Shining Through the Chaos with My Bulldog
The moment Dominic spotted Roderick, he dashed straight at him. "Dad!" Roderick knew his son must have been terrified, so he gently ruffled his hair and soothed him softly. "Skully, you must've been worried sick. Don't be scared—I'm back now." Dominic pressed his lips together, eyes glistening with unshed tears. He forced himself to act brave and shook his head. "I'm not scared." Watching them fuss over Dominic, Natalie couldn't help but think of Olivia's miserable in-laws—Dorothy, the cruel mother-in-law, and Brandon, the useless brother-in-law. Unlike that family mess, Dominic's family was leagues better. Feeling closer to the family, Natalie decided to ask, "I noticed you calling Dominic Skully. Is that a middle name or something?" Nadia glanced at her son. "Yeah, it's short for his middle name, which is a little silly, so I'd rather not say." Olivia, sitting nearby, leaned forward. "Now you've made me curious. What is it?" Nadia replied after some hesitation, "Skullcrusher." Harold's eyes went wide. "What?!" Nadia repeated, "His full name is Dominic Skullcrusher Norman." Then she scratched her head, embarrassed. "A bit over the top, huh? His dad thought it sounded cool ... " Natalie thought silently, No wonder she said it sounded silly. I don't know what some guys are thinking when they come up with baby names. I hope Cassian won't come up with silly names for ours. The group settled on the couches in the hall. Roderick, looking deeply ashamed, turned to Natalie and Cassian to apologize."Mr. Holland, Ms. Ashford, I'm sorry. Such a simple task, and I messed it up. Not only did I ruin your proposal, but I also lost the three little ones ... " At the mention of the proposal, Natalie glanced at the ring on her finger, then squeezed Cassian's hand beside her. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." The earlier surprise had already filled her with happiness. Even though the three little ones hadn't seen it, that wasn't Roderick's fault. "Lucky and the others will get back safe," she added, partly to comfort him and partly to reassure herself. Seeing the heavy mood, Harold quickly tried to change the topic. "Idol, how exactly did your power activate?" Roderick, who hadn't been there before, froze. "What power?" Nadia explained the whole story about Natalie being able to teleport. Roderick was stunned. "Blink? How is that even possible?!" Everyone stared at Natalie, waiting for an explanation. She opened her mouth and came up with a random excuse. "Maybe it was triggered by needle therapy." Olivia's eyes went wide. "Needle therapy?? You mean the one I gave you?" Natalie nodded seriously, as if confirming it. What she didn't know was that this little lie almost made Harold want to have Olivia stick him full of needles like a pincushion. Meanwhile, Lucky had reached the grand hotel where the Grayhound Sect was staying. She was sneaking her big, round head forward to peek inside. Baron and Cash crouched behind her, keeping watch on their surroundings. "Ow, ow, ow!"This is definitely the place! The one who set off the firecrackers went in here! Cash clucked, "Coo, coo, coo!" Boss, that wasn't just firecrackers—it was dynamite. Baron immediately punched him. Shut it! Whatever the Boss calls it, that's what it is! Cash dodged nimbly and rolled his eyes. Silently, he sighed. Neither of these two knuckleheads has a normal IQ. Lucky, annoyed, swatted both of them with her paw. "Ow, ow, ow! Keep it down! Don't alert the bad guys inside! She sniffed hard. I can smell a bunch of people in there. Cash's eyes darted around, wary of anyone sneaking up while they were peeking in. The noise from inside is loud enough. Do we really need her nose too? Baron didn't think about that. He flexed his biceps, standing loyal behind his boss, ready to punch anyone who dared come close. Lucky poked her round head into the hotel doorway. Huh? Why does it smell like there's a ton of food in here? She glanced left and right, making sure no one was nearby, then tiptoed inside. She'd barely gotten through half her dinner earlier when Roderick had dragged her out. After running all this way, her stomach was growling. First things first—eat, then catch the bad guys. At the mention of food, Baron and Cash perked up. The three of them snuck into the hotel and headed straight for the smell. At the same time, Mark, who was just back from blowing up Villa 5, was in the banquet hall reporting what had happened. To keep Godfrey's men from getting suspicious, Lisa had held another banquet that morning with her crew. By now, everyone had mostly finished eating and was listening to Mark's report. Knowing he'd completed the mission, Lisa praised him. "Well done!" Then, giving him confidence, she added, "When Godfrey comes back, you don't have anything to worry about. I'll protect you."
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