?Chapter 997:


    He hadn’t seen her in ages, and he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by.


    Dolores pulled out her phone and replied coolly, “I’m heading home. Zenia and Zander are waiting for me, and someone has to look after them.”


    She knew Linsey and Collin wouldn’t be able to leave Gorman’s side, so she was willing to handle the kids and let Linsey focus on what mattered.


    Catching on quickly, Dustin grinned and said, “Then I’ll tag along. It’s been ages since I’ve yed with the kids anyway.”


    Dolores found herself speechless, her gaze inevitably drifting toward Joanne.


    Had Dustin truly dismissed Joanne, who had arrived on his behalf?


    Recognition flickered across Dustin’s features as he became aware of Joanne’s presence, his expression twisting with unease.


    The next second, he withdrew his wallet and took out some cash, pressing it into Joanne’s palm. “Joanne, this conversation stays between us, doesn’t it?”


    Joanne barely had time to process the gesture before Dustin continued, “Name your price if this isn’t enough. I’ll transfer whatever amount you require.”


    The audacity of his actions left Dolores reeling. When rity returned, the urge to p him nearly overwhelmed her.


    His mother had explicitly banned their rtionship, yet here he stood, brazenly attempting to buy Joanne’s silence. What guarantee did they have that Joanne wouldn’t turn straight to Hester with this information?


    Joanne was silent as she considered his words. When she finally spoke, a knowing smile curved her lips as her eyes found Dolores. “Dustin, surely you realize money isn’t what I’m after?”


    Throughout their time together, neither Dolores nor Dustin had witnessed such calcting intensity in Joanne’s expression. Her words stripped away every pretense, revealing her true nature.


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    Dustin’s pulse quickened. “What exactly are you implying?”


    Dolores watched Joanne with sharp attention, every instinct on high alert.


    She had harbored suspicions about Joanne’s seemingly innocent facade, sensing deeper motives beneath the surface.


    So, what did Joanne want?


    She had just dismissed money as meaningless to her. Could her true desire be Dustin himself?


    Joanne studied their shifting expressions with amusement, herughter light and dismissive. When she spoke, her voice carried a deceptive softness. “What could possibly hold more value than money in this world?”


    The question sent a chill through Dolores, freezing her in ce. After letting the tension build, Joanne delivered her answer. “Social standing, naturally.”


    Her sharine tone made Dustin’s skin crawl, and he found himself retreating a step.


    Dolores, however, began piecing together the implications.


    Social standing?


    Marriage to Dustin paled inparison to bing the wife of CR Corporation’s founder, a position that would elevate Joanne far beyond her current reach.


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