An Understated Dominance - Chapter 15

Dustin couldn’t believe how Dahlia saw him. It hurt to realize that after three years of marriage, she had no faith in him at all. She seemed to trust an outsider more than her own husband.

“You’re right. I’m terrible, and Chris is a hero. I spoke badly about him. Are you happy now?” Dustin said, mocking himself. He knew it was pointless to defend himself when there was no trust left.

“What’s with your attitude? Are you saying I’m accusing you?” Dahlia frowned, confused by his words.

“Not at all. I’m the one who messed up by talking bad about a good person,” Dustin replied sharply.

“You’re so stubborn!” Dahlia was angry now. She had never expected Dustin to act this way, refusing to admit his mistakes. Was this the real him, showing through after their divorce?

“It’s okay, Dahlia. Don’t get too upset,” Chris said, trying to be kind. “Dustin is just acting this way because he doesn’t like that I’m close to you. I understand; everyone makes mistakes.”

“Look how forgiving Chris is! That’s the difference between you two!” Dahlia shot back, disgusted.

“If that’s how you feel, I won’t argue with you,” Dustin said curtly.

“Hmph, I bet you feel guilty,” Lyra added with disdain. “People like you are pathetic. Why pretend to be something you’re not?”

“I don’t care what you think.” Fed up with their arguing, Dustin stood up and walked away.

At that moment, a man with curly hair walked in. He wore sunglasses and smoked a cigar.

“Wow, what a lively scene!” Edward grinned as he took in the room. When he spotted Dahlia, he seemed momentarily stunned. Then, his eyes lit up with interest.

Today was supposed to be Edward’s lucky day. He had just spotted a beautiful woman and couldn’t wait to approach her. “Hey, beautiful. You look familiar. Have we met before?” he said, licking his lips.

Dahlia simply glanced at him and turned away.

“Our meeting must be fate. How about getting a drink with me?” Edward suggested.

“I’m not interested,” Dahlia replied firmly.

“Money can buy your interest,” Edward said with a sly grin. “Let me be direct. If you spend one night with me, I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

“Get lost,” Dahlia snapped.

“Oh, feisty. I like it!” Edward chuckled, reaching out to touch her arm.

Suddenly, a loud slap rang out as Dahlia hit his face. A clear red mark appeared on his cheek almost instantly.

“You… you dare to slap me?” Edward said, touching his stinging cheek, his expression darkening.

“What are you going to do about it? You’re just an uneducated jerk,” Dahlia replied calmly.

“You’re asking for trouble!” Edward shouted, anger boiling inside him. He raised his hand to hit her, but before he could, Chris stepped in.

“Hey, you! Are you really causing a scene here? You want a beating?” Chris glared at Edward, furious that he was flirting with Dahlia right in front of him.

“You better stay out of this, or you’ll regret it!” Edward shouted back.

“Ha! Is that a threat? Bring it on! Show me what you’ve got!” Chris challenged, waving his hand dismissively.

“Go to hell!” Edward yelled, throwing a punch at Chris. Chris quickly dodged and countered with a punch of his own, landing it squarely on Edward’s face. Edward staggered back.

blood dripping down his nose.

“You want to fight? Too bad you picked the wrong person!” Chris laughed.

“Mr. Nolan, you’re amazing! This thug deserves a beating!” Lyra shouted, praising him loudly.

“Yeah! Great job!” The guests around them clapped, boosting Chris’s confidence. Finally, it felt like his moment to shine. It was exhilarating!

“Do you know who I am? You dare to hit me?” Edward growled, his teeth clenched. If looks could kill, Chris would be dead.

“I don’t care who you are. Leave now if you want to stay alive!” Chris shot back fiercely.

“You’ve got guts. Just wait until I come back!” Edward said angrily before leaving in a hurry. Chris smirked.

“What a fool. How dare he try to act tough in front of me?”

“Mr. Nolan, I didn’t know you were so strong! You took him down with just one punch!” Lyra said, her eyes sparkling with admiration after watching the fight.

“Haha, I could take on ten weaklings like him!” Chris chuckled, feeling proud of his workout routine.

“Thank goodness you were here to stop him. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble.”

“Don’t worry. If you face any more trouble, just call me, and I’ll protect you,” Chris said confidently, patting his chest. He loved showing off.

“Ms. Nicholson, this is what a real man looks like!” Lyra said, glancing at Dustin with sarcasm. “Not someone who runs away like a scaredy cat at the first sign of trouble. How useless.”

Though Dahlia didn’t say anything, she felt even more disappointed. When she was in trouble just moments ago, Dustin had just stood by and watched without trying to help. No matter what their past was, anyone else would have stepped in to assist.

She had never noticed it before, but now it was clear that Dustin was completely useless. Compared to Chris, he just didn’t measure up.

“Quick, seal off the exits!” Suddenly, there was a lot of noise. Edward had returned, looking even angrier than before after storming out earlier.

“What? Do you want to get beaten again?” Chris stepped forward bravely, trying to act like a hero. But his confidence quickly faded when he saw the group of strong bodyguards following Edward.