Chapter 276

Chapter 276:

At last, a security guard approached, baton in hand. “What are you doing here? Leave p>

“I used to live here!” Dustin barked.

The guard’s expression hardened. “Exactly. You used to. Are you leaving on your own, or do I need to call someone to escort you out p>

Dustin’s face darkened, his pride in tatters.

𝗥е𝗰𝗼𝗆𝗺𝖾ոd ѕ.𝖼o𝗺 𝘁𝗈 𝗒𝗼𝘶𝘳 fr𝗂e𝗇𝖽ѕ

Marie’s newly purchased house lay on the edge of the suburbs. It was a decent enough home, certainly better than the cramped place Dustin had lived in before, but compared to the opulent villas of Rosemont Gardens, it was pitiful. The more Dustin dwelled on the downgrade, the hotter his anger burned. Every twist of misfortune, every humiliation—it was all Gabriela’s fault.

Out on the balcony, Marie paced with her phone pressed to her ear. Over the years, she had built connections with plenty of wealthy acquaintances, and now she was desperately trying to borrow money to cover the company funds she had embezzled. But her reputation had sunk so low that the moment her acquaintances realized she wanted a loan, they hung up without a word.

Her fury boiled over. With a sharp growl of frustration, she nearly hurled the phone across the balcony.

That was when Dustin returned home, walking straight into the storm of her bad mood. She whirled on him, her face twisted with disdain. “You’ve been leeching off me for so long. And when the time comes to actually do something, you’re utterly useless p>

Dustin’s eyes darkened as he stared at Marie’s heavily painted face, her lips curled in mockery. Something in his gaze made her falter; a prickle of unease ran down her spine. Still, she couldn’t resist a parting jab, muttering under her breath, “Phyllis must’ve been blind to fight so hard to marry someone like you p>

Before Dustin could respond, Marie’s phone rang again. She snatched it up instantly, her tone switching to eager sweetness. “Hello? What? You’re willing to lend me money? And you want to meet in person? No problem, I’ll be right there p>

Snapping the call to an end, she rushed to her room, grabbing her coat and bag in one smooth motion. Without sparing Dustin another glance, she swept out the door.

Dustin’s eyes lingered on Marie’s retreating figure, his thoughts curdling into malice. He stayed in the living room the entire night, his mind consumed by poisonous schemes.

By the time dawn broke, Marie finally returned. Her face was glowing, lips curved in satisfaction, as though fortune had smiled on her at last. But her triumph froze the moment she caught sight of Dustin sitting rigidly in the dim light.

“Dustin?” she asked, startled. “Why are you up so early p>

“I wasn’t up early.” His lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you all night.” He continued smoothly, his voice almost gentle, yet threaded with something unsettling. “I’ve thought of a way to stop Gabriela from ever coming back for the company p>

Marie waved her hand dismissively, her good mood making her careless. “There’s no need. I’ve already taken care of things p>

But Dustin wasn’t going to let his plan go unheard.

“Maybe you’ve managed to patch things up this time. But what about next time? Can you guarantee Gabriela won’t return? Can you guarantee she won’t crush us in the future?” he pressed.

Marie’s smile wavered, hesitation creeping into her eyes.

Dustin leaned forward, his voice low and deliberate. “I have a way to make sure Gabriela never dares to stir up trouble again p>

Marie’s brows knit together in suspicion. “What are you talking about p>

With a deliberate flourish, Dustin pulled a small bottle from his jacket. It was some kind of poison.

Marie’s blood ran cold. Her face drained of color. “Where did you even get that? What are you planning, Dustin p>

His smile spread slowly, unnervingly, never touching his eyes. “Don’t you want the Haynes Group to be yours forever? Don’t you want to ruin Gabriela’s reputation completely p>

Marie swallowed hard, caught between fear and temptation.

“What are you implying?” she pressed, though part of her already knew.

Dustin leaned closer, his voice curling like poison in her ear. “Gabriela won back the house and sympathy with her little sob story. If she can play that card, so can you p>

Marie’s face stiffened. Dread and curiosity warred in her expression. “What trick are you talking about p>

Dustin sneered, drawing out each word like a knife. “A suicide livestream p>