Chapter 144

“What do you mean it can’t be cured?” Edwin repeated. “Are you telling me that only that Rhys punk can cure my daughter’s sickness?” His brows furrowed as the color drained from his face.

The doctor confirmed, “You certainly need the right person for the job, so we’ll have to track him down no matter what it takes.”

“I can’t believe this bastard! How dare he use such underhanded tactics!” Edwin growled through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with anger.

“What should we do now, Sir Hummer?” Fletcher asked. They had failed to bribe Natasha, and Dracor was now in critical condition from being beaten up. It seemed that both civilized and uncivilized methods had failed. Dustin seemed to be a thorn in their side lately. But most importantly, Tina’s life was literally in that man’s hands. So, even if they had any countermeasures, they were afraid to make the first move.

After a long silence, Edwin finally decided. “Call that punk and get ready to negotiate with him!”

“Yes, Sir!” Fletcher obliged, hastily asking someone for Dustin’s number. After dialing, he swiftly handed the phone to Edwin.

“Hello, who is this?” Dustin’s voice came from the other end.

“Edwin Hummer speaking,” Edwin greeted coldly, holding back his anger. “Let me ask you one thing, kid. Did you harm my daughter in any way, or did you not?”

“So it’s Sir Hummer. Well, if you’re referring to the curse, then yes, it was me,” Dustin replied dryly.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, boy! How dare you lay your hands on my daughter?!” Edwin roared, gnashing his teeth.

“Why don’t you ask your daughter about her actions? How would she have ended up like this if she hadn’t pushed her weight around so much?” Dustin retorted indifferently.

“Hmph, you’re the last person I want to talk to! You’d better cure my daughter right this instant!” Edwin ordered.

“What makes you think I should do everything you ask right away? Don’t you think you’re being a little too cocky?” Dustin scoffed.

“So you want to bargain first? Fine! As long as you cure my little girl, I promise not to hold you accountable for anything else in the future!” Edwin barked.

“Heh, that’s it?” Dustin sneered.

“I’ll also lift the ban on the Nicholsons immediately so the whole family can get back on track.”

“I’m afraid you’re still mistaken about what I truly want. I don’t need these things,” Dustin replied.

“What do you want then?” Edwin growled.

“It’s simple. I just want your daughter to apologize to me,” Dustin said.

“What?! You want her to apologize to you?!” Edwin shrieked, his face turning cold.

“Is it unreasonable to ask for an apology from someone who assaulted you for no reason?” Dustin asked rhetorically.

“Who do you think you are, kid? How dare you request that a Hummer apologize to you? What makes you think you deserve the honor?” Edwin roared, burning with anger. He didn’t intend to pursue the matter, which was already beyond the law, but he felt this man was full of himself for thinking the Hummers owed him an apology.

“If you refuse to give me an apology, I’ll just save my breath. However, you can’t blame me for not reminding you that your daughter won’t be able to hold on for much longer,” Dustin said, then immediately hung up.

“Does this punk think he can push me around?!” Edwin bellowed, almost smashing the phone on the ground. Who did he think he was, exactly? He was one of the Mighty Three, the richest man in his city, and an important figure in the Underground World. Within his domain, he called the shots and got anything he wanted. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been humiliated like this. What would happen to the Hummers’ reputation if word got out that they apologized to the Nicholsons? Would they still have any dignity left?

“Sir Hummer, it would be wiser to be the bigger person. We should agree to his terms to save Ms. Hummer,” Mr. Lawson advised.

“If we agree to his terms, won’t any Tom, Dick, and Harry gain the right to disrespect the Hummer name?” Edwin snapped.

“This is just a way to slow him down, Sir Hummer. Once we save Miss Hummer, we can still think of ways to get back at that punk,” Mr. Lawson suggested.

Edwin fell silent. The suggestion was reasonable, but the prospect of lowering themselves to apologize was unbearable.

“Dad, it hurts! It’s so painful! Save me!” Tina Hummer moaned profusely from her bed.

Looking at his daughter’s pain-stricken face, Edwin took a deep breath and decided on a compromise. He dialed Dustin’s number again and spat into the phone, “I’ll adhere to your terms, kid, but you’d better not play tricks on me!”

“The apology has to be sincere. If you insist on acting like this, then we have nothing else to talk about,” Dustin said indifferently.

“How dare you—” Edwin stopped as his eye twitched.

“Fine, you win! I’ll send someone over today at noon to apologize in person!” He roared, forcefully holding back his anger.

“I’ll be waiting,” Dustin replied.

During noontime, in a VIP ward at East Swinton Hospital, Dahlia had woken up long ago, and the redness and puffiness on her cheeks had faded considerably. Her hands were still bandaged, so she was advised not to move around too much. When Dustin walked through the door with a fruit basket, he noticed the Nicholson family gathered, discussing something. Even old Mr. Nicholson, who had been living in seclusion, had shown up.

“The nerve of you to show your face here, Rhys! Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve caused us? Because of you, the Hummers banned us! Are you happy now that the Quine Group is on the brink of collapse?” Florence yelled the moment she saw him, jumping to her feet and spewing expletives.

The others remained silent but donned indignant looks. Even Dahlia frowned at him. She had received news of the ban upon waking, the reason being that Dustin had allegedly beaten Ms. Hummer. Although she knew he’d done it for her, his “help” had sent the entire Nicholson family into a fiery inferno!

“Alright, alright, stop bickering. We all know Dustin did that to stand up for Dahlia. While impulsive, I’d like to think he did it with pure intentions,” Old Mr. Nicholson tried to calm everyone down.

“Are you honestly still speaking for him at this stage, Dad? Do you only intend to stop when the family is in shambles?” Florence said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of the problem with the Hummers,” Dustin said calmly.

“What do you mean you’ve taken care of it? What’s your solution? If you were that capable, would the Nicholsons still be banned? You’d better scram! I don’t want to see your face anymore! Shoo!” Florence screamed. In her rage, she grabbed the fruit basket and smashed it on the ground.