Chapter 769 Never In Line Anyway
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As Victor and Maric pressed harder and harder, Manny held back from losing his temper at Dan, only because he realized Dan was already taking the heaviest blows.
Still, his tone was sharp. “Didn’t you used to have a thing with that Marie? Why is sheing at you so viciously?”
He was ready to explode. <i>Tessa </i><i>really </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>in </i><i>our </i><i>hands</i><i>, </i><i>she </i><i>wasn’t</i><i>! </i>
Why couldn’t these people understand that? Yet somehow, the me for her disappearance had all been dumped onto Ashen Pact. <i>How </i><i>does </i><i>that </i><i>make </i><i>any </i><i>sense</i><i>? </i>
If Manny hadn’t brought up that old entanglement, Dan might have stayed calm; but the moment it was mentioned, his face darkened instantly.
He shot Manny a chilling re.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Manny bristled. “I’m asking you straight—do you even know how to handle a woman?<b>” </b>
“I heard that when you went to Falvaria, she married Derrick. Is that true?”
Dan’s expression went nk. <i>How </i><i>had </i><i>I </i><i>never </i><i>noticed </i><i>before </i><i>that </i><i>this </i><i>bastard </i><i>Manny </i><i>had </i><i>such </i>a <i>talent </i>for stabbing people <i>right </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>heart</i>? <i>Every </i><i>syble </i><i>he </i><i>flung </i><i>at </i><i>me </i><i>sliced </i><i>straight </i><i>into </i><i>my </i><i>chest</i>, <i>each one </i><i>a </i>de that <i>stole </i><i>my </i><i>breath</i>.
His fury burned so hot it hurt.
“Worry about yourself.”
“I’m saying all of this could be because of you and that woman. We’re the ones paying for it, don’t you get that?”
Seeing Dan lose his temper, Manny snapped right back. <i>What </i><i>the </i><i>heck </i>kind <i>of </i>mess <i>is </i><i>this</i>?
At that, Dale seemed to wake from a dream.
He suddenly remembered Dan’s time in Falvaria with Marie.
Dale snorted coldly. “Stop saying that, I say this is all your doing.”
“Exactly!” Manny jumped in.
Once they realized this tidal wave crashing over Ashen Pact might have started with Dan’s personal affairs, both Dale and Manny nearly blew their tops.
17:18 Thu, <b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
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Chapter 769 Never in Line Anyway
What <i>the </i><i>heck </i><i>is </i><i>this </i><i>supposed </i><i>to </i><i>be</i>? Dan’s face was thunderous.
“Fine, say it’s because of me.”
He didn’t care.
“You-” Dale began.
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“If it’s because of you, then fix it!” Manny barked. “Do you even know how to coax a woman?”
The more he talked, the hotter he got.
Dale added his voice. “Whatever’s between you and her–settle it.”
“You ought to learn from Dad how to handle women,” Manny jabbed.
Dale froze.
The air went still.
Especially when Dale turned his gaze on Manny–so cold it was as though he could swallow him whole.
Dan gave a sharp, mirthlessugh. “You’re right; I really should learn from him. Only, his kind of talent…’
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He paused.
Then, meeting Dale’s dark stare, his smile curved with biting mockery. “His kind of talent- who knows if it’s really about coaxing women, or just coaxing his own delusions of grandeur?”
The air froze again.
Especially thatst line–<i>coaxing </i><i>his </i>own <i>delusions</i>–dripped with pointed meaning.
Who knew what Dan had been implying in the shadows of his words.
He walked out.
That left only Manny and Dale behind. Dale, furious, downed an entire ss of water, but it did nothing to <b>ease </b>the heaviness in his chest.
“Dad,” Manny fumed, “he’s getting more and more out of line with you!”
And <i>what </i><i>had </i><i>he </i><i>meant </i><i>by </i><i>those </i><i>words</i><i>? </i>Especially thatst part, it carried the sting of futility, like chasing smoke with bare hands.
Chapter 769 Never In Line Anyway
Dale lit a cigar. “When has he ever been in line with me?”
His voice was thick with irritation.
Manny fell silent.
He had to admit, Dale was right–Dan had never been in line.
Dan headed downstairs.
He ran straight into Lina, who called out, “Dan.”
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Though she held plenty of resentment toward him–resentment that he was always at odds with their mother–she still showed him respect on the surface.
Her mind was sharp.
Especially with Dan proving his capabilities year after year, she couldn’t tell who would ultimatelye out on top–Dan, or her own side.
Dan ignored herpletely, walking straight past.
Behind him, Lina’s lips twisted with annoyance. <i>What’s </i><i>there </i><i>to </i><i>be </i>so <i>arrogant </i><i>about</i>?
All of <i>Ashen </i><i>Pact’s </i><i>troubles </i><i>right </i><i>now </i><i>came </i><i>from </i><i>him</i>.
In the study, Lina burst in. “Dad, this has gone too far. Are we really going to just sit here and wait to die?”
Her voice was burning with rage,
Just thinking about the call she’d received that morning was enough to make her blood boil.
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