Chapter 697

 697:
The men quickly made their exit, their demeanor sheepish and defeated.
Dolores finally shook off the shock and hurriedly called out, her voice edged with urgency, “Wait! Why are you all walking away? We haven’t even finished talking about our collaboration yet!”
Dustin turned to her, his look one of utter astonishment.
“What deal? Those men were never here to conduct business. They were preying on you,” Dustin explained, frustration filling his voice. “Everyone in town knows that they are rich assholes. What made you think they’d be potential partners?”
Faced with Dustin’s baffled stare, Dolores found herself at a loss for words.
Dolores was well aware of the questionable nature of those men, yet she saw it as her final opportunity to rescue her failing business.
Dustin noticed her silence and suspected there was more to her story. He squinted slightly, leaned forward, and asked quietly, “Is your company facing difficulties?”
Dolores reacted with shock, her eyes widening. “How did you…”
Dustin let out a quiet chuckle and said in a low, amused tone, “Did you honestly believe I’m just some spoiled playboy? If I didn’t have a bit of sense, how would I be trusted to run a company on behalf of the CR Corporation’s founder?”
At his words, Dolores remembered a conversation with Linsey a few days prior. Her face hardened as she retorted, “Oh, so you’re still pretending to be on Collin’s side? Don’t—”
Bother—I already know the whole truth. You and Collin are nothing but liars, the both of you! He is absolutely untrustworthy! I can’t believe I ever put my faith in either of you!”
Dustin, caught off guard, paused before responding.
“Hold on,” he interjected. “I’ve neither lied to you. How do you label me as a liar?”
Dolores looked at him intently and said, articulating each word, “Collin has been deceiving Linsey for ages. You’re his friend; surely, you were in on it. Why wouldn’t I reprimand you? Can you honestly claim you weren’t involved in his lies?”
𝗀Ɐ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝒸𝗈𝗺, 𝓶𝗈𝗋𝑒 𝓬𝒉𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝗈𝗇
Dustin faltered, momentarily speechless.
Indeed, he had helped suppress facts for Collin and couldn’t outright deny it.
Dolores let out a harsh snort and said, “You and Collin are cut from the same cloth! I can’t believe how badly I misjudged you!”
Dustin took a moment to gather himself. “Alright, I admit it—I helped Collin keep those things from Linsey. But like you said, I was only the accomplice, not the one calling the shots, right?”
Dustin pointed a finger at Dolores and added, “And let’s not forget, I just pulled you out of trouble. Doesn’t that earn me a little credit to make up for my so-called mistake?”
At that moment, a bar waiter approached hesitantly, interjecting, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but could I have a word?”
Both Dolores and Dustin turned their frowns toward him.
“What seems to be the problem?” Dustin asked, his annoyance clear as he was mid-explanation.
At the same time, Dolores stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips, her entire posture radiating cold indifference.
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