The day after his visit to the Sorensen family villa, Dustin gave Irene the antidote. After monitoring her condition, he frowned. He needed to find the final ingredient quickly; otherwise, Irene would soon lapse into a persistent vegetative state.

"I want to go for a walk," Irene said with a wry smile. "I've been lying down for days. I feel like I'm rotting."

"Sure," Dustin replied, "I'll go with you."

Irene was delighted. She rose and dressed. Women often used "a walk" as a euphemism for shopping, and Irene was no exception. She steered Dustin directly to Lannopolis's largest mall, transforming the King of Hades, leader of Hell Hall, into a mere carrier of shopping bags.

The West family's fortunes had long since declined, so they weren't wealthy. Irene, however, had been raised well and wasn't extravagant. While she bought many items, none were expensive—a detail Dustin noted. Leaving the mall, they saw a lavishly decorated building across the street.

"Let's buy some clothes there," Dustin said with a smile, leading her toward the building without considering her preference.

"Yara Couture?" Irene paled, recognizing the name. "This is the world's top luxury brand. A set of makeup costs hundreds of thousands, and their clothes are at least six figures... I don't want to..." There was only one Yara Couture outlet in the West, frequented exclusively by the rich and powerful. Irene had only ever dreamed of entering.

"It's only a few million," Dustin dismissed, pulling her inside. The Verdigris Emerald he'd given Irene was priceless; a few million dollars were insignificant.

As they entered, another couple approached. The woman stopped, her gaze falling on Dustin and Irene.

"Oh, what a coincidence!" she exclaimed with a strained smile, halting her companion.

Dustin and Irene turned.

"Elisa?" Dustin's face hardened. Why was she here? Shouldn't she be with Timothy? His serious injuries seemed incompatible with a shopping trip. This encounter was disastrous.

Their pleasant mood shattered.

"Who are they, Miss Elisa?" the man beside her asked, his gaze lingering on Irene.

"Dustin Fox," Elisa replied icily.

The man's face darkened. "Dustin Fox? Where's my sister? She disappeared after her graduation dinner and hasn't been found. You're responsible! Hand her over!" he shouted.

Dustin frowned. "You're a Chandler?" The man resembled Phoebe; he must be her older brother.

"He's Jaxon Chandler, the eldest son," Elisa sneered. "Dustin, you didn't anticipate this. The Chandler family once served the Wyatt family. Now that the Wyatts are back, their allies are returning. We'll become more powerful than you can imagine... Even if Timothy can't defeat you, the Chandlers alone can ruin you!"

Dustin wasn't surprised by the Chandlers' past association with the Wyatts.