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An Understated Dominance Chapter 537
"What are you doing, Dustin?" Dahlia's eyebrows arched above her wide eyes, and she had to restrain herself from biting Dustin directly. At first, she thought he was only admiring Ms. Larson's figure. Never did she imagine he would be daring enough to start messing around with someone he was meeting for the first time while completely ignoring her."This is a misunderstanding, Dahlia. She was the one who put her foot out." Dustin blushed. Although he was innocent, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. "So what if Ms. Larson stretched her leg? It doesn't mean you have permission to touch her." Dahlia growled. "I—" Dustin didn't know how to explain himself."Hmph! I had a feeling you were up to no good when I saw you staring at Ms. Larson. Were you having dirty thoughts about her?" Dahlia's breathing quickened. Was she not pretty enough? Why was Dustin paying attention to someone else other than her? What a player!"It's not what you're thinking, Dahlia!" Dustin was exasperated.
An Understated Dominance Chapter 538
"Are you trying to bribe me with just a villa? What do you take me for?" Dustin remained indifferent."Looks like it's time to get serious." Ms. Larson giggled. "How about this? I'll let you into some insider information. The abandoned buildings in Eastville are going to be redeveloped. Your investment will double tenfold if you can get ahold of them. Of course, how many buildings you can buy depends on your wealth. The more you buy, the more you'll earn. With enough capital, you'll easily earn anything between a billion dollars to eight billion. What do you think? Is the offer attractive enough?"Dustin narrowed his eyes. "Ms. Larson, you're very generous, but I still don't understand why you'd tell me about an opportunity that could rake in billions?"It was their first time meeting, yet Ms. Larson was being extremely generous, even going as far as to offer him a car, a house, and a chance to hit the jackpot. Although Dustin was quite a good-looking guy, it wasn't enough to charm eve
An Understated Dominance Chapter 539
As soon as Dustin and Dahlia reached one of the wards of Ansdale South Hospital, they were greeted by the ghastly sight of Florence moaning in pain, her body wrapped in bloodstained bandages. "How do you feel, Mom?" Dahlia asked worriedly as she walked into the room."You're finally here, Dahlia!" Florence immediately burst into tears and wailed. "I'm so sorry. I made a mistake, and I don't deserve to live anymore." She slammed her head into the wall several times, tearing up from the pain."What are you doing, Mom?" Dahlia quickly pulled her mother in for a hug to stop her from hurting herself. "Can't we talk this out? Why are you trying to commit suicide?""I—I'm too embarrassed to tell you!" Florence thumped her chest sadly. "James, what in the world happened?" Dahlia looked at her brother, who was standing next to their mother. "Mom got scammed. Our savings are all gone now!" He cried. "Scammed? Elaborate further." Dahlia frowned."Do you remember Julie's boyfriend, Terrence St
An Understated Dominance Chapter 540
James merely held out a finger."Ten million?" Dahlia took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anger. "It's quite a lot, but at least we can still pay it back. Treat it as the price of a lesson learned.""You've got it wrong, Sis. It's not just ten million dollars; it's a hundred million." James mumbled weakly. "A hundred million?!" Dahlia paled. "Are you serious? Where did you get so much money in the first place?""We had a few million in savings. Then, we used our two villas to take out loans. Mom stole the remaining tens of thousands from you." James shrank back and confessed softly. "What?" Dahlia's blood boiled. "A—are you guys crazy? Taking loans and stealing? Who said you could do that?"Who in their right mind would sell their house to invest in a business? What a fool!"It's all my fault, Dahlia. I'm so sorry. I should die instead!" Florence moaned and began banging her head on the wall again, acting so well that she deserved an Oscar. "Enough!" Dahlia yelled. "Rather
An Understated Dominance Chapter 541
"What?" Dustin frowned when Florence's gaze swept toward him. "Why are you looking at me? Are you telling me to be the scapegoat? What the fuck?" he thought. "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
An Understated Dominance Chapter 542
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
An Understated Dominance Chapter 543
"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?" Dahli
An Understated Dominance Chapter 544
"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 r
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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
