“Still acting tough? Refusing to admit defeat until you hit rock bottom, huh?” Phoebe sneered. “Don’t forget our little bet—if your so-called ‘perfect date’ doesn’t show up or fails to impress, you’ll have to get on the floor and squeal like a pig!” Irene’s face turned ashen. She regretted her impulsiveness and bitterly cursed herself for agreeing to such an absurd and humiliating wager. If Dustin did not come, she would be forced to crawl on the ground and oink in front of everyone... That would be utterly disgraceful. Her reputation would be ruined forever. “He will come!” Irene said firmly. “Alright then. Let’s wait until 7:30 p.m. Get ready to become a sow,” said Phoebe in disdain and smirked. Time ticked away at an agonizing pace. Irene’s heart was racing, and anxiety gnawed at her insides. Still, she maintained a facade of composure and refused to let her unease show. Phoebe and her friends, on the other hand, continued their relentless stream of taunts a
“Drape a stone in silk and jewels, and it still won’t become a gem,” Dustin said indifferently. As soon as he said that, Phoebe’s face darkened. Everyone could tell the remark was a jab at her. “Who do you think you are? How dare you show up here? This isn’t a place for the likes of you. Someone, get him out of here!” she ordered coldly. Her lackeys leaped into action and stormed toward Dustin in menace. Dustin remained unfazed but waved his hand abruptly. “Ah—!” Thud! Thud! Thud! The lackeys were thrown back like rag dolls and rolled across the ground in a heap. Their faces were bruised and battered. The spectacle stunned the students at the ball. “Looks like Irene’s date is quite something,” someone murmured. “A bunch of fools!” Phoebe spat angrily. Dustin turned to Irene. “Sorry for the delay. I had something urgent to take care of.” “It’s okay. You’re here now. That’s all that matters,” Irene said and shook her head. She turned to look at Pho
The contrast between the two pairs on the dance floor could not be more striking. On Phoebe’s side, their dance was lively and graceful, and each movement showed elegance and versatility, which earned enthusiastic applause from the surrounding students. In stark comparison, Dustin and Irene’s performance was stiff and riddled with mistakes. Irene nearly twisted her ankle several times. “Is there even a comparison? This is just pathetic!” said Phoebe with a scoff. Her confidence soared as she saw victory within reach. Irene’s frustration grew with every misstep, and her anxiety was evident in her increasingly unsteady movements. “Let me lead,” Dustin suddenly said in a calm yet firm voice. Before Irene could respond, he had taken the lead. He tightened his grip ever so slightly and took control of their movements. In that instant, everything changed. Their dance transformed, like a machine that had just been oiled. It was seamless, breathtaking, and utterly mesmeri
The dance battle ended without any debate. The difference between the two sides was clearly visible to all. As Dustin and Irene finished their stunning performance, many in the crowd turned their attention toward Phoebe. Irene had won, so it was her turn to fulfill the bet. She had to get on the floor and oink like a big. “Phoebe is the daughter of the most prestigious family in Lannopolis. For her to kneel on the ground and squeal like a pig? It’ll be the headline in the local paper tomorrow, and the Chandler family’s reputation will be in ruins!” someone muttered. “The heiress of the Chandler family forced to squeal like a pig after losing in a dance-off? By noon, Lannopolis Elite College will be abuzz with gossip. How will Phoebe ever show her face here again?” Amid the murmurs, Phoebe’s face soured, as if she had just swallowed a fly. How could she possibly stoop so low? “You’ve won. What happens next is up to you,” Dustin said to Irene. Irene looked at Phoe
She only began resenting Irene after that incident and targeted her relentlessly ever since.Little did she expect that, at the graduation ball, Aaron would propose to Irene in front of everyone with the Verdigris Emerald ring. This was madness!Irene’s face reflected discomfort as she was surrounded by chanting students. “Aaron, I’m sorry, but I can’t say yes,” she said helplessly. “Why not? Irene, I’ve liked you for four years! Isn’t that enough to prove my sincerity? I’m willing to sacrifice so much for you. Why won’t you say yes?” Aaron lifted his head, and his voice grew agitated. So many people were watching them. He had spent a fortune on the Verdigris Emerald from the Central Harbor Auction House. Irene’s rejection felt like a public humiliation to him. “Aaron, stop fixating on this. I simply don’t like you!” Irene had no choice but to be honest. Irene’s words struck Aaron like lightning. “Why? What’s wrong with me? Did you fall for someone else?” he asked an
“You are the one who should be leaving.” Dustin’s gaze locked onto Aaron as he spoke calmly. The ballroom buzzed with murmurs of disbelief. The Burke family was one of the elite families of Lannopolis. Even in the elite circles of Lannopolis Elite College, where wealth and influence were abundant, few would dare cross someone like Aaron. But Irene’s date was a completely unknown person who did not seem to belong to any notable family. How could he be so bold? Phoebe sneered mockingly. She knew Aaron’s temper all too well. There was no way he would let such an insult slide. Irene’s “perfect date” was bound to suffer. Aaron’s face darkened. He slowly got up while still holding the engagement ring in one hand. “You’re the first person to speak to me like that…” he said in an icy voice full of menace. A twisted smile spread across his face. “And you’ll be the last!” “Aaron, what are you trying to do? Think before you act!” Irene quickly stepped in front of Dustin
Irene felt a little uneasy. She thought that Dustin had gone a bit too far with his words. How could anything compare to the 30 million dollars Verdigris Emerald ring? “It’s just Verdigris Emerald. Why do you act like you’ve never seen anything like this before?” Dustin asked with a soft smile. “Coincidentally, one of my men recently unearthed a piece of these from the North Pole and sent it to me. I find the color too overwhelming, so I’ll just give it to her.” He nonchalantly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He handed it over to Irene. “Nothing too special. You can do whatever you want with it.” Irene hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the pouch. She did not open it right away as she was worried that whatever was inside might not be worth much. “Why are you hesitating, Irene? Afraid to embarrass yourself?” Phoebe sneered. “Go on, open it. Don’t just stare at it,” Dustin said flatly. With a deep breath, Irene finally ope
Aaron skulked off to a corner in defeat and dejection. If he kept pushing, he would only humiliate himself further. With nothing else to do, he slumped into a chair and sullenly sipped a drink. Before long, Phoebe sidled up to him. “What do you want? Here to rub it in? Beat it!” Aaron snapped coldly. Phoebe’s face darkened. She was clearly unimpressed by his sulking. “Oh, don’t take it out on me just because you’re a loser!” she said with a sneer. “Honestly, you’ve spent four years chasing after Irene like a lovesick fool, and has she even once spared you a glance? You’ve embarrassed yourself and everyone in our circle!” She crossed her arms. Her voice dripped with disdain. “Have you forgotten who you are? You’re the heir to the Burke family! What happened to your pride? Did you leave it at the bottom of your whiskey glass?” Phoebe’s rant only deepened Aaron’s scowl. “If I were you, Irene would’ve been mine ages ago,” she said with a mocking smile. “It’s just a
The Yeager family members looked at each other at a loss.What the hell was the CEO doing? Everything was so elusive and confusing. They were unhappy, but they dared not show it. While they remained silent, Dustin slowly sipped his red wine, picked up a napkin, and wiped his mouth. “No signing,” he said indifferently. The Yeager family members looked over at him.“What did you say?!” Zack yelled at him with a dark face. Why was he speaking?Did he even have the right to speak? It was an extremely important collaboration. Even if Terry was protecting him, Zack could not care less. Dustin must be out of his mind since he dared to interrupt such an important discussion. “Shut up! This isn’t your place to speak!” Percy shouted. The Yeager family members were furious. They were afraid that Dustin’s reckless words would ruin the deal. “You think just because you say, ‘no signing,’ it’ll be done? Do you think you’re the CEO of Duscia Corporation?!” Damien yelled at him. He
“What’s going on with our great-grandfather? Dustin is not even related to our family. How can he treat him better than us?”A few members of the Yeager family stood on the side awkwardly while watching Dustin and the others chatting happily. Damien whispered in dissatisfaction. They could not bear the sight of this, and they felt very resentful.“Stop talking!” Warren snapped.“Don’t worry, he won’t remain so arrogant for long. Dad favors him. So? In this society, ability speaks louder than anything else,” Zack said in a low voice. “A man who lives off an inheritance without a proper job… even if he has some luck and inheritance, he’ll squander it away in no time. Then, he’ll struggle to get by. Dad will see the truth in time.“Besides, who knows how long Dad can stay conscious? Do you really think that kid can make Dad young again? I don’t believe in such an absurd thing.“Dad is already very old. We should just go along with this for now. They’re lucky they get to hang around
Dustin did not say anything. Terry was smart indeed. Zack and the others were blinded by the lure of great benefits. A while later, some voices were heard. It meant that the guest had arrived. Percy led Adrian inside. “Dad, this is Mr. Adrian Pierce, the general manager of Duscia Corporation. We always communicated with him about the collaboration,” said Warren as an introduction.Terry nodded, and he looked closely at Adrian. “This young man is not someone ordinary.” His eyes gleamed sharply as he recognized Adrian’s extraordinary presence. Different people, depending on their status and identity, carried themselves with different temperaments. When Terry was young, he used to work in Summerdale and meet many upper-class people. Adrian’s temperament was on par with the young heirs of Summerdale. “I’m Adrian Pierce. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Yeager.” Adrian walked to Terry and bowed respectfully.This shocked the Yeager family. Adrian had such a high status, but he
A day passed in the blink of an eye. In the evening, Dustin and Patricia drove to the Yeager family villa. When they got out of the car and walked to the entrance of the Yeager family villa, they saw Percy waiting at the door. When Percy saw them, he turned livid, and his face darkened. “Uncle Percy,” said Patricia in greeting. “Hmph! So, you still recognize me as your uncle,” said Percy coldly and glared at Patricia. Patricia remained silent. Percy glanced at Dustin. His gaze shone with hatred. Patricia used to be very obedient and never dared to go against the Yeager family members. But lately, she had become so insolent even toward the patriarch of the family. Percy thought that Dustin must have led her astray. “Today, your great-grandfather invited you over for a meal. You’d better behave at the dining table and make him happy,” Percy said. “We will,” Patricia said. “Well, why are you so stubborn then? The Yeager family has agreed to let you return, yet you in
“The Tonra family sent me here to prepare to take over Hattan. We will start from the market in Hattan before we develop the market in the south. The future profits are immensely worthwhile. I’m determined to build a huge business kingdom. “Honestly, these families in Hattan are just so-so. I don’t take them seriously at all. But Duscia Corporation is fine. You just invested a hefty 2 billion right off the bat. That’s quite impressive.” Crispin smiled. “I came from the Southwestern region. I didn’t bring many workers, so we’re lacking some manpower. You’re an expert. Why don’t you work for me? I’ll make it worth your while. How about it?” He confidently offered a job to Dustin and waited for his response. Dustin stared at him calmly. “Regardless of your background, you look quite ambitious to me, but you don’t have sufficient capabilities. Hattan has limited you. If you work for me, your future will be promising!” Adrian found that amusing. Such rich spoiled brats were
Dustin observed what was going on at the front desk on the security feed on his screen. Adrian arrived at the front desk. “Mr. Pierce, you’re here.” The receptionist nodded at Adrian, and Adrian nodded back. Crispin and the driver, Nicholas Olson, assessed Adrian. “What a self-important person the general manager of Duscia Corporation is! How dare you make Mr. Tonra wait downstairs?” Nicholas asked in displeasure. Adrian did not spare the driver a single glance. He could not be bothered to speak with an insignificant staff member. If Dustin had not given him the orders, he would have chased these two out already. “You’re the general manager of Duscia Corporation, Adrian Pierce, yes?” Crispin looked at Adrian contemptuously. “I’ve never heard of the Pierce family having a person with your name. You’re quite capable of fooling the families of Hattan so easily with the same last name.” Thinking that he had dirt on Adrian, Crispin smiled very tauntingly. “What are yo
“I find it all quite interesting. This Duscia Corporation, this fake rich kid… Let’s go take a look.” “Yes, sir.” At around 2 p.m., the Lamborghini stopped at the entrance of Duscia Corporation. The young man walked into the building with his driver. “Hello, sir. How can I help you?” the receptionist asked. “This is the son of the Tonra family of Articora. Have the person in charge of your company come and welcome him,” the driver announced loudly. “Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked with a smile. “What?” The young man, Crispin Tonra, immediately frowned. “What kind of receptionist are you? Haven’t you heard of the Tonra family of Articora? Mr. Tonra of the ultra-rich Tonra family doesn’t need an appointment to come to your company. Go and tell your boss about his arrival. Have the person in charge rush over here to welcome Mr. Tonra,” yelled the driver at the receptionist. “I’m sorry. The person in charge of our company is very busy. All guests mu
The great Dhillon family of Hattan was destroyed just like that. It was said that Kendall had become a useless cripple and would have to spend the rest of his days relegated to bed. He could not even move, and there was nothing that could be done to treat him. The other families in Hattan thought that it was the ultra-rich Cabello family of Summerdale that had done this. They were impressed at how powerful the Cabello family was and pitied the Dhillon family. It was true that one could not afford to offend a family like that. After spending a day at the hotel, Dustin took Patricia back to their apartment in the suburbs. The place had been cleaned up and was immaculate. All the damage from the fight had been fixed, and everything looked good as new. Patricia was a strong woman. Thus, she recovered from her ordeal very quickly. She even went to work right after. Dustin went to Duscia Corporation, and Adrian reported to him. “It’s impossible for the Dhillon family to mak
A life like that would be worse than anything. To put it crudely, it would be a luxury for Kendall to be able to kill himself. This was the consequence of daring to hurt Patricia. Dustin went to stand before Patricia and reached out to touch the red veil surrounding her. With a plop, the light burst like a bubble, and Patricia landed on the floor. “Dustin,” Patricia called. She threw herself into Dustin’s embrace. She cried softly as she held onto Dustin tightly. “You’re alright,” Dustin said comfortingly as he patted her on the back. Patricia did not speak. She clung to Dustin without letting go. She had just realized that she could not live without Dustin in her life. Before that moment, she had been so worried about Dustin and wanted him to leave without coming in. It would not have mattered if she had died because of it. She finally understood. She had long accepted Dustin into her heart. After a long time in Dustin’s embrace, Patricia finally cal