An Understated Dominance - Chapter 163

“Hahaha!” Dustin couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the guards rush in. He was so furious that he found their actions almost comical.

People would expect a respected family to care about their reputation. Who would have thought they would act so shamelessly? They not only broke their promise but also betrayed someone who had helped them when they needed it. Now that things were not going their way, they turned to violence and threats. It was truly tyrannical and despicable!

“Caden Murray! Are you really going to repay kindness with betrayal?” Dustin’s eyes turned cold, and he exuded a powerful presence.

“Young man, you should back off now. Ten million dollars is enough to last you a lifetime. Don’t be greedy!” Caden warned.

People like him only cared about their own interests. He clearly valued his connections with the Horst family more than an unknown doctor like Dustin.

“Am I the greedy one, or are you just taking advantage of me? Do you really think I’m an easy target for you to mess with?” Dustin shot back fiercely.

“Uncle Caden, let’s not waste time on this loser! Just throw him out and be done with it!” Xavier said, growing impatient. He was green with envy that Sheila had called Dustin ‘kind sir.’ She had never said that to him!

“I’ll give you one last chance, kid. Take this money and leave, and I won’t mention today again,” Caden said, offering his ultimatum.

“And I’m giving you your last chance too. Hand over the Gozoraberry, or you’ll regret it!” Dustin countered firmly.

“Hah! You’re really making this difficult, aren’t you?” Caden finally lost his cool. He exchanged a look with Xavier. “Throw him out! Do whatever you want with him. Just make sure he—”

?” Lily shouted, hurt and confused.

Caden sighed, struggling to control his anger. “This is not the time for this! Just take Sheila back to her room.”

Dustin, still standing strong, glanced at Lily. “I’m not here to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help.”

Xavier laughed mockingly. “Help? Is that why you’re throwing punches? You think you can take us all on?”

Dustin, undeterred, stood tall. “I won’t let you bully anyone, especially not Sheila.”

Suddenly, Lily stepped forward, her expression firm. “Caden, we promised Dustin that we would support him. You can’t just go back on your word.”

Caden looked conflicted, his frustration bubbling under the surface. “This isn’t just about promises, Lily. It’s about our family’s safety and reputation.”

“Safety? By attacking someone who saved Sheila?” Lily shot back, her voice rising. “You’re better than this, Dad.”

Xavier smirked, enjoying the tension. “Looks like family drama is brewing. How entertaining.”

Just then, Sheila spoke up, her voice soft yet clear. “Please, let’s not fight. Dustin helped me. We should be grateful, not angry.”

Caden’s expression softened slightly, but he still held his ground. “I understand that, Sheila. But we have to think about the bigger picture.”

Dustin took a step forward, trying to defuse the situation. “I’m not your enemy. I just want to do what’s right.”

Lily nodded, backing Dustin. “We need to listen to him. Attacking him won’t solve anything.”

Caden rubbed his temples, frustration evident on his face. “Fine. But if things go wrong, it’s on all of you.”

Xavier rolled his eyes. “How boring. I was hoping for a real fight.”

Dustin looked at Xavier, determination in his eyes. “You can keep your fight. I’m here to protect those who need it.”

With that, the tension in the room shifted. The guards, still recovering from Dustin’s earlier attacks, exchanged nervous glances. It was clear that this confrontation was far from over.

“Now?” Sheila stepped forward, her voice firm. “Dustin just saved my life, and instead of being grateful, you’ve turned to violence against him. When did you become so unreasonable?”

Caden’s face changed as he heard her words. He didn’t care much about how others viewed him, but he did care about his daughter’s opinion.

He had always tried to keep his wrongdoings hidden from Sheila, but today, he had been caught.

“Sheila, Uncle Caden had nothing to do with this. I’m the one who wanted the Gozoraberry,” Xavier said, standing up to take the blame. “I’m so close to leveling up my skills, and a Gozoraberry is exactly what I need to make that jump. That’s why I asked Uncle Caden for it.”

“Even so, you shouldn’t have used violence!” Sheila frowned.

“Listen, Sheila, you don’t understand! I offered to buy the Gozoraberry for 10 million dollars, but he rejected my offer and even insulted me! I just couldn’t take it!” Xavier argued, frustrated.

“I don’t care! You agreed to give Dustin the Gozoraberry, so you can’t back out now!” Sheila said. She reached out, grabbed the box from Xavier, and handed it to Dustin.

“Wait…” Xavier looked at Caden, feeling helpless.

Caden didn’t look happy, but he eventually shook his head. He wanted to maintain a good image in front of Sheila, so he decided to let it go.

—

“Dustin, I’m really sorry you were startled. My father wasn’t thinking clearly earlier. I apologize for his behavior and hope you can forgive him,” Sheila said sincerely.

Dustin felt calm when he looked into Lily’s eyes. He knew Caden was awful, but he also recognized that both Lily and Sheila were kind and reasonable.

“Mr. Rhys, please enjoy the Gozoraberry. From now on, the Murrays owe you a debt!” Lily said with a smile.

“Please, you don’t have to feel indebted to me. I just hope Mr. Murray won’t seek revenge,” Dustin replied casually.

“He won’t! My father isn’t like that!” Sheila insisted, shaking her head and shooting a menacing look at Caden.

Caden had no choice but to agree. “Today was just a misunderstanding. Please don’t take it personally.”

“Then thank you. I have other plans, so I’ll be leaving now,” Dustin said as he turned to go.

“Dustin, will we see each other again?” Sheila suddenly asked.

“We’ll let fate decide,” he answered as he waved and walked out the door.

Just before he left, he heard a quiet voice near his ear. “You’re lucky Sheila showed up when she did, you scoundrel. She just saved you!”

“You’re the lucky one that she came at the right time. Otherwise, you’d be in big trouble,” Dustin scoffed before stepping outside.