An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2545

“I see,” Dustin muttered, his gaze lingering on the chessboard.

He nodded and said, “You helped me tonight. That puts me in your debt. If you ever need anything, just say the word.”

Dustin lived by a simple rule—repay what was given, whether it was kindness or vengeance.

Felicia hadn’t exposed him. In fact, she had gone out of her way to protect him. That was a debt he fully intended to repay.

“Mr. Rhys, you truly are a man of principle. I admire that,” she said.

She dipped her head with a playful smile, the gesture carrying a quiet, graceful charm.

“But I’m still curious,” Dustin asked, “what brought you here tonight? Were you already suspicious of me?”

“Anyone trying to get close to Nathaniel usually wants one of three things—power, fame, or wealth. You can see it in their eyes. But you’re different,” Felicia said with a knowing smile.

She continued, “You brought the Dracan essence but asked for no title, no recognition. You even declined the company of women. That alone makes me think you have another goal in mind. But of course, that’s only my suspicion.

“Tonight, though, was pure coincidence. I came to learn chess, but you weren’t in the courtyard. It wasn’t until the commotion started that I finally understood what you were truly after.”

“Ms. Thorns, you’re sharper than I expected.”

At first, Dustin had thought Felicia was just another beautiful woman with little depth. But she had turned out to be far more insightful—and far more dangerous—than he’d assumed.

“I’m nothing compared to you,” she replied. “Still, you should be careful. Nathaniel won’t let this go.”

“As long as he has no proof, he can’t touch me,” Dustin said with a faint smile.

With his strength, he knew Nathaniel would think twice before making a move. Without evidence, any confrontation would be reckless. Nathaniel wasn’t the type to act without certainty.

“As long as you know what you’re doing, that’s what matters. It’s getting late—I’ll take my leave.”

Felicia didn’t linger. With a slight nod, she turned and quietly exited the room.

As the first light of dawn spread across the sky, Nathaniel stood in the center of the courtyard, his eyes narrowed as he stared down the empty hallway.

Behind him, Lycas and Bryce gave their report.

“Your Highness, we’ve searched the mansion three times. We even checked the pond thoroughly, but found no sign of the intruder. It’s possible the thief… escaped.”

Lycas spoke cautiously, wiping sweat from his brow. Before he could finish, Nathaniel turned sharply, cold fury flashing in his eyes.

“Impossible! I ordered the mansion sealed off before the secret chamber was breached. Even if that thief had grown wings, he couldn’t have escaped.”

He tightened his grip on the pendant at his waist—a gift from Valon. But now, it felt less like a symbol of power and more like a searing brand burning into his palm.

Noticing his expression, Lycas quickly bowed and said, “You’re right, Your Highness. The thief might still be hiding. I’ll take my men and search again.”

Without waiting for a reply, he gathered the exhausted guards and led them toward a secluded storage shed.

Deep down, he knew searching again would be pointless. If the thief had slipped in unnoticed, they could just as easily slip out.

But with Nathaniel in a foul mood, arguing was not an option. All he could do was obey.

As the sun continued to rise, Nathaniel’s expression darkened while he walked toward the ruins of the secret chamber.

He knew catching the thief was unlikely—for now. What worried him more was how much of the treasure had been lost.

The vault’s contents were especially valuable. Any theft or destruction would be like having his heart ripped out.

Nathaniel reached the ruins, where a team was still working tirelessly. To avoid damaging the valuables, they had started with shovels, switching to hand-digging once most of the debris was cleared, which made the process even slower.

Over a hundred workers had labored through the night. By dawn, they had only managed to uncover the outline of the chamber’s ceiling. Fully excavating the site would take at least half a day more.

Nathaniel stood silently at the edge of the pit, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

Hours passed. It wasn’t until noon that the entrance to the chamber finally emerged.

“Your Highness, we’ve broken through!” someone shouted excitedly.

Nathaniel took a deep breath. Ignoring the risk of further collapse, he stepped into the dim chamber.

A wave of musty, dust-filled air hit him. Holding his torch high, he scanned the room—and his expression darkened with each passing moment.

The once neatly arranged treasures were now in disarray, many of them broken. He took only a moment to glance around before hurrying toward the vault.

The steel door was twisted and crushed, half of it caved in. A jagged hole in the ceiling made it look as if some monstrous creature had torn its way out.

Without hesitation, Nathaniel forced himself through the warped gap in the steel. But one look inside made his vision blur and nearly sent him stumbling.

The ornate box that had held the Dracan essence was gone—along with the two orbs.

Half the treasures were missing. The rest were damaged beyond repair.

“No… no, this can’t be happening. My… my treasures…”

The shock overwhelmed him. With a strangled cry, Nathaniel collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.