Chapter 955

 955:
The moment the door closed behind them, Dustin spoke up. “Mom, you misunderstood. Dolores—”
But Hester cut him off sharply. “Enough, Dustin.”
Dustin stared at Hester, confusion written all over his face. “Mom, why did you cut me off? You—”
Hester spun around, her eyes sharp and cold. There was no warmth in her gaze—only frustration and deep disappointment. “Dustin! You’ve always been playful, chasing after one woman after another. Did I ever interfere?”
She took a steady breath and continued. “Let’s not even talk about whether Dolores is right for you. Just look at yourself. You’re almost thirty, still tagging along behind Collin every day. He has kids. And you? Still fooling around. Tell me, how am I supposed to trust your judgment?”
Dustin still didn’t fully understand. He thought she was just eager to see him settle down and start a family. “I’m willing to marry. But Dolores has to agree first. You scared her off with the way you acted today,” he said quickly.
Hester’s face darkened. Just hearing Dolores’ name again sparked a fire within her. “A woman who can’t even keep her company afloat without relying on men—how could she be good enough to marry into our family?”
Her voice grew colder. “I want you to marry someone from a powerful family. A smart, capable woman who can strengthen the Wade Group—not someone like Dolores.”
Dustin’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Mom, what are you saying? Dolores is brilliant. She built the Davidson Group from scratch! Who told you she depends on men?”
Hester scoffed and walked over to sit on the sofa. Her tone was icy. “Four years ago, the Davidson Group nearly went bankrupt. You bailed her out using CR Corporation’s money. If that’s not relying on a man, then what is?”
She paused, then added flatly, “In my eyes, without your money, her company would’ve gone under long ago.”
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Dustin felt his chest tighten. His jaw clenched. He said through gritted teeth, “Mom! Dolores is nothing like what you’re saying. Yes, I helped her back then—but after that, she did everything on her own. She built that company up with her own hands. Just recently, she landed the best promotion deal in all of Grester. Neither I nor CR Corporation had anything to do with it!”
But his words didn’t soften Hester’s scorn. Instead, she let out a mocking laugh. “You mean the design competition in Grester, right?” She gave him a sideways glance, her voice cutting. “Don’t think I’m clueless. Dolores has a talented friend—Linsey Brooks, who goes by the name Aurora Bright in the design world. It was her—”
“Design that won first place. I was at the competition myself. Linsey’s skills are impressive. I also heard she’s Collin’s girl.”
Hester looked Dustin over, her sarcasm sharp and deliberate. “I just don’t get it. You’ve worked with Collin for so many years, yet you haven’t learned a thing from him. He built CR Corporation from scratch. You? You’re just wearing the CEO title and working under him.”
Hester ignored the storm brewing in Dustin’s eyes and pressed on, her voice as cold as ice. “It’s bad enough that you can’t measure up to Collin, but even the woman you’ve set your sights on pales in comparison to his girl. Isn’t that pathetic?”
She scoffed. “I’m not saying you have to find someone as accomplished as Linsey, but at the very least, choose someone with some real capability. Tell me, aside from running a small, unimpressive company, what exactly does Dolores have that makes her worth your time?”
“Mom!” Dustin suddenly shouted, his voice raw.
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