An Understated Dominance - Chapter 30

“Do you have a plan, Mr. Rhys?” Natasha asked.

“I need to understand the situation better first. Is it okay if I ask you some questions?” Dustin replied as he cleared his throat. “Where did you go today, and did you meet anyone?”

“I met Edwin. We talked about work, and he suggested a partnership, but I turned him down,” Natasha said honestly.

“I see. Did you drink anything he offered?” Dustin asked.

“Absolutely not. He has been after my family business for a long time. I would never let my guard down around him,” Natasha responded firmly.

“Then it’s really strange that you got drugged, sis,” Ruth chimed in. “It truly is.” Natasha rolled her eyes.

“When you met him, did you notice anything unusual?” Dustin asked.

“Now that you mention it…” Natasha paused, deep in thought. “When I walked into the place, I did smell something unusual. At first, I thought it was just perfume. But then I started feeling dizzy and warm. I’m glad I left when I did. Who knows what might have happened if I had stayed longer?”

“It sounds like that fragrance is the issue,” Dustin concluded.

“What’s the next step, Mr. Rhys?” Natasha inquired.

“We found ambergris on your skin earlier. It must have been the main ingredient in the fragrance used to drug you,” Dustin explained.

“So what do we do now? We need to find out who made that drug,” Ruth said, crossing her arms.

“Ambergris is rare, so we have a limited number of potential suspects. We can look at recent buyers and narrow down from there,” Dustin suggested.

“Good plan. I’ll have someone start on that right away!” Natasha agreed. With her family’s connections, they could get this sorted quickly.

“I trust you will,” Dustin said, feeling more confident about their next steps.

“My work here is done, Ms. Harmon. I’ll take my leave now,” Dustin said as he started to stand up.

“One more thing!” Natasha suddenly stopped him.

“Why don’t you join us for dinner?” she asked.

“Thank you, but I already have plans tonight,” he replied.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, looking curious. “It can’t be with your ex-wife, can it, Mr. Rhys? Don’t you find me attractive?” she teased, arching her body to show off her curves.

Dustin froze, unsure of how to respond. “U-uh…”

“Hahaha, alright, I’ll stop teasing you,” Natasha laughed. “I won’t make you cancel your plans. But before you go, here’s a little something as a token of my appreciation.”

She waved her hand, and a servant quickly approached with an elegant box.

“I hope you enjoy these wines, Mr. Rhys. I’ve been saving them for a while,” Natasha said with a smile as she handed him the box.

“Thank you, Ms. Harmon,” Dustin replied, happily accepting the gift. He knew it was a special gesture from Natasha, not just a random trinket.

“Ruth, please see Mr. Rhys out,” Natasha instructed.

“Okay,” Ruth said, though her tone showed some reluctance. Still, she led Dustin to his Lamborghini.

Just then, Dustin’s phone rang. It was Henry Nicholson, Dahlia’s grandfather.

“Hey Dustin, are you up for lunch today?” Henry asked.

“Thank you, but I already have plans today, sir,” Dustin answered.

“You still need to eat, don’t you? Dahlia should’ve been more understanding. I’ll make sure to tell her about this!” the old man grumbled.

“It’s just personal business, sir, nothing to do with Ms. Nicholson,” Dustin explained.

“Alright, enough defending her. I know how you are, and I’m sure this is because of her. Don’t worry; I’ll talk to her about this. Family needs to spend time together,” Henry insisted.

“Uh… sure, I guess,” Dustin said hesitantly.

In the three years since he married into this family, only this old man had treated Dustin like his own. That’s why Dustin respected and cared for him so much.

But they wouldn’t see each other for a long time after this. So, this meal would be their final goodbye.