earlier reply, so he quickly told someone to track her car, and this was the first thing he saw. "So, it's you." Luis leisurely pulled himself to his feet and lifted his pants, grinning tauntingly. "A
"Why aren't you saying anything? Do you agree with what I said?" Dustin's final glimmer of hope disappeared along with Dahlia's silence. He'd given her a chance to explain herself, but she didn't give him the answer he wanted. "I'm sorry. I have my reasons." Dahlia felt her heart bleeding, and breathing became difficult. "Reasons?" Dustin sneered. "What could make you sell your body? What could stop you from explaining things to me?" "I'm sorry … I'm sorry …" Dahlia sobbed, anguished. "Don't apologize to me. We're already divorced, so I have no right to control anything you do, and you didn't betray me." Dustin's face gradually turned hard. "However, please don't ever bother me again. I'm still human. I can't keep being hurt by you. So, won't you please let me go?" "I …" Dahlia didn't know what to say. Perhaps the best thing for her to do now was to completely cut ties with him since she had no choice but to yield to Luis for her brother, her family, and Dustin. Still, she'
Even after returning to the medical center, Dustin still felt restless after the heavy blow Dahlia had given him. He never thought that she was the kind of person who would toy with his emotions for revenge. They could have ended their relationship on a good note, yet she decided to make them enemies. Dustin just couldn't understand why. No matter how hard he thought back, he was sure he had never once done anything bad to her. "Dustin, are you in trouble?" Maximus emerged from the living room and asked. "Let me know if you need my help." The past few days of treatment have healed his core. He might not be as strong as before, but he was satisfied with just this. "Won't you drink with me?" Dustin fumbled around the cabinets for two bottles of wine. With Gregory around, there was never a shortage of alcohol. "Sure." Maximus sat down without a second thought. The two men began to drink, but no one spoke, so the tension in the air increased. After a few glasses, Dustin event
The man's arrogant gaze swept the room. "I'm Dustin. May I know why you're here?" Dustin glanced at the man before continuing to drink. "I'm a messenger of Boulderthorn's Royal Valor. We want to challenge you to a duel. You killed Joshua Hummer, our seventh disciple, so something has to be done. My senior will be visiting Swinton to challenge you to a duel to the death!" the man declared haughtily, throwing them a piece of paper. As a well-known guild, they had to do things publicly, including exacting revenge. They were also going to use this opportunity to show off their power. "You can take that back. I'm not interested." Dustin refused without even looking at the paper. "Are you scared?" The other man sneered. "Weren't you brave when you killed Joshua? Why are you shying away after hearing that my senior is your opponent?" "As if. I don't even know who your senior is," Dustin replied calmly. "I'll tell you right now. His name is Tatum Thunders, and his name can be fou
Time flew by, and two days passed. News about Tatum challenging Dustin to a duel had spread far and wide, and all the martial artists who caught wind of the challenge came in droves to watch the duel. The challenger was the principal disciple of Royal Valor, Fanatic Blade of the Heavenly Immortals–Tatum Thunders, while the challengee was Dustin Rhys, a dark horse. Eager to watch their challenge, many people woke up before dawn to get to Mount Halgue, so now, people crowded at the foot of the mountain. "I didn't know there would be this many people." Thinking that this was just an ordinary duel, Dustin was surprised by the size of the crowd. "That's just how Boulderthorn is. Anytime a famous disciple challenges someone to a duel, their guild makes sure to promote themselves and show off their strength. It's an unspoken rule among guilds." Maximus was used to the sight. "Really?" Dustin smiled. "In that case, wouldn't they be embarrassed if they lose?" "Lose?" The corner of M