An Understated Dominance - Chapter 69

“What? He’s the owner?!” James was shocked by this unexpected news. He could hardly believe what he heard.

“You must be joking! How could he own this restaurant?” Florence shouted in disbelief.

“Why would that be impossible? I’ve never seen two people as arrogant and snobby as you. How dare you cause a scene here?” the restaurant manager replied with disdain.

Earlier, he had seen Duane, the previous owner, passing ownership of Hillview Hotel to Dustin in a private booth.

“This can’t be true! Dustin is as poor as a church mouse. How could he afford to buy a restaurant?” James’s face showed his astonishment.

“That’s not your concern. What you need to know is that this restaurant is now mine. I can kick you out if I want to,” Dustin said calmly.

Hearing this, both James and Florence felt a wave of anger and humiliation. They had come to show off their status as Gold VIPs, only to discover that Dustin was the owner of Hillview Hotel. What a disgrace!

“Mr. Rhys, should we remove these troublemakers?” the manager asked.

“No, we should treat all our customers well. Besides, they are still our VIP guests. Let’s send them a complimentary bottle of red wine,” Dustin replied.

“Understood, sir,” the manager nodded.

“What a showoff. He only knows how to take advantage of women!” someone muttered.

“Exactly! He thinks he’s important, but he’s just a freeloader!” Florence and James complained quietly, clearly unhappy with how things had turned out.

“Thanks for the offer. However, I would—”

“I have to decline your gift,” Matt said suddenly, flashing a charming smile that caught the attention of the other women nearby.

Florence took this chance to show off. “Dustin! Just so you know, Matt is an overseas graduate. He comes from an elite family and is very talented. He’s way better than you!”

“Exactly! With your small net worth, you don’t even deserve to be his servant!” James added.

The humiliation Dustin felt earlier faded away with Matt’s support. What did it matter? Dustin was just a restaurant owner, and he hadn’t earned that success through hard work. Compared to Matt’s noble background, he seemed insignificant.

“Florence, you’re too kind. I was just lucky,” Matt responded, downplaying her compliments but wearing a smug smile.

“Look at that! See how polite and gentlemanly he is. You two are like night and day!” Florence gushed over Matt.

Dustin had enough. He turned to leave, saying calmly, “Please enjoy your time. I have other obligations.”

“Wait a minute!” Dahlia hurried after him. “Is this restaurant really yours? How did you get so much money?”

“I don’t have any money. The restaurant was a gift from a friend,” Dustin replied.

“A friend? Don’t tell me it’s Natasha?” Dahlia frowned, clearly unimpressed.

“You don’t need to know who it is. Instead, why don’t you focus on catching up with Matt over some wine? Isn’t he your favorite senior?” Dustin said with a huff before walking away.

“You…” Dahlia clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was only treating Matt to a meal, and her brother and mother were there too. Why was he acting so rude? Where was his gentlemanly behavior?

Returning to the group, she felt frustrated and confused.

In the private booth, Dustin felt a bit down. He couldn’t shake his frustration when he noticed Dahlia and Matt standing close together. Matt had the charm and a good background, and they had nearly become a couple before this. It was hard not to wonder about their relationship. On top of that, Dahlia was acting very distant, leaving Dustin confused about what she was thinking.

“Mr. Rhys, what’s wrong? You’ve looked glum since you came back. Is something bothering you?” Natasha teased gently.

“It’s nothing. I just ran into some acquaintances outside,” Dustin replied, forcing a smile.

“Acquaintances? Is one of them Dahlia?” Natasha asked, her interest piqued.

“Yes, it is. And there’s also a guy named Matt Laney,” Dustin admitted.

“Matt Laney?” Natasha said with a playful smirk. “Mr. Rhys, you should steer clear of him!”

“Do you know him?” Dustin asked, surprised.

“Not personally, but I’ve heard about him,” Natasha said, taking a sip of her red wine. “Matt is well-known among wealthy women. He’s famous for being a playboy. He’s good-looking, charming, and spends money freely. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him?”

“Are you interested in him too?” Dustin asked cautiously.

“Of course not! He’s not my type and just likes to mooch off women. Besides, with you around, who else would I look at?” Natasha winked playfully.

When Dustin didn’t respond to her flirty comments, she continued with a bright smile. “To be fair, Matt comes from an aristocratic family. But his family’s influence has faded, leaving him a broke aristocrat. He was raised with privilege but now has to find shady ways to keep up his lifestyle. That’s why he relies on wealthy older women.”

Many women have fallen victim to his lies, losing all their money. He tricks his current targets by using the wealth of those he has deceived before. This cycle keeps going. He’s very careful in his schemes, and many of his victims are still caught in his charm. If he’s interested in your ex-wife, you need to be cautious. She could end up losing not just her wealth but also be in real danger!

When Dustin heard this, he frowned. “Who would have guessed he’s just a con artist?”

“Anyway, be careful around people like him,” Natasha said as she finished.

“Thanks for the warning,” Dustin replied, nodding thoughtfully.

“Mr. Rhys, you seem worried about Dahlia. Do you still have feelings for her?” Natasha asked, looking a bit sad.

“No. She’s my ex-wife, but I don’t want her to get hurt,” Dustin shook his head.

“I hope that’s true!” Natasha said with a smirk. “But even if you do have feelings for her, I won’t back down. Once I set my sights on you, no one can come between us!” With that, she proudly lifted her chin.