An Understated Dominance - Chapter 17

“Then go to die!” Dustin said flatly, but his intense stare was unsettling.

“Go to die?” Edward burst out laughing. The bodyguards behind him joined in, all of them looking at Dustin like he was a fool.

“You little punk! Don’t you know who I am? You’ve got some nerve talking to me like that,” Edward boasted.

“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. You have three seconds to let her go, or else,” Dustin replied calmly. His words shocked everyone, even the men holding Dahlia.

No one expected Dustin to say something so bold. Compared to the quiet Chris, he seemed incredibly brave. But some thought his bravery was pointless.

“You really don’t know what you’re getting into. You’re going to die!” Chris scowled, his frustration clear. Dustin’s courage only highlighted Chris’s own cowardice.

Naturally, Chris felt angry and resentful that someone like Dustin was showing more bravery than he was.

“Are you insane?” Edward looked Dustin up and down. “So you want to play the hero, huh? Fine! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

With that, he raised his hand and signaled again.

Two huge bodyguards charged at Dustin. Each was over 6 feet tall, muscular, and had a powerful presence.

Dustin seemed small in comparison, so everyone assumed this would be an easy fight.

They were wrong. As the men got closer, Dustin threw two quick punches that landed hard on their faces.

In an instant, both men collapsed to the ground as if struck by lightning, lying still.

“Huh?” Everyone reacted in shock.

Everyone was shocked by what they had just witnessed. In an instant, both bodyguards had fallen to the ground, and no one understood how it had happened.

Dustin stood there, unharmed. “What just happened?” Edward’s face fell.

The two men who had fallen were Edward’s best bodyguards. They could handle a group of attackers without breaking a sweat, so it was astonishing that they were now lying still after just one confrontation.

“This is your last chance. Let her go,” Dustin said coldly.

“In your dreams! Get him!” Edward shouted angrily, signaling his remaining men.

The other bodyguards quickly surrounded Dustin, but he simply scoffed and launched his attack without wasting time on words.

His moves were quick and powerful. Each punch landed with a loud thud. The burly bodyguards were completely defenseless against Dustin, who moved like a fierce tiger.

Muffled grunts filled the air, and in just a few moments, they were all sprawled on the floor.

The hall fell silent as the last bodyguard hit the ground with a heavy thump.

All the guests stood with their mouths open, staring at Dustin in disbelief. They could hardly believe how fearsome he was.

He had taken down so many men with his own strength, as if it were a scene from a movie. “How is he so strong?” Chris exclaimed in shock.

“Is this really Dustin Rhys?” Lyra wondered aloud, feeling uneasy.

“He… knows how to fight?” Dahlia said, her expression changing as she processed what had just happened. They had been married for three years, but she had never seen this side of him before.

Dustin’s fighting skills surprised her. “Was he really good at hiding it? Or did I just never notice?” she thought.

Edward was panicking. “Y-You! Who are you?” He took two steps back, clearly scared.

“I… am your reckoning,” Dustin said as he moved closer to Edward.

“Stay back!” Edward shouted, suddenly pulling out a switchblade and pressing it against Dahlia’s throat. “Come any closer, and I’ll slit her throat!”

Dustin’s expression turned icy. “The thing I hate most is being threatened.” In an instant, he lunged forward and grabbed Edward’s hand, forcing the knife away.

The switchblade clattered to the ground, and Edward stood frozen for a moment before letting out a high-pitched scream.

“Argh-”

“Shut up.” Dustin interrupted him with a swift slap to the face, making Edward grimace as if he’d just tasted something awful.

“You… you’re dead meat! You all are dead meat!” Edward somehow found the courage to threaten them.

“Is that so?” Dustin replied calmly before kicking Edward down.

Dahlia quickly stepped in front of Dustin. “Stop! You can’t hurt him; the consequences will be too severe!”

“I don’t care,” Dustin said nonchalantly.

“But I do!” Dahlia’s face was serious. “Do you even realize we’ll all suffer if you hurt him?”

Dustin frowned. He thought she was worried about him, but it seemed she was only concerned for their safety.

“Stop while you’re ahead, Dustin! Don’t drag us down with you!” Lyra shouted.

Chris quickly helped Edward to his feet and said, “That’s right! I see you’re tired of living if you dare touch Mr. Spanner! We have nothing to do with Dustin Rhys hitting you just now.”

Chris’s words were not just to blame Dustin; they were also an accusation.

Dustin narrowed his eyes, feeling heavy in his chest. He had only acted earlier to save Dahlia, but now he was being seen as the bad guy.

It was hard for him not to feel angry about this.

“You little punk! You think you’re tough? So what!” Edward said, misreading Dustin’s silence as fear. His confidence returned quickly. “Let me tell you, power and status matter in this world. If you touch me again, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Dustin didn’t reply, but his anger was clear in his eyes.

“What’s wrong? Scared?” Edward smirked. “Since you don’t have the guts, get on your knees and bow to me! If you make me happy, I might just let you go.”