Chapter – 29 I’m the Boss
I’m the Boss
“What?” The abrupt accusation caught Dustin off guard. “Dominic is dead?”
“That’s right. It’s all because of you, you murderer!” Gianna shouted angrily.
“Don’t be ridiculous. How does his death have anything to do with me? Don’t try to pin this on me,” Dustin retorted.
“Quit lying! Dominic wouldn’t be dead if it weren’t for your scheming!” Gianna’s voice was laced with frustration.
“And did you think we wouldn’t figure out that you purposely left the lever at maximum so you could trick Dominic into stepping into the pressure machine? The moment the door closed, Dominic was obliterated!” Devon growled.
Dustin was speechless at their absurd allegations. He had simply forgotten to reset the lever to its original position.
Who would have thought someone would be foolish enough to operate the machine without checking the lever?
He’d never encountered such a foolish group. Blaming him for such an ignorant incident was utterly ludicrous.
“First of all, I had no plans, so I had no hand in Dominic’s death. He died solely due to his own actions.” Dustin’s palms were open in exasperation.
“Yeah, right! I know you did it on purpose!” Gianna was unconvinced by his words.
“I’ve already explained myself. You can choose whether to believe me.” Dustin was growing weary of conversing with these dimwits.
“You’ve got guts, kid. How dare you walk away as if nothing happened after taking a life?” Just then, a man dressed in black emerged from the crowd.
Though he appeared unassuming, the sword he held emitted an air of authority. This was Jared Yancy, the first disciple of the Steeljaws Fellowship.
“And where did you pop up from?” Dustin raised an eyebrow.
“How disrespectful! This is Jared. He’s one of the five martial artists competing today!” Devon interjected.
“So what?” Dustin shrugged.
“You may possess some skills, kid, but that won’t be nearly enough if you intend to challenge me. Dominic’s death can’t go unanswered; you’ll need to make amends!” Jared’s tone was icy.
“What kind of ‘amends’ are you suggesting?” Dustin feigned a smile.
“If you break both of your arms, I’ll spare your life,” Jared demanded.
“Are all the people from Boulderthorn this deranged? First, you baselessly accuse me of something I didn’t do. Now you’re asking me to break my own arms. Did you really think I’d agree?” Dustin regarded them with a mixture of disdain and amusement.
“I’m offering you a chance now. But if I have to, I won’t stop at merely breaking your arms,” Jared threatened.
He drew his sword slightly, revealing the gleaming blade as a warning.
“Mind your boundaries!” Abigail snapped, her anger evident. She stepped forward, placing herself between Dustin and Jared.
“Shut up! You’ve no right to speak!” Gianna slapped Abigail hard, leaving a visible mark.
Dustin’s expression darkened, his blood boiling. However, before he could react, a shadow darted through the air, heading for Gianna’s arm.
It was a venomous black snake!
“Aaargh!” Startled, Gianna flung the snake to the ground, crushing it.
The spot where the snake had bitten her turned black. The snake’s venom was evidently potent.
“Who did this? Who attacked us from behind?” The disciples of the Steeljaws Fellowship looked around angrily. It was inconceivable that someone would resort to such a underhanded tactic.
“I did.” Azalea stepped forward from behind Dustin, a cold smile playing on her lips. “She deserves a taste of her own medicine for slapping my sister.”
“Give us the antidote!” Jared commanded.
The venom had already spread through Gianna’s arm. In three minutes, it would course through her entire body.
“There’s no antidote. The only way to save her is to amputate her arm to halt the venom’s progress,” Azalea grinned.
An eye for an eye, a slap for an arm. It seemed like a fair exchange.
“You’re as good as dead!” Enraged, Jared drew his sword, poised to strike.
“Halt!”
Patrick stepped forward, brandishing the Hill family emblem. “Today is the Knighthood Society Tournament! Participants are forbidden from engaging in personal conflicts!”
Jared clenched his teeth but eventually lowered his blade. He had no choice; this was the Knighthood Society Tournament, and he held some fear of Patrick.
“Save me, Jared! I don’t want to die!”
