Chapter 1344

The question stunned Austin, reddening his face. This was deeply embarrassing, especially since Lily, whom he had been belittling, had so easily incapacitated him. The thought of anyone discovering this filled him with shame.

"N-No!" Austin straightened, denying it vehemently. "It's my friend!"

"Your friend?" Dominic ceased rocking his chair, gazing at Austin. "Your… friend?"

"Yes!" Austin insisted, clinging to this explanation. He would never admit he was the subject of Lily's… abilities.

Dominic, understanding the subterfuge, smiled.

"Then why does this involve Lily? Didn't you say you had something related to Lily to tell me? You're not suggesting your friend is Lily, are you?"

"That's impossible!" he denied instantly. 'What the hell? Why would she be my friend?' He quickly sought another cover. "It's like this. I want to ask about your relationship with Lily. I saw her here once, and I know you wouldn't just meet anyone."

"Does this concern you?"

Dominic's expression darkened, displeasure evident. 'It's happening again! Granduncle would get angry whenever I mentioned Lily. Are they friends or foes?' "No. I'm not prying. I simply want to know if you're close to Lily and if you know she can numb someone's nerves by striking their acupuncture points."

Even with Dominic's confirmation, it felt strange for Austin to articulate this. He wouldn't have believed it without experiencing it firsthand, no matter Dominic's assurances.

"What? Did she numb your…" Dominic paused, observing Austin's reaction. "Your friend's nerves?"

"No!" Austin denied subconsciously, then corrected himself. "Yes!"

Even after considering it, the situation felt surreal. He scratched his head, confused.

"No, but yes! How do I explain this? She used her hands to poke his body, then… my friend… couldn't move or speak. Later, she patted him again, and he regained movement. Initially, I suspected medication hidden in her fingers or ring, something we overlooked. But what medication could be controlled with such precision?"

"What did your friend say? How did he feel? Did he feel a needle prick, or numbness?"

Dominic's seriousness was unusual. Austin considered his own experience, even lifting a hand to touch the spots Lily had targeted.

"No pain, no wounds, no numbness. When he couldn't move, it felt like something blocked his circulation; he couldn't exert any strength, no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to scream but couldn't. When he could move again, it felt like the numbness in his thighs after squatting too long. After moving around, he felt perfectly normal."

Austin recounted everything, blurting out whatever came to mind.

Dominic smiled, teasingly. "You seem to know this friend of yours very well. It's like you experienced it yourself."

Austin was speechless. A rush of blood to his head signaled his exposure. Under Dominic's knowing gaze, the weight of his earlier deception crashed down upon him.