Chapter 69

"What? He's the owner?!" James was stunned by the turn of events. He couldn't believe his ears.

"You must be joking! How could he be the owner of this restaurant?" Florence exclaimed in disbelief.

"Why would that be impossible? I've never seen such arrogant and snobbish patrons as the two of you. How dare you try to make a scene here?" The restaurant manager replied with disgust.

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

"This can't be! Dustin is as poor as a church mouse. Where did he get the money to buy a restaurant?" Astonishment was written all over James's face.

"That's none of your business. The only thing you need to know now is that the restaurant belongs to me. I have the authority to kick you out," Dustin answered calmly.

At this, their faces turned black with anger and humiliation. They had planned to upstage Dustin by flaunting their Gold VIP status. Who would have thought he owned Hillview Hotel? What a disgrace!

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

"No need. We should provide good service to our customers. Furthermore, they are still our valued customers. Send them a bottle of red wine on the house," Dustin replied.

"Very well, sir." The manager nodded.

"What a showoff. Frankly, he only knows how to leech off women!"

"That's right! He thinks he's such a big shot when, in fact, he's just a freeloader!"

Florence and James grumbled, cursing under their breath. They were unhappy with how things turned out.

"Thanks for the offer. However, I must decline," Matt interjected. With a winsome smile, he captivated the other women with his charm and attractive features.

Florence seized the opportunity to boast. "Dustin! For your information, Matt is an overseas graduate from an elite family, and he's extremely talented. He's far superior to you!"

"Precisely! With your measly net worth, you don't even deserve to be his slave!" James chimed in.

Their humiliation was instantly forgotten with Matt's support. What was the big deal? Dustin was only the owner of a restaurant, and not through his own efforts. Compared to Matt's noble background, he was nothing!

"Florence, you're too kind. I was just lucky," Matt modestly deflected her praise, though a cocky smile played on his lips.

"Look at that! See how courteous and gentlemanly he is. He's the complete opposite of you!" Florence declared, gushing over Matt.

By now, Dustin was finished. Turning to leave, he said calmly, "Please enjoy your time here. Excuse me, I have other obligations."

"Wait a minute!" Dahlia called out. "Is this restaurant really yours? Where did you get so much money from?"

"I don't have any money. The restaurant is a gift from a friend," Dustin answered.

"A friend? Don't tell me it's Natasha?" Dahlia frowned.

"You don't need to know. Spend that energy catching up with Matt over some wine. Isn't he your beloved senior?" Dustin huffed before striding away.

Dahlia clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was only treating Matt to a meal, and her brother and mother were present. Why was he being such a jerk? Where was his gentlemanliness?

Returning to the private booth, Dustin felt frustrated seeing Dahlia and Matt together. Matt had the looks and the background; they had almost been a couple before. It was easy to be suspicious of their relationship, especially since Dahlia was being evasive. He couldn't guess what she was thinking.

"Mr. Rhys, what's wrong? You seem down. Is something on your mind?" Natasha said, teasing him lightly.

"It's nothing. I ran into some acquaintances." Dustin forced a smile.

"Acquaintances? Dahlia?" Natasha's ears perked up.

"Yes, and another guy, Matt Laney," Dustin replied honestly.

"Matt Laney?" Natasha gave him a mischievous smile. "Mr. Rhys, stay away from him!"

"Do you know him?" Dustin was surprised.

"Not personally, but I've heard of him," Natasha said, taking a sip of wine and laughing. "Matt is notorious among wealthy women. He's a real playboy; handsome, charming, and generous with other people's money. Who wouldn't like him?"

"What, are you interested in him?" Dustin asked hesitantly.

"Of course not! He's not my type and is only good at leeching off women. Besides, with you around, who else would I be interested in?" Natasha winked playfully.

Seeing Dustin ignoring her, she continued with a charming smile. "To be fair, Matt is from an aristocratic family, but their influence has declined recently, making him a broke aristocrat. Raised with a silver spoon, he's found unscrupulous ways to maintain his lifestyle, living off the support of older, wealthy women. Many women have been blinded by his lies and lost their wealth. His modus operandi is to use the wealth of a previous victim to gain the trust of his current target, and the cycle continues. He's meticulous in his deception; many victims are still under his spell. If he's set his sights on your ex-wife, be very careful. She could lose not only her wealth but her life!"

Dustin frowned. "Who knew he was a swindler!"

Chapter 69

"Anyway, be wary of people like him," Natasha concluded.

"Thanks for the warning." Dustin nodded thoughtfully.

"Mr. Rhys, you seem concerned about Dahlia. Still have feelings for her?" Natasha's expression was slightly dejected.

"No. Even though she's my ex-wife, I don't want her to be hurt." Dustin shook his head.

"I hope so!" Natasha smirked. "Regardless, even if you still have feelings for Dahlia, I don't mind a fair fight. Once I've set my sights on you, no one comes between us!"

With that, she pompously stuck her nose in the air.