“President Nicholson is back?”
Natasha lifted her head, her smile still bright. “We just about finished too. This place really does taste great. Thanks to President Nicholson for recommending it.”
Her words clearly placed her and Dustin on one side, while Dahlia became the “outsider” who treated them to dinner.
Dahlia forced a light smile. “As long as you enjoyed it.”
She looked at Dustin. The last tiny wish to speak with him alone was completely extinguished under Natasha’s defensive gaze and Dustin’s calm, unreadable eyes.
“I still have a meeting this afternoon. I won’t stay.” Dahlia picked up her bag and stood up. “I’ve already paid the bill.”
“Aiya, how could we let President Nicholson spend money on us?” Natasha said polite words, but her face showed no embarrassment at all.
“It’s just a meal. No need to be polite.” Dahlia looked at Dustin, her eyes complex. In the end, her thoughts condensed into a simple sentence. “Dustin, take care.”
Dustin nodded lightly, still calm. “You as well.”
No extra words. No awaited apology. No reconciliation.
Dahlia gave them a long, deep final glance, as if engraving the scene into her memory, then turned and walked away, back straight, heels clicking against the floor.
Watching her leave, Natasha finally relaxed completely, letting out a long breath, as though she had won a battle.
“She finally left...” She leaned against Dustin’s shoulder, her tone playfully aggrieved. “Eating with your ex-wife is so stressful.”
Dustin put an arm around her shoulders and patted gently, without saying a word.
His gaze drifted toward the direction Dahlia had disappeared, but inside, all was calm.
The past was like smoke. What mattered now was the warmth in his arms.
Meanwhile, Dahlia, having left Haidilao, got into her luxury car and closed her eyes in exhaustion.
She knew some fated paths, once missed, were forever gone.
Some people, once let go, could never be retrieved.
Today’s encounter was not destiny, but a judgment of her past.
Only, the bitterness and ache in her heart would take a long time to slowly fade.
Night deepened. The city’s neon lit the sky like flowing stars.
After their date, Dustin and Natasha were driving home in her red sports car. Soft music played in the background. Natasha was in a great mood, still savoring her “victory” over Dahlia, while Dustin leaned back with his eyes closed, feeling the fatigue of a mortal body.
But the peace did not last long.
Just as the car entered a quiet riverside road leading to the villa district—
Screech!
Bang!
A harsh brake sound and a violent crash happened almost simultaneously.
Seven or eight black vans suddenly surged out from the front, back, and sides, like ghosts, surrounding their car completely. One of them even rammed directly into the front of the sports car, scraping the bumper.
Natasha was caught off guard and jerked forward, saved only by her seatbelt.
Furious and startled, she looked outside.
Bang!
A loud noise shook the window. Shuo Spanner—face wrapped in bandages, one arm in a cast—lifted a metal baseball bat with his remaining hand and smashed it hard into the hood of the sports car, leaving a deep dent.
His expression was twisted with vicious glee as he roared at them, “You cheating dogs! Get the hell out!”
At the same time, the other vans swung their doors open. Dozens of burly thugs carrying steel pipes, machetes, and clubs poured out, instantly surrounding the sports car, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
Behind them, a Rolls-Royce door opened. A young man in a suit stepped out slowly, leaning lazily against the car, lighting a cigar.
It was Shuo Spanner’s older brother, Hui Spanner.
He watched the trapped sports car coldly, the corner of his mouth lifting into a cruel arc, as if enjoying an upcoming show.
To offend the Spanner family and still dare to hit them so hard—clearly, they didn’t know how to spell death.
Inside the car, Natasha’s expression changed dramatically, and she instinctively turned toward Dustin.
Dustin frowned slightly, sharp eyes sweeping the scene outside.
Dozens of armed thugs—given his current mortal body, he might handle ten with skill and tactics.
But this many? A direct fight was impossible.
“Call the police,” Dustin ordered firmly. “And message your grandfather—tell him to send people immediately.”
Natasha reacted instantly. She didn’t hesitate, dialing the police while giving a concise report of their location and being surrounded. At the same time, she sent her grandfather an encrypted distress message.
Outside, Shuo Spanner saw the car still quiet and grew even more arrogant.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He smashed the hood repeatedly and screamed, “Dustin! Weren’t you so tough earlier?! Aren’t you good at fighting?! Come out and act tough again! If I don’t beat your guts out today, I’ll take your surname!” - Marinien
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