"No! That's impossible!" Dahlia thought. She denied the
notion as soon as it emerged. Apart from his good looks, Dustin was just
an average man. There was nothing special about him. Mason, on the other
hand, had not only taken over Sir Spanner's position and had authority
over the Drey Group, but he also had hundreds of henchmen at his beck and
call. Why would he be intimidated by a small fry like Dustin? She must be
delusional. Mason's kicks and punches rained down on Mr. Chansey
unceasingly, causing him to spit blood. He saw no other way to it than to
give Mr. Chansey1 a good beating for fear that Dustin would do him in out
of wrath. "I'm sorry, Sir Zims, I was wrong! Please stop, I'm begging
you, please stop!" Mr. Chansey cried out between wails. Mason only
stopped after he sneaked a glance at Dustin and saw that his countenance
was much calmer than before. He counted himself lucky that there was a
scapegoat. He would have been in a bad spot otherwise. "A fat lot of use
apologizing to me! If Ms. Nicholson does not forgive you, you will not
see tomorrow!" Mason scolded harshly. "I'm terribly sorry, Ms. Nicholson!
I was wrong, it was all my fault. This will never happen again. Please
forgive me!" Mr. Chansey was on his knees as he begged for forgiveness.
Long gone was his unbridled arrogance. "That's enough. Don't ever let me
see you again!" Dahlia uttered frostily. "Yes, I'll get lost right this
instant!" He nodded incessantly and dashed for the exit. He did not even
stop to retrieve his shoe that fell off on his way out. "My apologies,
Ms. Nicholson. The blame is on me. He offended you because I have not
disciplined him well. I will reflect on my mistakes." Mason smiled
apologetically. He was a smart cookie. Knowing that Dustin always
maintained a low profile, he did not blow his cover. "How fair and just
you are, Sir Zims. I'm impressed." Dahlia gave a slight smile. "Oh no,
I'm only doing what's right," Mason replied with a guilty conscience.
"Hmph, at least you know where you stand!" Matt announced haughtily. "Had
Dahlia been harmed in the slightest today, I would not have let you off
the hook!" "No, I wouldn't dare," Mason continued with the same
apologetic smile. He had no idea who Matt was, but seeing that he was
with Mr. Rhys, Mason was sure he wasn't someone to be trifled with. "Take
your men with you and scram. Such eyesores!" Matt said condescendingly.
Mason dared not retort. He peeked at Dustin for a brief moment before
taking his leave. In no time, all his lackeys dispersed.
"Once again, Matt saves the day!" Florence's eyes lit up as she smiled
excitedly. "Dahlia, did you see that? Wasn't Sir Zims cocky earlier on?
But once he saw Matt, he got so scared that he was just short of peeing
his pants! And that's how powerful the Laneys are!" As soon as she said
that, the realization dawned on the crowd. "No wonder Sir Zims was
terrified. We have a big shot here!" "I wonder who that attractive man
is. It's amazing how he scared SirZims off like that!" "He's handsome and
he's powerful. How does one even resist a man like that?" A few ladies in
the crowd fawned over how charming Matt was. "The Laneys are, after all,
a powerful family of the nobility. I think we have a say on what goes on
around here. Dealing with a mere thug is no big deal." Matt smiled,
feigning modesty. "It's no big deal to you, but it would definitely not
be an easy feat for some people." Florence then looked at Dustin out of
the corner of her eye and said cynically. "Hey Rhys, Matt here just saved
your life. Are you not going to thank him?" "Why should I thank him?"
Dustin could not seem to fathom it. "Why? Well, had Matt not dealt with
Sir Zims, do you think you could get out of this unscathed?" Florence
asked as she crossed her arms. "First things first, I did not need his
help. Secondly, he had nothing to do with me getting away," Dustin said.
"Hmph! How stubborn!" Florence then continued, full of disdain, "Matt
just saved you, and not only are you unappreciative, but you're also
boasting so shamelessly. Have you no conscience?" "Precisely! What's
wrong with him? That is so rude of him!" "He's not even thanking the
person who saved him! Should have left him to fend for himself!" A few
girls crowded around were outraged by the injustice toward Matt. From the
way they saw it, Dustin was plain ungrateful. "Forget it, it's just a
small matter. Let's not make a fuss." Matt said with a wave of his hand,
trying to look magnanimous. "Oh, Matt, you're just too kind! Ungrateful
bastards like this one here deserve to suffer!" Florence was indignant.
"I simply saved him for Dahlia's sake," Matt smiled slightly and turned
to look at Dustin. "Speaking of which, I should be the one thanking you.
Thank you for taking care of Dahlia in my stead for the past three
years." Matt appeared to be thanking Dustin, but his words seemed to
carry a different meaning. From what he said, he had staked his claim on
Dahlia, making her his. "Well, if you're thanking me, why don't you kneel
before me? That's not too much to ask for, is it?" Dustin challenged. Matt was at a loss for words. His eyes narrowed ever so
slightly. "I was just playing nice. Does he really think I'm easy?" he
thought to himself. "Hey Rhys, I'm warning you, you better watch your
mouth!" Florence was furious. Dahlia remained silent, but her brows
furrowed too. She thought that Dustin had crossed the line too. After
all, Matt had helped him out of a dire situation. Even if he wasn't
grateful, he should at least be polite. "Dustin, you were able to win her
hand back then because I went abroad. But now that I'm back, you will not
have the chance anymore." Matt lowered his voice as he approached Dustin.
"Is that so? I beg to differ." Dustin shrugged. "You should know where
you stand. You and I, we're in totally different leagues." Matt
straightened out his suit and looked down his nose at Dustin with scorn.
"Can you even begin to comprehend how vastly different we are in social
standing? Everything that you dare not even dream of having is within my
grasp. And that is the difference between us!" He spoke in such low tones
that his words were only audible to the both of them. "I do not know
where you got your inflated ego from, but if there's one thing you should
know, it's that you do not mess with me." There was no trace of emotion
on Dustin's face. Matt sniggered meanly. "Very well, we shall see then."
He reached out to pat Dustin on the shoulder when he paused midway,
reconsidering his decision and retracting his hand slowly as though the
act would soil his hand. The simple gesture itself was packed with a ton
of humiliation. "Alright, alright. Let's not waste time conversing with
the likes of him. How about I treat you to a good meal at Hillview Hotel
to celebrate your return?" Florence suggested with a smile. "I would be
honored." Matt turned around and his innocent facade was back in place
again, a smile plastered on his face. "Come on, let's go then." Without
another word, Florence led Dahlia away. Dahlia turned to speak to Dustin
but failed to find the right words to say.